Agriculture & Food

DeHaat, is the developer of an artificial intelligence-based platform to improve the farming sector’s supply chain efficiency by providing access to inputs, distribution networks, access to financial and crop advisory services. It secured $46 million in Series E funding from Sofina Ventures, Lightrock, Prosus Ventures, and RTP Global. This funding will support DeHaats platform development plans to secure its foothold within the Indian agritech sector as it continues to grow – it is expected to reach a market size of $30 – $35 billion by 2025 according to Entrepreneur India.

Energy & Power

OTI Lumionics, provider of low-cost manufacturing solutions for organic light emitting diode (OLED) lighting and displays, has received $55 million in Series B funding from Samsung Ventures, Anzu Partners, Lee Lau, Technology Ventures, and UDC Ventures. The funding will accelerate OTI Lumionics plans for partnerships with manufacturers of electronics, including smartphone, tablet, laptop, AR/VR headset suppliers, which will integrate their display materials. The display materials have been designed utilising a proprietary quantum and AI-driven computational platform which maximises resources by allowing new materials to be formed to fit existing production processes instead of customers having to alter their production processes for new materials.

Materials & Chemicals

Jetti Resources, developer of catalytic leach extraction technology designed for copper extraction from low-grade primary sulfides, has received cumulative $100 million growth equity funding from T. Rowe Price, Teck Resources, Rothschild Investment Trust, Mitsubishi Corporation, Freeport-McMoRan, and BHP Ventures. The speculations around the rising demand for copper have solidified in the face of rising environmental goals and projects, from the rising demand in electric vehicles (EVs) to new power grids. Even so, mines can take decades to build and so Jetti Resources aims to capitalise on these trends by offering its technology releasing copper from low-grade chalcopyrite.

Resources & Environment

Ascend Elements, provides lithium-ion battery recycling services using hydro-process recycling which reduces used cathode material down to the atomic level for new cathode materials to be produced. The company has secured $200 million in Series C funding from Fifth Wall, SK Ecoplant, Oman Investment Authority, Lithium Americas, Gly Capital Management, Mirae Asset Financial Group, Shinhan Capital, InMotion Ventures, TDK Ventures, Orbia Ventures, At One Ventures, TRUMPF, and Doral Energy-Tech Ventures. The funds will accelerate the commercialisation of Ascend Elements’ Hydro-to-Cathode™ direct precursor synthesis process which will establish a closed-loop, EV battery materials supply chain in North America. This project supports the company’s perspective that recycling batteries for recovered metals which end up back in the commodity market is the first step, while producing recycled and active cathode materials that can go directly into new batteries is the advancing step.

Transportation & Logistics

Ather Energy, developer of connected electric scooters powered by lithium-ion battery packs and displaying an integrated smart-system, has received $50 million in growth equity funding from Caladium Investment and Herald Square Ventures. Ather Energy will be using the funds to scale-up the manufacturing capacity to match the increased demand for electric automobiles in 2022; production will begin at the second manufacturing plant which has the capacity to produce 400,000 units annually.