Lyten, a Silicon Valley-based battery startup, has agreed to acquire most assets of bankrupt Swedish battery maker Northvolt, the company said on August 7, 2025.

Lyten develops lithium-sulfur battery technology and is backed by Stellantis and FedEx.

Northvolt filed for bankruptcy in March, marking one of Sweden’s largest corporate failures.

The purchase price was not disclosed, but Lyten described it as a “substantial discount” to the original asset value.

Lyten plans to restart Northvolt’s Skelleftea plant in northern Sweden and aims to resume lithium-ion battery deliveries in 2026.

The deal includes Northvolt’s operations in Sweden and Germany, as well as intellectual property.

Lyten previously acquired Northvolt’s energy storage business in Poland and is targeting automotive, defense, and energy storage sectors.

Several of Northvolt’s former management will join Lyten, but founder Peter Carlsson will not.

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🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Massive funding doesn’t guarantee battery manufacturing success

Northvolt’s challenges show how even well-funded battery companies can struggle with the operational realities of large-scale manufacturing.

The company raised over $10 billion and secured more than $50 billion in orders from major automakers like BMW, Volkswagen, and Audi, yet faced significant production and quality issues1.

Despite having backing from established partners like Scania and substantial customer commitments, Northvolt struggled to deliver battery cells that met client requirements, highlighting the technical complexity of scaling battery production.

This reflects broader challenges in the battery industry, where the gap between securing funding and customers versus executing reliable, high-quality manufacturing at scale remains significant.

The operational difficulties faced by Northvolt—despite its strong financial position and customer relationships—demonstrate that battery manufacturing requires not just capital and demand, but also deep technical execution capabilities that are difficult to develop quickly.

2️⃣ Lithium-sulfur technology offers strategic supply chain advantages

Lyten’s focus on lithium-sulfur batteries represents a shift away from materials heavily controlled by China, potentially reshaping global battery supply chains.

Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur technology doesn’t rely on nickel and cobalt, materials that are heavily sourced from China, potentially reducing geopolitical supply chain risks2.

This technology promises higher energy density and lower costs while requiring an estimated 80-90% reduction in mining operations compared to conventional batteries2.

For companies like Lyten’s backers—Stellantis and FedEx—this technology could provide supply chain security advantages as governments increasingly prioritize domestic battery production capabilities.

The strategic value extends beyond cost savings to include reduced dependency on politically sensitive supply chains, which has become a key consideration for both companies and governments planning long-term electric vehicle and energy storage strategies.

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