- Company builds 10,000-ton production base for sodium-ion cathode materials
- Sector eyes 2026 as potential commercialization inflection point
Inna Energy (英纳新能源), a Zhejiang-based sodium-ion battery materials startup, has secured a Series A financing round worth several million yuan, as it moves to scale production of next-generation cathode materials amid growing expectations for commercial deployment of sodium batteries.
The round was led exclusively by Guangzhou-based Cherami Investment Group, with proceeds to be used for R&D of new material systems and expansion of mass production capacity.
Inna Energy, headquartered in Huzhou, focuses on polyanionic sodium-ion battery cathode materials.
Polyanionic sodium-ion cathodes prioritize stability, safety and long cycle life due to their strong structural frameworks.
Compared with layered oxides, they offer lower energy density but better durability; versus Prussian blue materials, they are more structurally robust but less power-oriented.
Mid-range alternative
From an application standpoint, sodium-ion batteries are often seen as a mid-range alternative between low-cost, heavy lead-acid batteries and higher-performance but more expensive lithium-ion systems.
They are particularly suited for cost-sensitive applications such as electric two-wheelers and residential energy storage.
The company said it has independently developed full-process technology for sodium iron pyrophosphate cathode materials and has built a production base in Huzhou with annual capacity exceeding 10,000 tons.
It also recently launched a second-generation product aimed at low-speed vehicles, two-wheelers and large-scale energy storage.
Inflection point
The sodium battery sector is approaching what analysts describe as a commercialization inflection point.
Research from China Galaxy Securities, a stock brokerage firm, said 2026 is expected to mark a “tipping point” for sodium-ion batteries, with CATL planning large-scale production of its sodium battery in the fourth quarter of that year.
Market estimates cited by brokerages project sodium-ion battery shipments could reach 25 GWh in 2026, up 188% year-on-year, and exceed 600 GWh by 2030.
Storage applications currently account for nearly 70% of usage, with shipments potentially surpassing 15 GWh as the main growth driver.
Polyanionic cathode materials offer strong structural stability, long cycle life and high safety, making them a key technology pathway for large-scale energy storage, low-speed vehicles and auxiliary automotive power systems, Inna Energy’s backer Cherami said in a statement.
