French Startup VoltR Just Raised $24M to Give Old Batteries a Second Life

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-07

Imagine a lithium battery that's already powered an e-bike for years. Most people would call it dead. But what if it's not? That's the question French startup VoltR has been answering since 2022, and now they've got $24 million to prove it at scale. ### The Big Idea: Remanufacturing, Not Just Recycling VoltR doesn't recycle batteries. They remanufacture them. The company collects used lithium cells, tests each one to see how much life is left, and then builds new batteries around that remaining capacity. The result? Batteries made in France that meet the same performance and certification standards as brand-new ones. "A lithium cell that has reached the end of its first life cycle has not necessarily reached the end of its industrial life," says CEO Maxime Bleskine. That simple idea has already been validated with over 20,000 batteries on the market. ### The Funding Breakdown The $24 million (€22 million) comes from two sources: - $17.4 million (€16 million) in equity from the SPI 2 Fund (managed by Bpifrance as part of France 2030) and Decathlon PULSE, the sports retailer's investment arm. - $6.5 million (€6 million) in grants through the "Première Usine" program. This follows a $4.3 million (€4 million) seed round in April 2024, bringing total funding to over $28 million. ### What They'll Do With the Money VoltR plans to double the size of its plant in Verrières-en-Anjou (Maine-et-Loire) and increase production capacity sixfold within two years. They'll also hire about 40 new people, doubling their workforce. The company's end-to-end model covers everything from collecting used batteries to diagnosing cells to manufacturing new batteries. They serve markets like power tools, micromobility, home automation, smart cities, and mobile energy storage. ### Why This Matters for Europe Europe's battery supply chain is heavily dependent on imports. Remanufacturing helps change that by reducing the need for new cells and squeezing more value out of existing ones. It's a complement to recycling, not a replacement. "With VoltR, the SPI Fund is reaffirming its commitment to building a sovereign battery industry," says Jean-Philippe Richard, Director of the SPI Fund at Bpifrance. "Having already supported both new battery production and recycling, we are now completing the value chain by giving batteries a second life." ### The Takeaway VoltR's approach isn't just about sustainability—it's about resilience. By extending the life of lithium cells, they're reducing waste, cutting reliance on imports, and building a more circular economy. And with this new funding, they're poised to scale across Europe. If you're in the battery or cleantech space, this is a company to watch.