Beyond Lithium-Ion: Swiss Startup BTRY Raises $5.7M to Industrialize Next-Generation Solid-State Batteries

Swiss battery startup BTRY has closed an oversubscribed $5.7 million seed round led by Redstone VC, with participation spanning Europe and Asia. Speaking to us from Beijing, CEO Dr. Moritz Futscher describes the moment as validation of both BTRY’s technology and Switzerland’s ability to compete in advanced manufacturing.

BTRY’s technology represents a departure from conventional lithium-ion batteries. Their solid-state cells operate safely at temperatures up to 150°C, charge in under one minute, and start at just 0.1mm thickness. Where standard batteries fail, swell, or catch fire, BTRY’s cells power next-generation applications: connected logistics labels, high-temperature industrial sensors, MedTech devices, and light consumer electronics.

The company is an Empa and ETH Zurich spin-off founded in 2023, now employing 14 people. The international investor consortium includes Redstone VC (lead), Bloomhaus Ventures, Linear Capital, Kickfund, Kick Foundation, and the founders of CustomCells, Leopold König and Torge Thönnessen. Existing investors HTGF and Zürcher Kantonalbank also participated.

The Swiss Ecosystem Advantage

BTRY’s journey illustrates how Switzerland’s deep tech infrastructure converts research into commercial ventures. Critical to BTRY’s early development were personal fellowships that allowed the founding team to focus full-time on commercialization.

“The Swiss ecosystem is truly a fantastic starting point for deep-tech startups. There are many startup competitions, accelerators, and incubators that really helped us move from being researchers to running our own company. Both my co-founder Abi and I received personal fellowships: the Empa Entrepreneur Fellowship and the Bridge Proof of Concept Fellowship. That gave us the time to fully focus on BTRY and attract the necessary funding for building where we are now.”

This support structure bridges a crucial gap in deep tech development. Unlike software startups that can iterate quickly with minimal capital, advanced materials and manufacturing companies require sustained focus and patient capital during extended development cycles. Switzerland’s ecosystem recognizes this reality.

Among the early supporters, Kickfund has played a strategic role in BTRY’s development. As the investment arm of the Venture Kick ecosystem, Kickfund supports high-potential technology startups emerging from Swiss universities, providing not just capital but mentorship and access to Switzerland’s extensive innovation network. This continuity from university spin-off to venture-backed scale-up exemplifies the integrated support available to Swiss deep tech founders. “Kickfund’s investment approach is unique,” noted Wanja Humanes, Kickfund CEO, in a recent interview. “We create a well-diversified portfolio with Venture Kick winners, like creating a Swiss index fund of the nation’s top deep-tech startups.”

In BTRY’s press release, Pascal Stürchler, CEO at Bloomhaus Ventures, noted that BTRY is a perfect example of Swiss deep-tech at its best: science-driven, bold, and globally relevant. He emphasized that the founding team combines deep scientific expertise with entrepreneurial grit, and their combination of material innovation and industrial scalability makes them a frontrunner in Europe’s next generation of battery companies.

Bridging European Innovation and Asian Manufacturing

The investor syndicate reflects BTRY’s global ambitions. Linear Capital, based in Shanghai and Hong Kong, brings manufacturing networks and Asian market access. The CustomCells founders add industrial battery production expertise. European investors contribute deep tech investment experience and industrial networks.

Futscher explains that Switzerland is known for world-class research from institutions such as ETH Zurich and Empa, which gives BTRY credibility. But what really attracted investors from Europe and Asia was their global vision: building ultra-thin solid-state batteries that can change how devices are powered worldwide.

This East-West collaboration addresses a strategic challenge for European deep tech: maintaining innovation leadership while accessing world-class manufacturing capabilities. For decades, Asia has dominated battery production. BTRY’s approach suggests a new model where European materials science and precision engineering combine with Asian industrial scale.

“Asia has incredibly deep expertise in industrializing battery manufacturing at scale. To build a truly global battery company, we need that know-how, and we are excited to have strong Asian investors on board. This global collaboration positions us well to bring our solid-state technology to global markets.”

Tianyi Zhou, Principal at Linear Capital, said that Asia has been leading the way in battery manufacturing for decades, but innovations like BTRY’s show that Europe can compete through advanced materials and precision processes. He sees strong potential for collaboration between Asian manufacturing expertise and BTRY’s pioneering solid-state technology.

Mohamed Foulser, Investment Director at Redstone VC, emphasized the commercial readiness of BTRY’s target markets. Potential customers are ready with their next-generation solutions, like active badges in logistics, he noted. What they need is a small, powerful, and safe battery, exactly what BTRY offers. Redstone believes the company has not only the potential but the proof to set a new standard for high-performance energy storage.

The Road to 2030

The seed funding will accelerate BTRY’s transition from laboratory to industrial production. The company is establishing roll-to-roll manufacturing capabilities and securing offtake agreements with device manufacturers. Unlike EV batteries that compete primarily on cost per kilowatt-hour, BTRY’s applications prioritize form factor, safety, and temperature tolerance, attributes where their solid-state architecture excels.

The manufacturing approach also achieves high sustainability standards through solvent-free production and low material waste, contrasting with conventional battery manufacturing’s chemical-intensive processes.

Looking ahead, Futscher articulates an ambitious vision: by 2030, BTRY aims to be a global company with production sites in multiple locations, different product lines, and fulfilling its mission to electrify applications previously limited by energy storage. Between now and then, the company needs to master roll-to-roll manufacturing at scale, secure strong customer partnerships, and scale production. This funding is the fuel, and they are ready to make it happen.

As BTRY scales, the company intends to strengthen the ecosystem that enabled its formation. Futscher’s commitment to ecosystem development is clear in his focus on demonstrating what’s possible when Swiss research excellence meets entrepreneurial execution.

BTRY’s story offers a template for Swiss deep tech success: leverage world-class research institutions, utilize ecosystem support structures for commercialization, attract international capital and partnerships, then scale globally while maintaining Swiss roots. As Europe seeks greater technology sovereignty and manufacturing capability, companies like BTRY demonstrate that the continent can compete in advanced hardware, not by replicating Asian high-volume production, but by pioneering specialized, high-value technologies where precision and innovation create defensible advantages.

For international investors and corporates seeking partnership opportunities in European deep tech, BTRY exemplifies the combination of scientific rigor, entrepreneurial talent, and ecosystem support that makes Switzerland a hub for hardware innovation. The company’s next chapter, industrialization at scale, will test whether this model can deliver not just breakthrough research, but breakthrough products in global markets.

You can also know more about Switzerland’s growing battery technology on SAT Switzerland’s NextIn: