With its ZincGel battery, the deep-tech startup aims to deliver safer, longer-lasting, and more cost-effective energy storage without lithium dependence
A Lithium-Free Future for Energy Storage?
Lithium-ion batteries dominate the global energy storage landscape — but their fragile supply chains, fire risks, and limited lifespans are driving the search for alternatives. Enter Offgrid Energy Labs, a deep-tech startup from India that has just raised $15 million in Series A funding to scale a zinc-bromine-based battery platform called ZincGel.
Founded in 2018 at IIT Kanpur, Offgrid is now aiming to reshape stationary energy storage with safer, more durable batteries built from more abundant and accessible materials.
ZincGel: A Cost-Effective, Safer Alternative
Offgrid’s proprietary ZincGel battery system isn’t trying to beat lithium-ion on every metric. Instead, it focuses on what stationary applications actually need:
- 80–90% energy efficiency compared to lithium-ion
- Longer discharge durations (6–12 hours)
- Twice the lifespan of conventional lithium batteries
- Low fire risk, thanks to a water-based electrolyte
- Lower levelized cost of storage (LCOS)
CEO Tejas Kusurkar says the goal is to create a solution that is not just technically sound but financially viable at scale.
“There have been battery technologies that solve the problem but are too expensive to adopt widely,” he noted.
$15M Series A to Fuel Global Expansion
The Series A round, which values Offgrid at $58 million post-money, was led by Archean Chemicals, a Chennai-based manufacturer with deep expertise in bromine production.
- Archean now holds a 21% stake in Offgrid
- Ankur Capital also joined the round
- The funds will help build a 10MWh demo facility in the UK (launching Q1 2026) and lay the groundwork for a future gigafactory in India
Why the UK Comes First
While the company was founded in India, Offgrid’s first major facility will be in the United Kingdom.
- Europe offers a robust battery ecosystem and faster regulatory alignment
- Co-founders Tejas Kusurkar and Brindan Tulachan are already based in the UK
- The UK demo site is designed with a 50% lower carbon footprint than a typical lithium gigafactory
India remains a key commercialization market, especially given the country’s ambitious renewable energy and storage targets.
Designed for Stationary, Not Mobile
While lithium-ion thrives in mobility, Offgrid is focused on the stationary battery market—which demands different priorities:
- Temperature resilience: Works in environments as cold as –10°C
- Long-term discharge: Ideal for off-grid, decentralized, or peak-shifting applications
- Customizability: ZincGel can be tuned for specific use cases, including net-zero industry goals
Strategic Partnerships and IP Moat
Offgrid has secured over 25 IP families and 50 IP assets across major global markets (U.S., UK, India, China, Japan, Australia).
Key early partners include:
- Shell, via its corporate venture arm
- Tata Power, for energy storage pilots
- Enel Group (Europe), for application-specific customization
“Ultimately, customers care about the same performance, better price — or better performance, same price,” said Rishi Srivastava, co-founder and COO.
Competing With — and Differentiating From — Existing Zinc Players
Zinc-bromine batteries are not new. EOS Energy Enterprises, listed on the Nasdaq, also offers similar systems.
But Offgrid claims a clear edge in manufacturing cost and performance through:
- Carbon-based cathodes for fast charge/discharge
- Reduced graphite usage
- A simpler, modular architecture with lower capital and operational expense
What’s Next: Gigafactory and $680M Vision
Offgrid plans to build its India-based gigafactory following the successful demonstration in the UK.
- The goal: Deploy ZincGel batteries at scale for industrial, utility, and decentralized energy systems
- India’s energy targets — including 236 GWh of storage by 2031 — make it a prime expansion market
- Long-term vision includes applications in grid stabilization, renewable integration, and smart microgrids
