Cellcycle is the United Kingdom’s leading carbon-neutral recycling company focused on the sustainable recycling and reuse of lithium-ion batteries and related materials. Established in November 2020 as a dedicated division of the SER Group, Cellcycle addresses the increasing need for environmentally responsible solutions for end-of-life lithium-ion batteries across various industries. The company operates from Manchester, North West England, managing two facilities approved by the Environment Agency with a significant annual capacity to process battery materials. Cellcycle’s services are designed to minimize environmental impact while recovering valuable resources from spent batteries.
As part of the SER Group, which specializes in IT and electronic waste recycling, Cellcycle benefits from a broader organizational focus on sustainability and waste management. This positioning supports Cellcycle’s mission to provide scalable and efficient battery recycling solutions for diverse sectors, contributing to a more circular economy for battery materials in the UK and beyond.
Battery Technology
Cellcycle utilizes advanced technologies to manage the end-of-life of lithium-ion batteries efficiently and sustainably. Their processes include the safe collection, transportation, and handling of batteries, adhering to strict ADR regulations. Batteries undergo testing, discharging, and dismantling before material recovery. A key aspect of Cellcycle’s technology is the extraction of critical metals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
The company is investing in innovative recycling techniques. Introduced in early 2025, their direct recycling process recovers high-quality materials under less energy-intensive conditions compared to traditional methods, reducing environmental impacts and producing materials suitable for direct reuse in battery manufacturing. Additionally, Cellcycle employs the LithiumCycle™ biotechnological process, a unique bio-based technology piloted since 2024. This method uses harmless bacteria for efficient and sustainable extraction of critical metals, maximizing metal recovery and reducing waste. While focusing on these advanced methods, Cellcycle also uses conventional hydrometallurgical and solvent extraction techniques to recover hydroxides and carbonates from battery waste, supplying recycled materials back into the supply chain.
Recent Projects
In 2024, Cellcycle initiated the pilot commercialization of their bio-remediation recycling technologies, specifically the LithiumCycle™ process. This marks a key step in moving this innovative, sustainable technology from research into practical application for battery recycling.
In 2025, Cellcycle announced a significant development in their direct recycling capabilities. This project involved scaling their operations and increasing capacity through breakthroughs in direct recycling technology, aiming to improve the efficiency and environmental performance of lithium-ion battery material recovery. These recent projects, supported in part by funding from Innovate UK, highlight Cellcycle’s commitment to advancing recycling processes and contributing to a circular battery economy.
Investors
Cellcycle is supported through its parent company, the SER Group. Additionally, the development of Cellcycle’s innovative technologies has received funding from public initiatives. Innovate UK is a key funding partner, providing support for the development of the LithiumCycle™ bio-remediation technology. This funding was awarded as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) in collaboration with Coventry University, indicating a partnership between the company, academic institutions, and governmental funding bodies to drive innovation in sustainable battery recycling.
Business Details
Location: Manchester, UK
Website: https://www.cellcycle.co.uk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/73806492
