AmpliSi, a startup developing silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries, has raised £2 million in a pre-seed round led by Northern Gritstone and Clean Growth Fund. Founded as a University of Sheffield spin-out and co-founded with company builder Cambridge Future Tech, AmpliSi develops porous silicon anode materials designed to replace graphite in lithium-ion batteries, improving energy density, charging performance and efficiency for applications including electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
Conventional graphite anodes limit the performance of lithium-ion batteries by constraining energy density and charging capability. AmpliSi’s proprietary porous silicon anode material is designed to address these limitations by enabling lighter, longer-lasting batteries. Its technology uses a low-temperature process to convert abundant silica into porous silicon, avoiding hazards, costs and scalability challenges associated with conventional silicon anode production methods that rely on complex and energy-intensive processes.
The funding will support the transition from laboratory development toward industrial scale-up and early customer engagement as demand for higher-performance batteries increases with electric vehicle adoption. The mobility sector requires batteries with greater energy density, which AmpliSi is targeting with its silicon anode materials.
AmpliSi was part of Northern Gritstone’s venture builder NG Studios’ deeptech cohort in 2025. The business was spun out of the University of Sheffield and co-founded with Cambridge Future Tech.
Our focus from day one has been on building a new type of silicon battery material that can be produced at scale and integrated into existing battery supply chains. This investment allows us to move beyond proof-of-concept and concentrate on scaling a product that delivers real commercial value to battery manufacturers, without introducing unnecessary cost or complexity.
AmpliSi is the embodiment of deep-tech innovation emerging from the University of Sheffield that Northern Gritstone strives to support. As a graduate of our NG Studios venture building program, the company combines world-class science with a clear route to commercial impact through its next generation of battery technology. By developing a scalable, lower-cost process aligned with the needs of existing supply chains, we are excited to support AmpliSi as it moves from the lab to commercial deployment.
Silicon anodes have long been recognised as offering dramatic performance advantages over current anode materials in battery systems. AmpliSi’s technology directly addresses the challenges that have restricted the widescale adoption of silicon anodes to date, including the emissions intensity of current manufacturing processes. The Clean Growth Fund is delighted to support the company on its goal of unlocking silicon’s potential and supporting the acceleration of the energy transition.
Some of the UK’s most groundbreaking science is coming from northern universities - the challenge is turning it into companies at pace. At Cambridge Future Tech, we’ve seen with AmpliSi what’s possible when novel research is matched with hands-on venture building and the right capital.
