Startup

e-TRNL Energy raises INR 27.4 Cr in seed funding to advance next-Gen battery cell innovation

Battery technology startup e-TRNL Energy announced that it has raised INR 27.4 crore seed funding in a round led by IAN Alpha Fund of the IAN Group. The round also had participation from Navam Capital and Anicut, along with continued backing from existing investors, Speciale Invest, Micelio Mobility, and IIMA Ventures. Also, several angel investors participated in the round including Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain (co-founders of Ather Energy) These funds will be utilised to complete product development and demonstrate manufacturing capability on Lithium-ion battery cells at scale in India. The development work includes validating performance, safety, consistency, and repeatability at scale—critical milestones required to transition advanced battery technologies from research and development into commercial manufacturing.

Founded in June 2021 by Apoorv Shaligram, an IIT Roorkee graduate with a master’s degree from Michigan State University, and Dr. Uttam Kumar Sen, who holds a Ph.D. in Energy Science & Engineering from IIT Bombay, e-TRNL Energy is working towards the development of the next generation of battery cells. The startup follows a chemistry-agnostic, physics-based approach to battery development, enabling improvements in safety, fast-charging capability, cycle life, and energy density, while enhancing scalability and reliability in manufacturing.

e-TRNL Energy has reinvented the entire cell manufacturing technology, delivering a full-stack solution that spans battery cell design, manufacturing technology, and machinery development. All machinery for cell production has been engineered in-house, from initial concept to full automation, with a strong emphasis on optimizing space, energy, and capital efficiency. Following the validation and scaling of manufacturing, e-TRNL Energy plans to initiate commercial manufacturing at a mass pilot scale of 250 MWh per year, with a roadmap to subsequently scale up capacity to 2 GWh per year. Through these in-house efforts in manufacturing technology, machinery, and equipment, e-TRNL Energy aims to reduce import dependency and advance true Aatmanirbharta in India's energy sector.

Commenting on the fundraise, Apoorv Shaligram, Co-Founder and CEO of e-TRNL Energy, said, “Over the past three years, we've created a ground-breaking battery cell design and built the precise machines and processes needed to realize it. With this funding round, we move towards demonstration, testing and scaling our innovation for commercialization. Beyond positioning India as a leader in energy storage innovations, these efforts will also strengthen our resilience against global supply chain vulnerabilities in these changing times.”

Dr. Uttam Kumar Sen, Co-Founder and CTO of e-TRNL Energy, added, “Our chemistry-agnostic, physics-driven approach allows us to address fundamental limitations of conventional battery technologies. This funding enables us to demonstrate and validate our technology at scale and deliver a no-compromise solution for safe, reliable and long-term performance in batteries.”

Rajnish Kapur, Managing Partner, IAN Alpha Fund, said, “India’s energy transition will depend not just on adopting batteries, but on owning core cell design and manufacturing capabilities. What stood out with e-TRNL Energy was their first-principles rethink of cell architecture and manufacturing, rather than incremental upgrades to legacy designs. This integrated approach tackles performance, safety, heating, and cost together, which is exactly the kind of deep-tech innovation we back at IAN.”

Dr. Anjan Ray, Investment Partner, Navam Capital, said, "Our investment in eTRNL Energy reflects Navam Capital's conviction that defensible IP and manufacturing creativity within India's capital-efficient environment are valuable competitive advantages in deep tech. We look forward to an exciting journey of innovation and growth with the experienced and talented team at eTRNL Energy in this critically important area of energy storage."