According to inside ottawa valley, Summit Nanotech Corporation, a Calgary-based clean technology company, has successfully closed a $25.5 million USD funding round to accelerate the commercialization of its direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology, denaLi™. This round was led by Evok Innovations and BDC Capital’s Climate Tech Fund, with support from Xora Innovation, Capricorn Investment Group, Mitsui Kinzoku-SBI Material Innovation Fund, and LG Technology Ventures.
denaLi™: AI-Powered, Water-Efficient Lithium Extraction
Summit’s proprietary denaLi™ system is designed to transform the lithium supply chain. It integrates advanced sorbent materials, closed-loop water recycling, and a data analytics platform that uses AI for real-time process control, enabling:
- Reduced water consumption and extended sorbent lifespan
- High lithium recovery rates with on-stream reliability, lowering the cost per ton of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) by over $1,000 USD
This approach allows lithium producers to extract more value from brine resources while significantly cutting environmental impact.
“We are ready to provide our industry-leading solution to lithium mining companies who want to maintain a strong focus on economics and environmental responsibility,” said Amanda Hall, Founder and CEO of Summit.
Rapid Progress Demonstrates Plant and Strategic Partnerships
In the past six months, Summit has reached several key milestones, including commissioning a demonstration facility in Northern Chile, validating its sorbent technology in collaboration with a leading lithium miner, and launching a proprietary AI analytics platform to enhance extraction efficiency.
Backed by strong investor confidence and technical advancement, Summit is well-positioned to meet growing demand as the EV industry scales.
Backing from Global Leaders in Clean Tech
Summit’s global partners are aligned in pushing for a greener, more localized supply chain:
“We are committed to make an effort to achieve a lithium supply chain from brine by collaborating our advanced material synthesis, processing, and scaling technologies with Summit’s innovative denaLi™ system, thereby contributing to the realization of a sustainable society,” said Nobuyoshi Sogabe, General Manager at Mitsui Kinzoku.
“The demand for electric vehicles will soon outpace growth in lithium supply. Summit’s technology addresses this challenge by optimizing lithium extraction from brine to produce high-quality lithium at a lower cost,” said Cheri Corbett, Partner at BDC Capital.
Conclusion
Summit Nanotech’s breakthrough funding and technology mark a turning point in the global push toward clean, cost-effective, and scalable lithium extraction. As demand for electric vehicles and energy storage continues to skyrocket, the industry urgently needs environmentally responsible solutions like denaLi™ to close the supply-demand gap.
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