Chennai-based deeptech startup Sthyr has raised $1 million in seed funding, led by Speciale Invest, with support from Antares Ventures — a strong vote of confidence in India’s emerging energy innovation ecosystem.
At the heart of Sthyr’s mission is a big question: How can we store renewable energy affordably and safely for the long haul? The answer, the startup believes, lies in zinc-air battery technology—a lesser-known but highly promising alternative to lithium-ion systems.
Founded in 2024 by Gunjan Kapadia, Akhil Kongara, and Muhammed Hamdan, Sthyr is building modular 200 kWh battery systems and 10 kW zinc regeneration units, designed to store excess solar and wind power as metallic zinc and release it when needed — especially during nighttime or low-generation windows.
“The ideal use cases include grid operators, renewable energy farms, microgrids in remote areas, and even island communities that rely on diesel power,” shared Gunjan Kapadia, co-founder at Sthyr. “Our batteries are indigenously developed, non-flammable, use water-based electrolytes, and are patent-backed — making them not just safe, but scalable.”
With safety, sustainability, and cost-efficiency as its core pillars, Sthyr’s battery systems also decouple energy and power components, allowing highly modular deployments — from small-scale microgrids to large renewable energy infrastructure.
The fresh funding will fuel R&D, pilots, and product scale-up, helping Sthyr position itself as a key enabler of long-duration storage in India’s energy transition journey.
-By Muskan Dengra| Indian startup Times
