NorcSi GmbH

NorcSi GmbH is a German technology firm focused on the development and production of high-performance pure silicon anodes, aiming to address the battery market, particularly for electric vehicles and portable electronic devices. The company originated from an interdisciplinary research project initiated in 2013 between the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the Technical University of Freiberg. This collaboration between semiconductor scientists and battery researchers led to the formal establishment of NorcSi in 2020 by founders Dr. Marcel Neubert (CTO) and Udo Reichmann (CEO). Dr. Neubert, a physicist, previously worked on Flash Lamp Annealing (FLA) process development, a core element of NorcSi's technology. Mr. Reichmann brings extensive experience from the high-tech and photovoltaics sectors, having been the managing partner of ROVAK GmbH, a specialist in vacuum and thin-film applications, since 2004.

NorcSi's core business revolves around its patented production process for creating 100% silicon anodes. This technology addresses a critical challenge in battery science: silicon can store up to ten times more lithium ions than traditional graphite, but it expands and contracts significantly during charging cycles, which reduces battery lifespan. NorcSi's process uses Flash Lamp Annealing (FLA) to create a unique, stable nanostructure within a thin layer of pure silicon deposited on a conventional copper foil. This method, which creates microscopic perforations and voids, minimizes volume expansion and contact loss, leading to cyclically stable anodes. The company's business model is centered on supplying these advanced anodes to partners in the battery and automotive industries.

A key operational advantage is the technology's scalability. The production is designed as a roll-to-roll process, which is a standard, cost-effective manufacturing method in the semiconductor industry, distinguishing it from more complex sheet-to-sheet processes used for alternatives like silicon nanowires. This allows for industrial-scale production that can be integrated into existing battery manufacturing lines. NorcSi demonstrated the feasibility of this roll-to-roll production in 2022. In July 2025, the company secured €10.7 million in a financing round from existing investors Millennium Venture Capital AG and IBG Venture Capital Fund IV, as well as new investor European Battery Research Institute GmbH, to build a series production facility at the Weinberg Campus in Halle. This facility is scheduled to begin operations in spring 2026 and will enable the company to move from pilot-scale to fully automated industrial manufacturing.

Keywords: silicon anode, battery technology, lithium-ion batteries, electric vehicles, energy storage, roll-to-roll manufacturing, Flash Lamp Annealing, nanostructure, high-performance batteries, cleantech, semiconductor research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Udo Reichmann, Marcel Neubert, battery components, anode materials, EV batteries, charging technology, energy density, industrial production, venture capital, Halle Saale