cylib, a German deep tech scale-up, is on a mission to revolutionise battery recycling and secure a circular future for Europe. Born out of years of research at RWTH Aachen University, cylib has developed a holistic, water-based technology to recover all elements within lithium-ion batteries.
We caught up with cylib’s Co-CEO & Co-Founder Dr. Lilian Schwich to learn more about the company’s philosophy, its rapid industrial scaling, the expert team driving the green transition, as well as its experience as a member of the EIC Scaling Club’s Batteries & Energy Storage market group.
The core challenge of Europe’s energy transition is its heavy dependence on imported critical materials. cylib’s technology addresses this by transforming end-of-life batteries – from electric vehicles, power tools, and energy storage systems – back into high-quality production materials.
“The goal is straightforward: mine once, recycle forever,” explains Lilian.
What makes their technology a game changer is its holistic, water-based process, which achieves over 90% recovery efficiency with 80% lower emissions than traditional mining. Unlike many existing solutions, cylib can handle both NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) and LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery chemistries at an industrial scale.
The company is currently scaling this innovation rapidly. While its pilot facility in Aachen focuses on research and development, cylib is building a First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) industrial plant in Dormagen. Set to start operations in 2027, the facility will have a recycling capacity of 30,000 tons per year – enough to process 140,000 EV batteries annually.
The foundation of cylib is rooted in nearly ten years of research at RWTH Aachen University, while the company itself was founded in 2022 by a trio that deliberately blends scientific rigor with operational expertise.
Dr. Lilian Schwich developed the core technology during her doctorate, leading a research team and advising the battery industry. Paul Sabarny (Chief of Special Operations) co-developed the technology alongside her and got cylib’s pilot plant operational in under ten months. Dr. Gideon Schwich (Co-CEO) brings the operational and commercial perspective, having spent years advising automotive OEMs on sustainability at Accenture.
“That combination shapes how we make decisions. Every choice needs to be scientifically sound, industrially feasible, and commercially viable.”
This approach has allowed the company to grow to a team of 120 people in just three years.
The primary hurdle for cylib was proving that a sophisticated laboratory method could perform consistently at an industrial level. To address this, they processed real customer battery waste at their pilot plant to demonstrate reliable yields – a move that secured early partnerships with major players like Porsche and Webasto.
The complexity of the task also required a unique financing strategy. Building industrial infrastructure is capital-intensive, leading cylib to raise over €150 million through a combination of equity and public grants. This includes a €55 million Series A closed in May 2024 – the largest of its kind in Europe for battery recycling – and nearly €90 million in public funding to de-risk the construction of their FOAK plant.
The company’s sheer speed of industrialisation is extraordinary. Founded in 2022, cylib had its pilot plant up and running 2023, and broke ground on its Dormagen facility in 2024. 2025 continued on a high note seeing successful production of battery-grade lithium hydroxide in collaboration with Syensqo.
For cylib, building the infrastructure for a circular economy is not a task for a single company. They joined the EIC Scaling Club to connect with others navigating the complex world of large-scale construction, permitting, and evolving regulations. As Lilian puts it:
“Building industrial infrastructure isn't something you do in isolation.”
Through the Club, cylib looks for strategic partnerships across the value chain, access to top-tier talent, and regulatory foresight as they prepare for their next funding round.
The EIC Scaling Club is a curated community where 120 European deep tech scale-ups with the potential to build world-class businesses and solve major global challenges come together with investors, corporate innovators and other industry stakeholders to spur growth.
The top 120 European deep tech companies have been carefully selected from a pool of high-growth scale-ups that have benefitted from EIC financial schemes, other European and national innovation programmes, and beyond.
The EIC Scaling Club is an EIC-funded initiative run in partnership by Tech Tour, Bpifrance (EuroQuity), Hello Tomorrow, Tech.eu (Webrazzi), EurA and IESE Business School.
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