Lithium may dominate today’s battery market, but its high costs, supply risks, and limited lifespan are fueling demand for alternatives. Offgrid Energy Labs, a deep-tech startup from India, believes it has one.
The seven-year-old company, incubated at IIT Kanpur, has developed ZincGel, a zinc-bromine battery system that it says delivers up to 90% of lithium-ion efficiency at a lower cost. Beyond affordability, ZincGel promises longer lifespans, lower fire risk, and resilience in harsh conditions, operating even at minus 10°C.
Founded in 2018 by Tejas Kusurkar, Brindan Tulachan, Rishi Srivastava, and Ankur Agarwal, the startup has secured more than 50 IP assets globally and now raised $15 million in Series A funding to scale. The round was led by Archean Chemicals, a Chennai-based specialty chemicals firm with expertise in bromine, which has taken a 21% stake. Ankur Capital also participated.
With the new capital, Offgrid will build a 10-megawatt-hour demonstration plant in the U.K. by early 2026, before launching a full-scale gigafactory in India. The choice of Europe first, the founders explained, was due to its strong battery ecosystem and regulatory support. Still, India remains a key market, especially as the country aims for 236 gigawatt-hours of storage capacity by 2031 and plans $612 million in funding for large-scale projects.
Offgrid’s technology, built on a proprietary water-based electrolyte and carbon cathode, is targeted at stationary energy storage markets, from renewable energy integration and peak shifting to off-grid power. Early testers include Shell and Tata Power, while the startup is in talks with Europe’s Enel Group for custom deployments.
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Unlike traditional lithium-ion plants, the U.K. facility is expected to have a 50% lower carbon footprint, thanks to simplified manufacturing processes. That efficiency, paired with widely available zinc and bromine, could help reduce dependence on China’s lithium supply chain.
“The market doesn’t just need performance, it needs price parity,” said Srivastava. “Our batteries are designed to be adapted to specific use cases, without locking customers into fragile supply chains.”
Valued at around $58 million post-money, Offgrid Energy Labs is positioning itself as a serious contender in the global race to diversify energy storage.
