AmpliSi lands £2M pre-seed to scale porous silicon anodes
AmpliSi, a University of Sheffield spinout developing porous silicon anode materials, has raised £2 million in pre-seed funding to accelerate the move from laboratory research to industrial scale-up. The round was led by Northern Gritstone and Clean Growth Fund, with the capital earmarked for manufacturing process refinement and early engagement with commercial partners.
Targeting a key bottleneck: the graphite anode
While today’s lithium-ion batteries are reliable, performance is often constrained by the graphite anode, which limits energy density and charging capability. AmpliSi aims to replace graphite with a proprietary porous silicon anode that can theoretically store substantially more energy.
Silicon anodes have long been viewed as a path to higher-performance batteries, but they have struggled with swelling during charge cycles and rapid degradation. The company says its porous structure is designed to stabilise silicon, improving lifetime and enabling lighter, higher-energy cells—an upgrade that could translate into longer EV range and better grid storage performance.
Scaling manufacturing with an eye on supply chains
According to the company, a major barrier for silicon anodes has been the cost and complexity of manufacturing. AmpliSi is developing a production route intended to be scalable and less energy-intensive, using silica—one of the most abundant raw materials—potentially supporting supply-chain resilience for battery makers seeking alternatives to graphite.
From venture building to commercial deployment
AmpliSi was co-founded by Dr. Gwen Chimonides and Professor Siddharth Patwardhan alongside company builder Cambridge Future Tech, and previously participated in Northern Gritstone’s NG Studios cohort in 2025.
Dr Ruth Sayers, CEO of AmpliSi, said the funding will help the company move beyond proof-of-concept and scale a product that can be integrated into existing battery supply chains. Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, and Beverley Gower-Jones, Managing Partner at Clean Growth Fund, highlighted the technology’s potential to address long-standing adoption challenges for silicon anodes, including manufacturing emissions and scalability.
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