Battery electrolyte firm South 8 Technologies raises US$12m to fund commercialisation

LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email

Lithium electrolyte provider South 8 Technologies has raised US$12 million in Series A financing to commercialise its liquefied gas electrolyte technology.

South 8 claims its electrolytes offer a unique approach to address shortcomings in more prevalent electrolytes on the market today. The technology uses solvents that are normally gaseous at room temperature and under standard pressures but can be liquefied to be used as an electrolyte.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Enjoy 12 months of exclusive analysis

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Annual digital subscription to the PV Tech Power journal
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

This, South 8 says, poses benefits for batteries, including increased safety through a reduced risk of thermal runaway, an enhanced degree of material compatibility among cell components and cheaper costs.

Cyrus Rustomji, CEO at South 8 Technologies, said the company’s approach offered a “more practical alternative technology to stakeholders”, commenting that existing battery technology companies were currently “placing big bets on a relatively narrow set of potential breakthrough innovations”.

Companies participating in the funding round included LG Technology Ventures and Shell Ventures, investment vehicles operated by tech company LG and oil and gas major Shell respectively, as well as technology venture fund Foothill Ventures and Japanese industrial gas company Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation.

Shell’s new investment in South 8 follows a “strategic investment” of an undisclosed amount the company made in August 2020. Other energy storage firms to have received backing from Shell Ventures include platform provider AutoGrid and thermal storage start-up Antora Energy.

Robert McIntyre, managing director at LG Technology Ventures, added: “South 8’s technology can power new market applications by solving traditional challenges around safety, manufacturability and more that has limited battery technologies for decades.”

South 8 is a spin out of the University of California San Diego, launched in 2016 after its founding team developed its patented technology at the university. It is founded by Cyrus Rustomji, who now serves as the company’s chief executive officer, and current chief technology officer Jungwoo Lee.

11 November 2025
San Diego, USA
The 2024 Summit included innovative new features including a ‘Crash Course in Battery Asset Management’, Ask-Me-Anything formats and debate-style sessions. You can expect to meet and network with all the key industry players again in 2025 from major US asset owners, operators, RTOs and ISOs, optimizers, software and analytics providers, technical consultancies, O&M technology providers and more.

Read Next

June 30, 2025
Globeleq and African Rainbow Energy have reached commercial close on the 612MWh Red Sands BESS in South Africa.
June 30, 2025
Samsung C&T has submitted plans for a 100MW/400MWh BESS to Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
June 27, 2025
ACE Power has seen a battery energy storage system (BESS) of up to 8,000MWh in New South Wales, Australia, cleared through the EPBC Act.
June 27, 2025
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) predicts South Australia and New South Wales could experience reliability gaps from 2026-27 and 2027-28.
June 26, 2025
Fengate Asset Management and Alpha Omega Power’s (AOP’s) 100MW/400MWh Caballero battery energy storage system (BESS) in California, has reached commercial operations.

Most Popular

Email Newsletter