theion
theion GmbH is a Berlin-based battery company developing lithium-sulfur crystal batteries via a proprietary Direct Crystal Imprinting process, targeting air mobility, electric vehicles, stationary energy storage, and aerospace applications with custom B2B cell designs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What theion does
theion GmbH is a Berlin-based battery technology company developing lithium-sulfur crystal batteries for use in air mobility, electric vehicles, stationary energy storage, and aerospace applications. Its core product, the Crystal Battery, is built on a proprietary Direct Crystal Imprinting (DCi) process that grows pure sulfur wafers directly from molten sulfur in seconds, eliminating slurry coating, solvents, water, and drying steps. The cell architecture combines these sulfur crystal wafers with a proprietary solid-state polymer electrolyte and a patented lithium-metal host-foil anode, targeting 1,000 Wh/kg gravimetric energy density versus roughly 300 Wh/kg for state-of-the-art NMC cells, with claims of cycle life exceeding 1,000 cycles and ultra-fast charging under 10 minutes.
The company operates a B2B enterprise sales motion, supplying custom cell designs to industrial partners in air mobility (first-addressed market), land mobility, stationary storage, and aerospace. Production is planned for scalable GWh facilities built in correspondence with customer needs, though no commercial-scale production is yet operating and no customers are publicly named. theion is venture-backed, with €15M raised in March 2025 from Team Global, Enpal, and Geschwister Oetker, alongside public funding through the BMFTR-backed 'LiSSy' research project and an AI R&D integration with camLine. The team is led by CEO Dr. Ulrich Ehmes (battery industry and factory-building experience), CSO/Co-Founder Marek Slavik (10 years of Li-S cell design expertise), and CTO Martin Schaupp (automation engineering for lab-to-mass-production scaling), with an advisory board chaired by Dr. Gerhard Cromme, former Chairman of Siemens and ThyssenKrupp.
theion firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- theion
- Legal name
- theion GmbH
- Website
- https://theion.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- theion GmbH is a Berlin-based battery company developing lithium-sulfur crystal batteries via a proprietary Direct Crystal Imprinting process, targeting air mobility, electric vehicles, stationary energy storage, and aerospace applications with custom B2B cell designs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
theion industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advanced Battery Cells (Lithium-Sulfur)
- NAICS
- Battery Manufacturing (335910)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Battery Cells (Li-ion, LFP, Sodium-ion, Lead-acid, NiMH) (IMAGAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Battery Modules & Packs (Industrial/Commercial pack assembly) (IMAGAHAB)
Keywords
Where theion is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
theion business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Battery Cell Sales: Direct sales of lithium-sulfur crystal battery cells to industrial partners in air mobility, land mobility, stationary energy storage, and aerospace markets. Scalable GWh production facilities set up in correspondence with customer needs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
theion product offering
Product offeringCore offering
theion manufactures and sells lithium-sulfur Crystal Battery cells built around its proprietary Sulfur Crystal Wafer, produced via the Direct Crystal Imprinting (DCi) method from molten sulfur without slurry, solvents, water, or drying. The cells pair the sulfur wafer with a solid-state polymer electrolyte and a lithium metal host foil anode to deliver triple the gravimetric energy density of state-of-the-art batteries (targeting 1,000 Wh/kg), ultra-fast charging under 10 minutes, and over 1,000 cycles, targeting B2B customers in air mobility, electric vehicles, stationary storage, and aerospace.
Product overview
theion offers a unified product portfolio centered on its Crystal Battery technology, a lithium-sulfur based energy storage solution. The core offering consists of the Crystal Battery product and the Sulfur Crystal Wafer as the key technological component. The Sulfur Crystal Wafer is manufactured using the proprietary Direct Crystal Imprinting (DCi) method and serves as the cathode material for Crystal Battery cells. The company is developing the technology across three generations: Gen 1 (proprietary anode with +30% energy density), Gen 2 (500 Wh/kg at 500 cycles), and Gen 3 (1000 Wh/kg at 1000 cycles). Production is designed for scalable GWh facilities aligned with customer needs, targeting applications in air mobility, land mobility (EVs), stationary energy storage, and aerospace.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- theion Crystal Battery Lithium-sulfur Crystal Battery cells based on the proprietary Sulfur Crystal Wafer, paired with a solid-state polymer electrolyte and a lithium metal host foil anode. Targets 1,000 Wh/kg gravimetric energy density, ultra-fast charging under 10 minutes, cycle life exceeding 1,000 cycles, and intrinsic safety, sold to B2B industrial customers in air mobility, land mobility (EVs), stationary energy storage, and aerospace.
- theion Sulfur Crystal Wafer Pure sulfur wafer produced via the proprietary Direct Crystal Imprinting (DCi) method directly from molten sulfur in seconds, with no slurry coating, solvents, water, or drying. Forms the cathode of the Crystal Battery, incorporates the solid-state polymer electrolyte in its voids, and is paired with the lithium metal host foil anode, enabling high energy density and flexible wafer geometry adapted to customer product shape.
Quantifiable outcome
- Triple the gravimetric energy density compared to state-of-the-art batteries (targeting 1,000 Wh/kg)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use theion
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
theion technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
theion partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- camLinecorecamLine's Battery Lifetime Predictor reduced theion's R&D testing times from 42 days to just 15 hours, a 98% reduction, significantly accelerating time to market for the battery technology.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
theion competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lyten: US-based lithium-sulfur battery developer targeting EV, aerospace, and defense applications with a similar sulfur-cathode-plus-3D-graphene approach. Most directly comparable to theion in chemistry, end-markets, and pre-commercial stage.
- Sion Power: Pioneering lithium-sulfur battery company with decades of Li-S R&D heritage and a focus on high-energy-density applications including aerospace and EVs. Direct chemistry peer with longer operational history but similar commercialization challenges.
- Zeta Energy: US-based developer of lithium-sulfur batteries using vertically aligned carbon nanotube cathodes combined with lithium metal anodes. Competes with theion in the same Li-S chemistry space targeting EV and aerospace applications.
- Gelion Technologies: Australia-based battery company developing lithium-sulfur and zinc-bromide technologies for mobility and stationary storage. Direct peer in Li-S chemistry with comparable pre-commercial profile and multi-market targeting.
- Solid Power: US-listed developer of all-solid-state batteries using sulfide-based electrolyte and lithium-metal anode. Competes with theion in the next-gen battery race for EV and aerospace applications, though with different chemistry.
- QuantumScape: US-listed solid-state lithium-metal battery developer with Volkswagen backing targeting EV applications. Adjacent peer in next-gen battery space with significantly larger capital base but comparable pre-revenue commercialization timeline.
Broad incumbents
- CATL: World's largest battery manufacturer producing Li-ion cells with active R&D into solid-state and high-energy-density chemistries. Represents the dominant incumbent theion must displace in EV and stationary storage end-markets.
- LG Energy Solution: Major Korean battery manufacturer supplying cells to global automotive OEMs, with active solid-state and lithium-metal development programs. Broad incumbent competing for the same EV and ESS customers as theion.
Regional players
- Northvolt: Swedish battery manufacturer building European Li-ion gigafactories with plans to expand into next-gen chemistries. Regional European peer sharing similar policy and industrial ecosystem context, but currently focused on conventional Li-ion cells.
- Morrow Batteries: Norwegian battery cell startup developing prismatic Li-ion cells for European automotive and ESS markets with roots in the same Nordic/German industrial ecosystem. Regional peer sharing European policy support context.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
theion social profiles
Digital presencetheion financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
theion leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
theion funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
theion M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about theion
What does theion do?
theion manufactures and sells lithium-sulfur Crystal Battery cells built around its proprietary Sulfur Crystal Wafer, produced via the Direct Crystal Imprinting (DCi) method from molten sulfur without slurry, solvents, water, or drying. The cells pair the sulfur wafer with a solid-state polymer electrolyte and a lithium metal host foil anode to deliver triple the gravimetric energy density of state-of-the-art batteries (targeting 1,000 Wh/kg), ultra-fast charging under 10 minutes, and over 1,000 cycles, targeting B2B customers in air mobility, electric vehicles, stationary storage, and aerospace.
Is theion a public or private company?
theion is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was theion founded?
theion was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is theion based?
theion is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does theion make money?
One revenue line is on record: battery Cell Sales.
Who are theion's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lyten, Sion Power, Zeta Energy, Gelion Technologies, Solid Power and QuantumScape. Broad incumbents are CATL and LG Energy Solution. Regional players are Northvolt and Morrow Batteries.
Does theion have an API?
No public API is recorded for theion.
What industry is theion in?
theion's product category is Advanced Battery Cells (Lithium-Sulfur). Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAHAA, Battery Cells (Li-ion, LFP, Sodium-ion, Lead-acid, NiMH), with a secondary code of IMAGAHAB, Battery Modules & Packs (Industrial/Commercial pack assembly). Its NAICS code is 335910.