French startup Novacium has begun industrial-scale production of cylindrical lithium-ion cells featuring its third-generation silicon-based anode material (GEN3). The announcement follows earlier demonstrations in July 2024 and March 2025, which showed that 18650-format cells using GEN3 deliver 4,000 mAh capacity with more than 1,000 charge cycles. These performance metrics attracted interest from mobility, consumer electronics, telecommunications, and defense sector partners.
To address growing demand, Novacium accelerated deployment by collaborating with a leading industrial manufacturer, integrating GEN3 into existing production lines ahead of schedule. Initial outputs include both 18650 and 21700 formats, offering 4,000 mAh and 6,000 mAh capacities respectively—figures that align with lab-scale results and rank among the highest in the market.
“This strategic acceleration is a response to the strong market interest,” said Dr. Jed Kraiem, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer of Novacium. “Our objective is to deliver the first commercial units and begin formalizing partnerships before the end of Q3 2025.”
The industrial partner, which operates tens of millions of cells annually, enabled Novacium to scale quickly and target significant production volumes in the coming months. “The strong performance of these cells validates both our technology and our agile industrial strategy,” added Dr. Kraiem.
HPQ Silicon Inc., Novacium’s Canadian partner and exclusive North American licensee of the GEN3 technology, is preparing for local production in Canada. Bernard Tourillon, CEO of HPQ and Novacium, said the rollout will support revenue generation, attract investment and lay the groundwork for regional cell manufacturing to meet North America’s rising battery demand.
This launch highlights the companies’ capacity to transition swiftly from R&D to industrial output, a critical advantage in the global push for electrification and next-generation energy storage solutions.
Source: Novacium
