Battery cell technology startup e-TRNL Energy has raised ₹27.4 crore (around $3 million) in a Seed funding round led by the IAN Group through its IAN Alpha Fund.
The round also saw participation from Navam Capital and Speciale Invest, among other investors.
The fresh capital will be used to complete product development, validate performance and safety standards, and demonstrate manufacturing capability in India.
Established in 2021 by Apoorv Shaligram and Dr. Uttam Kumar Sen, e-TRNL Energy is a Bengaluru-headquartered deep-tech venture focused on reengineering battery cell design to overcome key electric vehicle pain points, including excessive heat buildup and long charging durations.
The company’s core innovation lies in its proprietary 3D Electrode Architecture (3DEA), designed to reduce internal resistance within battery cells. This approach minimizes heat generation at the source and enables significantly faster charging without compromising battery lifespan.
e-TRNL claims its technology can enable a full charge in as little as 15 minutes, deliver up to four times longer cycle life compared to standard cells, and improve storage capacity by up to 50 percent.
The architecture is chemistry-agnostic, compatible with Lithium-ion (Li-ion), Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP), and Sodium-ion (Na-ion) chemistries. Its first product will use LFP chemistry, with LMFP and sodium-ion batteries planned for future development.
The startup operates a 20,000 sq. ft. R&D and early manufacturing facility in Bengaluru and has been granted two patents, with additional patent applications filed.
As part of its scale-up roadmap, e-TRNL plans to establish a 250 MWh pilot manufacturing facility by 2027, with ambitions to expand capacity to 2 GWh in subsequent phases. The company follows a full-stack manufacturing strategy, designing both battery cells and proprietary production machinery in-house to reduce India’s reliance on imported equipment.
