Faradion (Reliance New Energy)

Faradion has the oldest claim on this list, and it matters: founded in Sheffield in 2011, it pioneered the layered nickel-manganese-magnesium-titanium oxide cathode paired with hard carbon anodes that much of the industry now builds on, and its commercial cells still deliver a solid 160 Wh/kg at 32 Ah with 4,000 cycles to 80% retention. What changed its trajectory was Reliance Industries buying it for $136 million in 2022 and committing another $34 million for growth — Reliance now plans a sodium-ion gigafactory in Jamnagar to cut India's reliance on Chinese imports, and Faradion's technology-licensing role gives it a supply-chain position that no other Western sodium-ion startup currently occupies.