Refinyx announced its launch from stealth on January 1, 2026, with backing from Swedish investment company Qarlbo Energy and its first major U.S. customer signed. The critical materials recovery technology company was founded by senior leaders from Northvolt Revolt, Northvolt’s former recycling division.
As part of the launch, Refinyx acquired a portfolio of 134 patents and a 13,000-square-foot (1,200-square-meter) materials science pilot and laboratory facility in Västerås, Sweden, formerly owned by Northvolt. Refinyx said its platform recovers nickel, cobalt and lithium from batteries, gigafactory waste, industrial residues and municipal waste streams.
Refinyx Acquires Northvolt's Portfolio of 134 Patents
Refinyx launched from stealth after buying Northvolt’s recycling IP and Västerås facility, alongside its first major U.S. customer.
All rows are neutral milestones: the launch discloses no investment amount, recovery rate, capacity or year-on-year change.
According to the company, the technology has demonstrated direct production of battery-grade materials at industrial scale without organic solvents. By eliminating conventional solvent extraction and intermediate processing steps, the process can reduce equipment requirements, chemical consumption, waste handling and plant footprint. Refinyx said the approach also avoids the need to ship partially refined material to Asia for final upgrading.
The company plans to provide technology and engineering services to industrial operators developing local, commercial-scale recovery plants. Its platform is also being expanded to cover rare earths, phosphorus and other strategic critical materials.
Co-founders Mahmood Alemrajabi, CEO, and Ramiar Vaziri, CTO, developed the technology during eight years at Northvolt Revolt. The process advanced through three generations and was deployed at an industrial-scale plant in Skellefteå, Sweden.
Qarlbo Energy will take an active ownership role as Refinyx moves toward commercial deployment and international expansion. Qarlbo Energy is owned by Qarlbo, the investment company of EQT founder Conni Jonsson, and FAM-owned Thisbe, which is part of the Wallenberg Foundations’ industrial holdings.
Source: businesswire.com
