6K closes $82M funding round and names Saurabh Ullal as CEO
6K Inc., located in North Andover, Massachusetts, USA, announced that it has raised $82 million as part of its Series E funding round. The capital is expected to enable the company to scale up production for battery cathode active materials (CAM) and expansion for producing Additive Manufacturing metal powders.
In addition to the funding round, 6K announced that Dr Saurabh Ullal has assumed the role of CEO, replacing Dr Aaron Bent. The company has also appointed LaunchCapital’s Chief Investment Officer Bill McCullen as chairman of the board, with Volta’s CEO Dr Jeff Chamberlain and auto industry veteran Beda Bolzenius also joining the board.
“Thanks to Aaron, 6K is well positioned today as a leader for sustainable, critical material production for lithium-ion batteries and additive manufacturing. Saurabh’s expertise in technology and operations ensures the company’s scaling strategy while meeting the material specifications and reliability levels customers demand,” McCullen stated. “The $82 million raised underscores the confidence investors have in 6K, the UniMelt platform, and the leadership team.”
Incoming board member Beda Bolzenius has over thirty years of experience in leadership roles across the global automotive industry in Germany, United States, Mexico, South Africa, China, and Japan. Beda has an automotive technical background with operational experience in engineering, manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain management. He served as CEO of global manufacturer Marelli and held leadership positions in market-leading companies such as Bosch and Johnson Controls. He is expected to bring corporate, operational and automotive industry insights to his role on the board.
Dr Chamberlain is the CEO of Volta Energy Technologies, LLC, a venture capital firm launched out of Argonne National Laboratory. Chamberlain has a long record of industrial product R&D and commercialisation in energy, integrated circuit, and water treatment technology.
In addition to these activities, Chamberlain spent ten years leading energy storage initiatives at Argonne National Laboratory. In collaboration with the US Department of Energy, he led the effort to successfully transfer advanced battery technology from Argonne to organisations such as LG Chem, BASF, General Motors, Toda Kogyo, and General Electric.
