Omnes Capital has invested EUR1.7 million in Nanomakers, becoming the largest shareholder in the French start-up producer of nanopowders. The deal aims to increase the company’s production capacity, continue its R&D efforts and strengthen the recruitment of key positions.
Founded in 2010 and based in Rambouillet, the French start-up Nanomakers has been designing and producing since 2012 patented silicon-based nanopowders which transform the mechanical, chemical or thermal properties of materials. Its disruptive technology has made it possible to triple the energy density of Li-ion batteries anodes, or to lighten and reinforce the mechanical properties of certain materials (metal alloys, elastomers) used in various industrial sectors.
Since 2015, Nanomakers has been supplying industrial quantities for a first application in semi- conductors and has 99 per cent of its sales outside Europe (United States, Japan and South Korea). Its turnover has multiplied 10 times since 2014.
Nanomakers is collaborating with 80 per cent of the global Li-ion battery market, in particular with the global leaders and their suppliers, with the aim of integrating nano-silicon in anodes to increase their energy density. The commercial launch is planned for 2019 in Japan.
The start-up has current plans to accelerate its industrial development by expanding its manufacturing capacity in France and internationally.
“The nanopowders produced by Nanomakers have already attracted renowned partners and customers. Their potential is considerable since their innovative and patented technology makes it possible to increase battery capacity, an issue at the heart of industrial concerns, which should only become more so in the coming years. This operation is an excellent example of our investment strategy in the deep-tech sector,” says Renaud Poulard, Director of Omnes Capital.
“The arrival of Omnes Capital significantly strengthens our capital and will help us to achieve our ambition. Our goal is to become a key supplier of high-performance batteries on a global scale with our unparalleled nano-silicon that allows for energy density of batteries to be multiplied, as well as the autonomy of their usage,” adds Jean-François Perrin, CEO of Nanomakers.
