Redwood Materials

Batteries are critical to decarbonise the economy. However, the critical metals move 50,000+ miles before they reach a cell factory, which is expensive and unsustainable. Redwood aims to be the leading sustainable supplier of battery materials in North America and Europe. It recycles batteries and battery materials into the metals and chemicals necessary for making new battery cells. These materials are sold to companies for further refinement. Eventually, Redwood aims to refine these materials itself and sell directly to battery makers. Additionally, the company plans to expand into recycling solar panels as well. In the words of founder JB Straubel, “Learning how to recycle batteries is essential to human survival.”

Redwood has strategic partnerships committed to increasing the supply of battery materials, reducing the cost of batteries, and minimising the environmental impact of batteries. The culture at Redwood, as shaped by the founder, emphasises learning, improvement, and adaptability. The company prioritises hiring curious, optimistic engineers and encourages autonomy and cross-team collaboration.

Prior to founding Redwood, JB Straubel spent 15 years at Tesla where he was co-founder and CTO. He built one of the best engineering teams in the world. He led cell design and supply chain at Tesla and was in charge of the first Gigafactory from concept through to the production ramp of the Model 3. Straubel had a direct role in both R&D, team building, and operational expansion from prototype cars to mass production and GWh-scale.

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