What CarbonScape does

CarbonScape Limited is a privately held New Zealand deep-technology company that develops proprietary thermo-catalytic technology to convert biomass (forestry by-products such as woodchips and sawdust) into battery-grade biographite, a drop-in replacement for synthetic or mined graphite used in lithium-ion battery anodes. The proprietary process operates at less than 1500°C versus approximately 3000°C required for conventional synthetic graphite production, and achieves a 90% spheroidization yield compared with 30-60% for mined graphite and up to 80% for leading synthetic producers. The process includes pyrolysis, catalyst addition, controlled thermal processing in a roller kiln, purification, spheroidization, and coating, and yields a graphite product with near-zero or net-negative carbon footprint that avoids harmful chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid. The company has operated a first-generation pilot plant in Blenheim, New Zealand since 2018 and a second-generation pilot since 2022, and is constructing a demonstration plant at Sunila, Kotka, Finland (at a former Stora Enso pulp mill site) with sample production targeted for 2026 and commercial production from 2029 onward.

CarbonScape serves lithium-ion battery cell manufacturers and electric vehicle OEMs seeking to reduce dependence on Chinese graphite (which controls approximately 95% of global battery-grade graphite production) and to lower the carbon intensity of their supply chains. The company is currently engaged in product qualification with 8 of the world's top 10 battery manufacturers across Asia, Europe, and North America. It has secured strategic investment from Stora Enso (a major forestry corporation providing site access and feedstock at the Finland demonstration plant) and Amperex Technology Ltd (ATL, one of the world's largest battery manufacturers), and has signed long-term feedstock supply agreements with leading forestry companies covering at least 10 years of woodchip supply for planned North American and European commercial plants. The intellectual property estate spans 5 patent families and more than 250 patents worldwide, including Composition of Matter patents granted in the United States (US12187615B2, March 2025) and Europe (EP-4 079 686 B1, May 2025), plus an untraceable catalyst trade secret.

CarbonScape's business model is pre-commercial biographite sales to enterprise battery and EV customers, with a sales-led, enterprise field sales go-to-market targeting cell makers and OEMs directly for product qualification, offtake agreements, and localized supply. Revenue is not yet recognized; the company targets up to US$2.5 billion in turnover by 2035 with nearly 20% market share in Europe and the United States. Geographic operations span Oceania (headquarters and pilot in New Zealand), Europe (regional office in Helsinki and Finland demonstration plant), and North America (sales office in Portland, Oregon, with planned US Southeast industrial plants).

Name

CarbonScape

Legal name

CarbonScape Limited

Website

https://carbonscape.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CarbonScape develops proprietary thermo-catalytic technology to convert forestry biomass by-products into battery-grade biographite for lithium-ion battery anodes, serving cell manufacturers and EV OEMs seeking non-Chinese, low-carbon graphite supply.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Battery-grade graphite (battery anode materials)

NAICS

Carbon and Graphite Product Manufacturing (335991)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Bio-based Carbon Products & Advanced Bioproducts (Biochar, activated carbon, carbon black alternatives) (EUAAAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Functional Carbon Fillers (Carbon Black, Graphite) (IMAEAFAO), Biochar, Activated Carbon & Soil Amendments (from forest biomass) (IMAMALAH)

Keywords

• Battery-grade graphite
• Biomass carbon conversion
• Lithium-ion anode materials
• Sustainable synthetic graphite
• Thermo-catalytic graphitization

Headquarters

HQ city

Woodbourne

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Biographite Sales: Pre-commercial stage. Revenue will be generated from selling biographite (sustainable battery-grade graphite) to lithium-ion battery manufacturers and EV companies. The company operates pilot plant in NZ since 2018, demonstration plant planned for 2026 in Finland, and commercial plants planned from 2027 construction with production starting early 2029.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CarbonScape develops and produces Biographite, a sustainable, fossil-free battery-grade graphite manufactured from renewable forestry by-products (woodchips and sawdust) using a proprietary thermo-catalytic process. The output is a drop-in replacement for conventional mined or synthetic graphite used as anode material in lithium-ion batteries for EVs, energy storage, and consumer electronics. The company currently operates a pilot plant in New Zealand and is constructing a demonstration plant in Finland, with commercial production targeted to begin in 2029.

Product overview

CarbonScape offers a single unified product: Biographite, a sustainable battery-grade graphite material produced from forestry by-products through a proprietary thermo-catalytic process. The company operates a pilot plant in New Zealand (since 2018) and is developing a demonstration plant in Finland (planned to start in 2026) as the final step prior to full commercialization, with plans for multiple industrial plants in Europe and North America. Biographite functions as a direct replacement for conventional graphite in EV batteries and energy storage applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Biographite: CarbonScape's sustainable, renewable form of graphite produced from forestry and timber industry byproducts (wood chips and sawdust). It is a drop-in replacement for conventional graphite in EV batteries with a negative carbon footprint.

Products and services

• Biographite Sustainable, fossil-free battery-grade graphite produced from renewable forestry by-products (woodchips and sawdust) using CarbonScape's proprietary thermo-catalytic technology. Functions as a drop-in replacement for conventional mined or synthetic graphite in lithium-ion battery anodes for EVs, energy storage, and consumer electronics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% spheroidization yield achieved (vs 30-60% industry standard for mined graphite, up to 80% for best synthetic producers)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Leading Forestry Companies (Feedstock Suppliers)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2025CarbonScape signed agreements with some of the largest forestry companies in the world for supply of renewable feedstock (woodchips) to future biographite industrial plants in North America and Europe. Agreements provide secure, long-term supply of sustainably sourced woodchip sufficient to cover full industrial production capacity for at least 10 years.
• Callaghan InnovationsupportingOthersNew Zealand government innovation agency mentioned as investor/partner on company website.
• NZTE (New Zealand Trade and Enterprise)supportingOthersNew Zealand trade and economic development agency mentioned as investor/partner on company website.
• WorleysupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering partner for demonstration plant and commercial plant engineering (along with WAVE International). Completed FEL3 engineering study for Finnish demonstration plant.
• WAVE InternationalsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering partner mentioned on company website alongside Worley for plant development.
• Business FinlandsupportingOthersBusiness Finland played a strong role in securing the demonstration plant investment for Finland and the Kotka-Hamina region through funding and support.
• Cursor (Kotka-Hamina Development Company)supportingOthersRegional development company supporting battery cluster development in the Kotka-Hamina region where CarbonScape's demonstration plant is located.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vianode: Vianode (Elkem) produces synthetic graphite anode materials for EVs and batteries using a low-emission process. It is the closest direct peer to CarbonScape, also targeting Western OEMs with a non-Chinese, lower-carbon graphite supply at industrial scale.
• Nouveau Monde Graphite: Nouveau Monde is developing a fully integrated, low-carbon natural graphite anode material business in Quebec. Like CarbonScape, it targets Western EV and battery cell customers seeking non-Chinese, ESG-aligned graphite supply with strong policy alignment (IRA/CRMA).
• Talga Group: Talga is a vertically integrated Swedish-Australian producer of graphite anode material (Vittangi project). It is a direct comparable to CarbonScape in serving European battery cell makers with locally produced, low-carbon graphite anode products.
• NOVONIX: NOVONIX develops and manufactures synthetic graphite anode material for lithium-ion batteries with a focus on North American supply chains. Direct comparable in technology, customer base (battery cell makers/EVs), and Western de-risking thesis.
• Anovion Technologies: Anovion is a US-based producer of synthetic graphite anode materials serving battery and EV customers. Like CarbonScape, it is positioning around non-Chinese supply chains for battery-grade graphite, although using a different (fossil-feedstock) production route.

Broad incumbents

• Graphite One: Graphite One is developing a vertically integrated natural graphite mine-to-anode project in Alaska. Compares as a broader Western graphite incumbent pursuing IRA-aligned domestic supply, though focused on mined rather than biomass-derived graphite.
• Syrah Resources: Syrah Resources operates the Vidalia natural graphite active anode material facility in Louisiana. It is a broad incumbent in the Western graphite anode space, supplying battery customers from natural (rather than biomass) feedstock.

Emerging players

• Group14 Technologies: Group14 is a US-based silicon anode materials company (SCC55™) for lithium-ion batteries. It competes for the same lithium-ion battery customer wallet share, with silicon as a partial substitute/adjacent to graphite anodes.
• Sila Nanotechnologies: Sila produces silicon-based anode materials (Titan Silicon) as a higher-energy-density alternative to graphite in lithium-ion batteries. It addresses the same end-customer (battery cell makers, EV OEMs) and represents a partial substitute risk to graphite anodes.

Regional players

• Magnis Energy Technologies: Magnis is an Australian battery technology and materials company developing graphite anode production for lithium-ion cells. It is a regional peer serving battery cell customers from a Western-aligned supply chain, though with a different process technology than CarbonScape.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carbonscape

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CarbonScape