ZincGel Zinc-Bromide Battery

Offgrid Energy Labs is a deep-tech startup based in India, founded in 2018 at the Startup Incubation and Innovation Center of IIT Kanpur. It develops patented zinc-bromide battery technology, branded ZincGel, to store renewable power for 6 to 16 hours without lithium, cobalt, nickel or rare earth metals.

ZincGel uses a water-based electrolyte in a modular system designed for long-duration daily energy storage. Production is planned through qualified partners rather than a single gigafactory. The site targets renewable energy, industrial decarbonisation and data centres, and press reports name Shell and Tata Power as early testers.

• Zinc-bromide chemistry: Patented ZincGel technology without lithium, cobalt, nickel or rare earths.
• Long-duration storage: Designed for 6 to 16 hours of daily storage.
• Non-flammable design: Water-based electrolyte avoids the fire risk of flammable chemistries.
• Modular system: Scalable system design for stationary storage.
• Partner manufacturing: Production through qualified partners instead of gigafactories.

A solar developer in Vietnam pairs a plant with a multi-hour non-flammable battery. An industrial park or data center uses long-duration storage for load shifting. A research or pilot partner tests zinc-bromide storage in a tropical climate.

Uses no lithium, cobalt, nickel or rare earth metals, reducing exposure to those supply chains. Water-based electrolyte makes the battery non-flammable by design. Simpler manufacturing than lithium-ion is intended to lower cost at scale. Supports 6 to 16 hours of storage for daily cycling.

Long-duration, non-lithium storage is attracting interest as grids add solar and wind and as safety and supply-chain concerns grow around lithium-ion. Vietnam and Southeast Asia, with hot climates and growing renewables, are potential markets for non-flammable stationary batteries.

Founded 2018 at IIT Kanpur's incubation centre. Raised a $15M Series A reported September 1, 2025, led by Archean Chemicals (21% stake) with Ankur Capital; Shell invested in the seed round. Planned 10 MWh demonstration facility in the UK per TechCrunch.