The performance of today’s lithium-ion batteries is still constrained by one critical component, the graphite anode. While reliable, graphite limits energy density and charging performance, restricting how far electric vehicles can travel and how efficiently energy can be stored.
AmpliSi, a spinout from the University of Sheffield, is working to overcome this bottleneck with a new anode material built from porous silicon. The company has now secured £2 million in pre-seed funding, led by Northern Gritstone and Clean Growth Fund, to move its technology beyond the laboratory and toward commercial deployment.
The newly secured investment will help AmpliSi transition its technology from research-stage development toward industrial scale-up. The company plans to refine its manufacturing process and begin engaging with potential commercial partners and customers.
Replacing graphite with porous silicon
AmpliSi’s core innovation lies in replacing the graphite used in conventional lithium-ion batteries with a porous silicon anode material. Silicon can theoretically store far more energy than graphite, but traditional silicon anodes have faced significant hurdles, including expansion during charging cycles and rapid degradation over time.
The Sheffield spinout’s proprietary porous silicon material is designed to address those challenges. By stabilising the structure of silicon, the technology aims to deliver lighter batteries with higher energy density and improved lifespan.
For industries such as electric vehicles, this improvement could translate into longer driving ranges, faster charging, and more efficient battery systems. The same advantages apply to grid-scale energy storage, where reliability and performance are crucial for managing renewable power generation.
A simpler route to next-generation materials
Manufacturing silicon anodes at scale has historically been difficult and expensive. Conventional production methods often rely on complex chemical reactions and energy-intensive processes that make large-scale deployment challenging.
AmpliSi takes a different approach. Founded on patented academic research, AmpliSi was co-founded by Dr. Gwen Chimonides and Professor Siddharth Patwardhan with company builder Cambridge Future Tech and previously participated in Northern Gritstone’s NG Studios deeptech venture builder cohort in 2025. The company focuses on advanced porous silicon materials that aim to deliver higher-performance lithium-ion batteries capable of meeting the demands of electric mobility and large-scale energy storage.
This process helps avoid many of the safety hazards, high costs and scalability issues associated with existing silicon anode production techniques. By using silica, one of the most widely available materials on Earth, the approach also supports supply-chain resilience for battery manufacturers seeking alternatives to graphite.
The ability to produce high-performance anode materials using a scalable and less energy-intensive process could be particularly important as global battery demand accelerates alongside the growth of electric vehicles.
From laboratory discovery to industrial scale
Initial focus will centre on the mobility sector, where demand for batteries with higher energy density is growing rapidly. Electric vehicle manufacturers are under pressure to improve range and reduce weight while keeping costs under control, an equation that depends heavily on advances in battery materials.
By addressing key limitations such as volume expansion, lifetime stability and process scalability, AmpliSi’s technology aims to position silicon anodes as a practical alternative to graphite.
If successful, the Sheffield spinout could help unlock a new generation of lithium-ion batteries that are lighter, longer-lasting and more efficient, an outcome that would ripple across electric transport, renewable energy systems and the wider transition to cleaner technologies.
Dr Ruth Sayers, CEO of AmpliSi, said: “Our focus from day one has been on building a new type of silicon battery material that can be produced at scale and integrated into existing battery supply chains. This investment allows us to move beyond proof-of-concept and concentrate on scaling a product that delivers real commercial value to battery manufacturers, without introducing unnecessary cost or complexity.”
Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, said: “AmpliSi is the embodiment of deep-tech innovation emerging from the University of Sheffield that Northern Gritstone strives to support. As a graduate of our NG Studios venture building program, the company combines world-class science with a clear route to commercial impact through its next generation of battery technology. By developing a scalable, lower-cost process aligned with the needs of existing supply chains, we are excited to support AmpliSi as it moves from the lab to commercial deployment.”
Beverley Gower-Jones, Managing Partner of the Clean Growth Fund, said “Silicon anodes have long been recognised as offering dramatic performance advantages over current anode materials in battery systems. AmpliSi’s technology directly addresses the challenges that have restricted the widescale adoption of silicon anodes to date, including the emissions intensity of current manufacturing processes. The Clean Growth Fund is delighted to support the company on its goal of unlocking silicon’s potential and supporting the acceleration of the energy transition.”
Owen Thompson, CEO of Cambridge Future Tech, said: “Some of the UK’s most groundbreaking science is coming from northern universities — the challenge is turning it into companies at pace. At Cambridge Future Tech, we’ve seen with AmpliSi what’s possible when novel research is matched with hands-on venture building and the right capital.”
