Research into nanomaterials at the CEA led to the creation of a spin-off company in 2013: NawaTechnologies. Founded by Pascal Boulanger, who chairs the board of directors, the startup develops solutions around the “Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes (VACNT)” technology.
Its situation is rather unusual: placed in receivership, two offers have been made by its current shareholders. One wonders whether this is not simply the result of internal discord.
Nawacap Power
Nawa Technologie is based on the use of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (5nm/100µm). (5) It does not use rare metals such as cobalt.
Nawacap Power is a supercapacitor available in 3 cell sizes:
- 30x40x0.5, with a power density of 54kW/kg and a capacity to absorb 2.7J for 1.2g
- 30x40x11, with a power density of 141kW/kg and a capacity to absorb 82J for 14.4g
- 100x120x5, with a power density of 171kW/kg and capable of absorbing 273J for 38g
They could last a million charge/discharge cycles and 15 years under ordinary conditions. (1) According to Pascal Boulanger, founder and COO/CTO, Nawacap Power“provides a power density 10 to 100 times greater than traditional supercapacitors“
Their added value would include high energy density and rapid recharging, which is a considerable asset for the electric vehicle market.
NAWAStitch
Nawa Technologie has created a subsidiary in the United States, in Dayton, Ohio, “Nawa america”, from the acquisition of the assets of N12 Technologies, a company marketing aligned nanotube mats for composite applications.
This subsidiary is developing a new material concept: a thin film of hundreds of billions of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, serving “as an interface between the plies of composite materials” and “mechanically reinforcing the interface between carbon-fiber fabrics”, rather like a kind of “nano-velcro”. This would make the materials more resistant to fatigue and damage, and better electrical and thermal conductors. NECSTLAB has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). (2)
Applications for this new material include aerospace, wind turbine blades, sports equipment, medical devices and robotics.
About NawaTechnologies
NawaTechnologies is a public limited company registered with the Aix-En-Provence Trade Registry under SIREN number 792701518, with APE code 7490B (Specialized, scientific and technical activities). Its registered office is at STMicroelectronics Rousset, 190 avenue Louis Philibert, Aix-En-Provence (13100).
The Managing Director was initially Ulrik Grape, who had long worked in the lithium-ion battery sector. In January, he became Antoine Saucier. Ludovic Eveillard is Deputy Managing Director. Henri Levebvre is Chief Financial Officer. Stéphane Coletti is Industrial Director.
The company has had several rounds of financing:
- 4.1 million euros in 2014
- 9 million euros in 2019
- 13 million euros in 2020 from “Bpifrance, Kouros SA, Crédit Agricole Alpes Provences Création and EIT Innoenergy”.
The startup has several investors: CEA Investissement, Demeter Partners, Davanière Capital Partenaire, the Paca Investissement fund, OPUS SAS, Groupe Kouros, EIT InnoEnergy, Crédit Agricole Alpes Provence, Conseil Plus Gestion and BPI France.
The company was placed in receivership in October 2023. There are two takeover bids:
- One by the Kouros group
- One by Altya Invest, BPI (via its Ecotechnologies 2 fund), the company’s CEO (Antoine Saucier), and its CFO. (4)
- (1) http://www.nawatechnologies.com/technologie/(archive)
- (2) http://www.nawatechnologies.com/nawa-america/(archive)
- (3) https://sciencebusiness.net/news/southern-france-startup-chases-global-battery-market
- (4) https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/nawa-technologies-cette-pepite-de-la-french-tech-brusquement-tombee-en-redressement-judiciaire-20231018
- (5) https://solarimpulse.com/solutions-explorer-fr/nawacap-high-energy-high-power-ultracapacitors