Jun 11, 2025
Voltavate's Pre-seed Round
Voltavate, an early-stage battery tech company, has raised A$850,000 in an oversubscribed pre-seed round led by Artesian, with support from Investible, Electrifi Ventures, and leading industry angels including John Wood, Christiaan Jordaan, Steven Vassiloudis, and Reza Behnam. Reza also serves as Voltavate’s Chairman.
Voltavate is building a battery innovation platform to address critical challenges in battery performance, manufacturing efficiency, and sustainability across the energy storage value chain. Its first product line targets battery separators — a critical component influencing cell safety, efficiency, and scalability. By applying advanced nanomaterials and novel manufacturing integration, Voltavate delivers improved performance, process compatibility, and a lower environmental footprint.
Founded by Dr. Amir Hooshang Taheri (PhD, Nanyang Technological University) and Omid Javadi (Sharif University of Technology), Voltavate combines deep expertise in materials science and battery engineering. The new capital will be used to validate its core product, expand the team, and advance strategic partnerships.
According to McKinsey & Company, the lithium-ion battery market is projected to surpass $400 billion by 2030, growing more than 30 percent annually. Component segments alone are expected to reach $250 billion, with separators comprising an estimated $25 billion (McKinsey & Company).
Reza Behnam, Voltavate’s Chairman, provided additional context:
“I've had the pleasure of working closely with Amir and Omid since the earliest days of Voltavate. As founders, they are driven by a clear vision to improve how we store and use energy more efficiently and sustainably. They have worked tirelessly to arrive at a solution which, on every relevant dimension, outperforms current best practices. This oversubscribed funding event, led by Artesian, is a testament to their efforts and their potential to impact the industry. I look forward to working closely with Amir, Omid, and all the investors and supporters to further validate the technology and approach as we build toward industrial-scale execution”.
Dr. Amir Hooshang Taheri, Co-founder and CEO, added:
“We’re incredibly grateful to be backed by investors and thought leaders who share our mission. This support gives us momentum to scale our work and deliver meaningful impact on how batteries are made and perform.”
Alexandra Clunies-Ross, Partner at Artesian, said:
“Voltavate is addressing a vital part of the battery value chain with strong technical insight and clear execution. We believe in the team’s ability to transform how battery components are designed and produced.”
Ben Lindsay, Principal at Investible, added: At Investible, we’re backing breakthrough technologies that can accelerate the global energy transition. Voltavate’s nanomaterial innovation offers a rare combination of performance, safety, scalability, and sustainability, which is exactly what the battery industry needs. We’re thrilled to support Amir, Omid, and the Voltavate team as they reimagine a critical component of the clean energy future.
Leading ecosystem programs have supported the company's progress, including StartSpace, Climate Salad, EnergyLab, New Energy Nexus, and CDL Melbourne.
Notably, three CEOs from Australia’s battery sector—Steven Vassiloudis (Novalith), Christiaan Jordaan (Sicona), and John Wood (Gelion)— joined the Voltavate round in their personal capacity as angel investors. John Wood remarked: “Voltavate’s reimagined separator design aligns well with industry needs—offering a rare combination of scalability, cost-effectiveness, performance, and sustainability. In targeting innovation in separator technology, Voltavate is seeking to address a key aspect of battery manufacturing and to open an opportunity for enhancement of cell performance generally.”
Voltavate is based in Melbourne and is exploring expansion opportunities across Southeast Asia.
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