China’s sodium-ion battery anode materials supplier Rongna New Energy closes Series A funding

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Guangdong Rongna New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. ("Rongna New Energy"), a Chinese supplier of hard carbon anode materials for sodium-ion batteries, recently closed the Series A financing round with tens of millions of yuan raised, according to its press release.

The investment was led by Jinfu Fund ("Jinfu" is Chinese Pinyin), which is an industrial capital unit of Farasis Energy, with follow-on investment from CoStone Capital, and continuous support from Bridge Capital.

This latest injection of capital is earmarked for the construction of a 2,000-tonne high-temperature carbonization production line, new product development, and the establishment of an R&D center. Notably, according to the corporate data platform Tianyancha, this marks the fourth financing round secured by Rongna New Energy this year.

Photo credit: Rongna New Energy

Established in August 2022, Rongna New Energy has already introduced multiple series of hard carbon materials featuring high capacity, high voltage stability, and cost-effectiveness across different granularities and rates. Taking the RN-C1 product as an example, under full electrical testing, its capacity and initial efficiency benchmark against Kuraray's TYPE-2, maintaining a cycle retention rate of over 95% after 200 weeks. The company has currently completed a 10,000-tonne precursor production line and a 2,000-tonne high-temperature carbonization line, achieving steady production and delivery.

Sodium-ion batteries have emerged as the capital's "new darling" following lithium-ion batteries. This technology holds broad applications in energy storage, power, and stands as one of the pathways to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. However, despite its potential, sodium-ion battery production remains relatively small, the process is still immature, and costs are relatively high, placing it in the early stages of industrial introduction. With the refinement of industry policies and accelerated company expansions, sodium-ion batteries are poised to become a new trillion-yuan domain in terms of market scale.