This quarter’s ‘Companies to Watch’ highlights companies that our guest investors from the region think our international audiences should know about. One company is from Singapore; another is from China. The third investor highlights a growth segment in China – namely, autonomous, electric middle mile logistics – and identifies a few leading companies within that segment.
The guest contributors were reacting to the open question:
“What cleantech company (or companies) from your country/region would you highlight to our international audiences at this time, and why?”
And, before you get to the companies below, note that our annual APAC Cleantech 25 has just been released. The report is freely downloadable and 8-10 of the APAC Cleantech 25 companies will participate in our Cleantech Forum Asia, May 7-8 in Singapore.
Green Li-ion was on our APAC Cleantech 25 in 2022 and the 2024 Global Cleantech 100.
TRIREC, based out of Singapore, first invested in their 2022 Series A. Andrew provides an update:
“The company exemplifies how cutting-edge innovations from Asia can profoundly impact the global drive towards decarbonization.
Their revolutionary technology, which recovers valuable materials from crushed black mass to directly produce precursor cathode active material (pCAM), marks a crucial step towards a closed-loop battery supply chain.
This approach not only reduces waste and alleviates lithium resource constraints but also significantly cuts the environmental costs associated with mining. In the context of geopolitical tensions and the global push for supply chain diversification, Green Li-ion’s technology takes on added significance.
As countries seek to reduce their dependence on China, which currently dominates the battery supply chain, Green Li-ion’s innovative recycling process offers a compelling alternative. By enabling local production of critical battery materials, the company contributes to supply chain resilience and energy security for nations looking to develop domestic battery industries.
This aligns perfectly with Asia’s rapid adoption of electric vehicles and energy storage systems, while also meeting the needs of global markets transitioning away from fossil fuels. Green Li-ion’s platform demonstrates the immense potential of circular economy principles in reshaping not just the Asian clean energy landscape, but also the broader global battery technology sector. As regulations on waste tighten and consumer demand for clean power grows, Green Li-ion stands out as a significant catalyst for sustainable energy solutions and geopolitical strategy in the battery industry.”
“With energy density as a key bottleneck, the battery materials industry has recently begun to shift from liquid to solid electrolyte materials. One pioneer leading this transformation is LionGo.
LionGo is a developer and producer of innovative solid-state electrolyte materials for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. They also offer a diverse product portfolio consisting of liquid, solid-liquid hybrid, and in-situ cured electrolyte materials.
Despite high barriers to entry, LionGo is pushing the boundaries of solid-state technology while leveraging their robust product pipeline to raise revenue. In 2024, the company installed 500KG annual manufacturing capacity for solid-state electrolytes and 50kt for in-situ cured electrolytes, becoming a leading producer of advanced electrolytes in China.
At the international level, the company is building inroads to develop their business globally. Earlier this month, LionGo signed an MOU with strategic partners in Germany to streamline the product certification process for the European market. With over 170 patents obtained and a strong global network, LionGo is poised to become a leading international supplier of emerging electrolyte materials worldwide.”
A new, very disruptive force in electrification of mobility and logistics is being launched in China. It has not yet caught sufficient attention globally, but global champions are being built there at this very moment, just as they were 7-10 years ago in passenger EV (BYD, NIO, Li Auto, X Peng etc.) and later in electric AV (WeRide, Pony, Baidu Apollo).
I am referring to the automation of middle mile logistics, as developed by four companies in China: Rino, WeRide (again), Zelos Tech and to a lesser extent, Neolix. The consequences for the logistics industry will be wide reaching.
These companies are true disruptors. Currently, middle mile logistics, between 10-100 km, with typical use cases being warehouse-to-warehouse or warehouse-to-supermarket deliveries, are still very traditional ICE vans and trucks, with at least two shift drivers. The revolution launched by these four companies is multifold:
- 100% electrification of middle mile
- Fully programmable, unmanned 24/7 deliveries: applies for large (100+) fleets, removing the staffing requirements
- A barebones, L4 autonomous vehicle with 5.5 m3 of loading capacity, > 200 km of range, and 1000 kg payloads, can be had for a price under $30K
- Breakeven in the first two years, new controllable cost structures with low OPEX.
There are already an estimated 2,500 autonomous middle mile delivery vehicles operating on open roads in China today. Given the cost and breakeven point, the pace of adoption is accelerating and, tellingly, very price-sensitive, with regional subcontractors of China’s giant logistics conglomerate such as ZTO and JD.com adopting. It’s therefore not surprising that Meituan, one of China’s largest food delivery providers, led the recent financing round of Zelostech: all players in the market are either testing, adopting, or investing in this new category.
The speed, scale and impact of programmable, autonomous, electric middle mile logistics is significant and for now, no country seems better positioned than China to capitalize on this new industry.”
If any of these companies are of interest to you and you need help connecting, please contact us at news@cleantech.com, outlining why you’d like to make contact
If you are located in the Asia-Pacific region and would be interested in becoming a guest contributor to a future quarterly APAC Companies to Watch, please be in touch via news@cleantech.com.
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