As Europe ramps up gigafactory compliance, DREV raises €2.8 million to help capture and reuse critical metals from ‘black dust’

DREV, a Swedish startup pioneering contamination control for the battery industry, announced the closing of its €2.8 million Seed round in order to expand its engineering and product development capabilities to accelerate delivery of the Vault product line.

The round was co-led by Butterfly Ventures and Almi Invest GreenTech, with support from S-E-Bankens Utvecklingsstiftelse and U.S.-based Battle Born Venture (Nevada’s state-backed venture fund that is in the process of joining the round).

“This round marks a defining moment for DREV. It’s a testament to the hard work and passion of our team, and to the invaluable guidance of our board and advisors who have supported us every step of the way.Together, we’re building the foundation for a safer, circular battery industry,” said Arelys Sosa, CEO and co-founder, DREV.

DREV’s Seed round comes amid a series of 2025 European investments targeting different points of the battery value chain.

In Estonia, Jälle Technologies secured €2 million to recover materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and repurpose graphite waste, while fellow Estonian firm UP Catalyst raised €18 million to scale production of battery-grade carbon from industrial CO₂. In Germany, Voltfang attracted €15 million to open Europe’s largest second-life battery factory, while Dutch company Dexter Energy raised €23 million to expand its AI-based optimisation platform for renewable and battery operations.

Unlike these firms, which focus primarily on recycling, materials production, or energy optimisation, DREV addresses contamination control during battery manufacturing – a relatively overlooked yet critical segment of the circular battery ecosystem.

By tackling hazardous “black dust” and enabling recovery of valuable metals directly on the factory floor, the company strengthens links between raw-material recovery and sustainable production.

Its work aligns closely with the tightening sustainability demands under the EU Battery Regulation and Critical Raw Materials Act, situating the company at the intersection of worker safety, circularity, and industrial efficiency within Europe’s rapidly scaling gigafactory network.

“At Butterfly Ventures, we look to invest in the best of the best, innovative companies that will change our world positively today and for our children’s future. We live in the age of Gigafactories and other mass-produced products that continually produce ‘black dust’, but also recoverable resources.

“The team at DREV is super experienced within this sector and we are so super happy to support them along this journey and beyond,” added Tanya Horowitz, Partner, Butterfly Ventures.

DREV provides advanced contamination control technology for demanding manufacturing environments. Its patented Vault systems claims to enable safer workplaces, improved operational efficiency, and recovery of valuable materials, supporting a circular battery value chain. Founded in 2023 and based in Gothenburg, DREV has received support from Vinnova, Business Sweden, Energimyndigheten, and EIT Manufacturing and have validated their core technology at a world-leading gigafactory.

Behind this innovation are co-founders Arelys Sosa and Thomas Tingelöf, who together bring decades of experience in scaling complex manufacturing and industrial technologies.

• Sosa led engineering and operations initiatives at Panasonic Energy Corporation of North America, where she oversaw the commissioning of the first 10 production lines and played a key role in building Tesla’s Gigafactory 1.
• Tingelöf, who holds a PhD in electrochemistry, served as CTO at PowerCell Sweden, where he led the development next-generation fuel-cell power conversion systems from concept to commercialisation.

Battery manufacturing, recycling, and refining processes generate microscopic metal particles – known as “black dust” – that, if left uncontrolled, pose risks to worker health, compromise operational safety, and cause costly downtime, while also leading to the loss of valuable critical metals.

DREV’s patented Vault system looks to address this challenge. Tested at a world-leading gigafactory, the Vault has reportedly demonstrated measurable improvements in air quality, reduced surface slipperiness, and recovered resources that would otherwise be lost.

With hundreds of gigafactories and recycling facilities under development worldwide to meet the demand for clean energy, the battery industry is positioned for rapid expansion in the coming years.

At the same time, regulations such as the EU Battery Regulation and the Critical Raw Materials Act are raising the bar for sustainability and circularity.

By capturing hazardous yet valuable black dust directly at the source, Vault enhances safety, reduces waste, and boosts operational efficiency. What was once considered a byproduct becomes a new source of value – helping manufacturers recover critical metals, stay ahead of evolving regulations, and operate more sustainably and profitably.

“At Almi Invest GreenTech, we look for technologies that solve real industrial problems while driving systemic environmental benefits. DREV turns a hidden safety and waste issue into a circular advantage – enabling gigafactories to recover critical materials, save water, protect workers, and comply with the next step in sustainability standards. This is exactly the kind of industrial impact we want to accelerate at scale,” said Jonas Bergqvist, Investment Manager, Almi Invest GreenTech.

This new funding will enable DREV to accelerate the development, expand the commercial deployment, and establish Swedish manufacturing operations for its Vault Mobile and Stationary solutions – designed to protect worker health and safety, improve production efficiency, and recover critical metals such as nickel, cobalt, lithium, and copper.

The company will also establish manufacturing operations in Gothenburg for in-house production, while deploying its technology in gigafactories and recycling facilities across Europe and North America, as well as expanding its commercial operations in Nevada.

“This funding provides the resources we need to push the limits of our engineering roadmap. It will allow us to accelerate product development, scale our pre-series test fleets and refine the core technologies behind the Vault product range, ultimately reducing our time to market and ensuring the highest standards of reliability and performance,” shared Thomas Tingelöf, CTO/COO and co-founder, DREV.

The post As Europe ramps up gigafactory compliance, DREV raises €2.8 million to help capture and reuse critical metals from ‘black dust’ appeared first on EU-Startups.