Small materials, big impact! Kargen takes an unconventional path to enter the new battery materials sector.

On the afternoon of August 14, a delegation from China Battery New Energy Industry Chain Research visited Kargen and held discussions with Chairman Dr. Yao Kun and other leaders, followed by a tour of the facility.

Taking a Different Path into the Battery New Materials Field

According to available information, Kargen was founded in November 2022 by a group of Ph.D. graduates who studied in the U.S., Germany, and Sweden. It is a technology company focused on the research, production, and application of new materials for lithium battery separator coatings and Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs).

New materials are one of the ten key development areas in the "Made in China 2025" initiative. In recent years, national support for the new materials sector has been increasing, and battery industry innovations are currently centered on materials and processes. Breakthroughs in new materials are driving significant changes in the battery industry.

Seizing this opportunity, Kargen strategically avoided the highly competitive battery materials market and entered the lithium battery industry through high-tech and high-value-added niche sectors within the new materials field.

Dr. Yu Shengze, Vice President of Kargen, introduced that the company's fluorine-free polymer microspheres for lithium battery separator coatings are non-polar polymer microspheres with a core-shell structure. These microspheres are spherical in shape, uniformly dispersed, and feature low swelling, high adhesion, low pressing temperature, and low overall usage costs. The raw materials for this product are bulk chemical raw materials, ensuring a self-controlled supply chain and stable prices. These microspheres can replace the PVDF-HFP currently used in the market and have already been adopted in bulk by several leading lithium battery companies.

"PVDF has weak adhesion strength and high pressing temperature," Yu Shengze further explained. He noted that the polymer microsphere “KAR-01” developed by Kargen not only outperforms PVDF-HFP in all aspects but also has lower overall usage costs. By using this material, customers can avoid the restrictions imposed by environmental regulations, such as the fluorine limits set by European and American countries.

In addition, through its controllable  degradation technology for polymers, Kargen has developed  metal-organic framework (MOF) materials.

MOF can be used as a solid-state electrolyte for separator coatings, suppressing lithium metal anode dendrites, capturing dissolved transition metals from the cathode, dehumidifying, capturing carbon dioxide, gas separation, solid-state hydrogen storage, catalysis, and other applications. It is currently the hottest nanomaterial globally, even surpassing graphene.

According to Itdcw, international companies like BASF have already started large-scale production of MOF. In the domestic market, Kargen is the first company to venture into this field and one of the few that can currently achieve large-scale MOF production.

Innovative Technology Drives Major Achievements with MOF Materials

At present, Kargen has established production and research facilities in the Xiangzhou District of Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province. The company has already achieved commercial production of its series of polymer microsphere products for lithium battery separator coatings, covering segments such as power, energy storage, and consumer electronics batteries.

In addition to serving the lithium battery industry, Kargen’s related products can also be applied to various industries and fields, such as petrochemicals, the gas industry, carbon dioxide capture, and dehumidification, providing customers with high-performance, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly new material solutions.

The rapid commercialization is mainly driven by innovative technology.

Take one of Kargen's leading products, Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), as an example. Traditional preparation methods require high temperatures, high pressure, and large amounts of organic solvents, making the process inefficient and time-consuming (8–24 hours). However, Kargen's innovative process enables the large-scale synthesis of dozens of MOF products at high yield rates (99.5%–100%) under ambient temperature and pressure, with only trace amount of solvents. This significantly reduces the cost of mass production. In 2023, the company became the first in China to achieve ten-ton-scale MOF production.

Dr. Yao Kun stated that Kargen’s places great emphasis on R&D and innovation. More than 60% of the company’s employees are involved in R&D, with over 80% of them holding master’s or doctoral degrees. In 2023, over 50% of the company’s revenue was invested in R&D.

According to the National Intellectual Property Administration’s patent announcements, several invention patents by Kargen have been published this year. 

"According to our plans, by 2025, the number of our patent applications will exceed 100, which is something that very few startups can achieve," said Yao Kun. He also mentioned that the Kargen team has already applied for several core invention patents and has co-published over 100 papers in top academic journals in collaboration with leading universities in relevant fields.

Moreover, Kargen has been approved to establish a postdoctoral innovation practice base in Guangdong Province. In 2023, the company participated in the 12^th China Innovation&Entrepreneurship Competition,winning the Championship in Zhuhai and the First Prize in the Guangdong province, becoming the only company in the new materials field in Guangdong to the national finals, where we won second place in the new materials category. In the same year, we also won the Champion of the "Zhongchuang Cup" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition in Guangdong.

Thanks to its R&D innovation capabilities and commercial potential, Kargen has attracted the attention of various investors. In just over a year since its founding, the company has secured three rounds of financing—Angel Round, Angel Plus Round, and Pre-A Round. Investors include top investment firms and funds, as well as leading companies in the lithium battery materials sector. Small materials, big impact—Kargen has a promising future ahead!

[China Battery New Energy Industry Chain Research Tour]

Since 2014, the Zhongguancun New Battery Technology Innovation Alliance, CBHA, ABEC, Hirohida.com, Itdcw.com, Xevcar.com, and Inewenergy.com have consistently carried out the "China Battery New Energy Industry Chain Research Tour" for 11 consecutive years.

Over the past 11 years, the research delegation has traveled across 19 provinces in China, conducting in-depth interviews with over 100 listed or soon-to-be-listed companies, as well as with local governments, universities, and institutions. The goal is to gain a deep understanding of corporate and regional industrial layouts and future development directions. The delegation provides suggestions on resource integration and capital matching in response to current company situations, challenges, and local industry chain investment opportunities.

Additionally, the delegation promotes the brand image of the surveyed companies, fosters cooperation between enterprises, and generates research reports and data analyses. By uncovering industry truths, amplifying the voices of the sector, reporting on exemplary cases, and spreading positive messages, the delegation empowers local investments and works hand in hand with enterprises along the entire industry chain. This effort helps China maintain strong momentum in the battery sector and leads the way toward a new era of green energy innovation.