Li-Cycle announces $100M investment from Koch Strategic Platforms
by CM Staff
Investment provides capital to expand growth initiatives and opportunity to access enhanced execution capabilities.
TORONTO — Li-Cycle Holdings Corp., a company involved in lithium-ion battery resource recovery and a lithium-ion battery recycler in North America, announced that Koch Strategic Platforms, a subsidiary of Koch Investments Group, will make a $100 million investment in Li-Cycle through purchase of a convertible note to support the Company’s rapidly expanding growth opportunities in North America, Europe and Asia.
In addition to the new capital, the Company along with several Koch Industries subsidiaries are exploring opportunities to accelerate Li-Cycle’s global growth strategies. This includes potentially working with Koch Engineered Solutions (KES) which provides engineering, procurement, and construction services, as well as the Optimized Process Designs group (OPD), a capability of KES, which provides detailed engineering packages, single point procurement for all equipment and materials, fabrication, and construction services. Li-Cycle and KES are exploring commercial opportunities to support the global deployment of incremental Spoke facilities and to enhance execution and operational readiness for the Company’s Rochester Hub.
“KSP’s investment in Li-Cycle will further fund and accelerate the growth of our lithium-ion battery recycling footprint in North America and globally, as we scale our efficient and proven technology globally to grow in lockstep with our customers and pursue new market opportunities,” said Ajay Kochhar, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Li-Cycle.
“Lithium-ion battery recycling and recovery is critical for the electrification of transportation. Li-Cycle is a true leader in the space with proven innovative technology and a robust portfolio of customers and strategic partners,” said David Park, president of Koch Strategic Platforms. “We’re confident in Li-Cycle’s cutting-edge technology and in the Company’s ability to deliver long-term value to its stakeholders throughout the battery supply chain.”
With the pace of deployment of new battery mega-factories far exceeding initial expectations, Li-Cycle recognizes the need to accelerate the Company’s roll-out of Spoke & Hub capacity to capture the growing market opportunity. Li-Cycle’s total addressable market (TAM) estimate for the quantity of lithium-ion batteries available for recycling globally in 2025 has accelerated significantly in just the past five months. Estimates of the TAM in 2025 in North America, Europe and China have all increased by at least 50%, based on sources that include Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, as well as Li-Cycle market intelligence and forecasting. Among the key drivers of this growth are new battery mega-factory announcements exceeding original expectations. This drives additional battery manufacturing scrap available for recycling, in lockstep with battery manufacturing. The incremental capital being raised from KSP will be directed towards the accelerated expansion of Li-Cycle’s battery recycling footprint, both in North America and internationally.
