2025-08-04 l 3DC Inc. ("3DC" or "the Company") secured a total of 2.45 billion yen in funding through selection for NEDO DTSU PCA phase and the Series A Round 1st Close. The Company will use this funding to commence construction of the world's first mass production plant for Graphene MesoSponge® (GMS), a next-generation carbon material invented by Professor Nishihara at Tohoku University in Japan. GMS from the facility is intended primarily for sale as a functional conductive additives for lithium-ion batteries, with a material supply equivalent to approximately 3 GWh of lithium-ion battery capacity.
* NEDO: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
* DTSU: Deep Tech Startup Support Fund/Deep Tech Startup Support Program
* PCA: Demonstration Research and Development (Later Stage)
■ Our business development and purpose of this funding
Since its establishment in 2022, 3DC has been working on product and process development to commercialize Graphene Mesosponge® (GMS), a next-generation carbon material invented at Tohoku University. In February 2024, we began shipping GMS as a conductive additive for lithium-ion batteries. Since then, we have conducted performance evaluations and demonstration tests with multiple battery manufacturers worldwide.
Over the past couple of months, internal and third-party evaluations have shown that GMS conductive additives significantly improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries. GMS achieves this improvement by leveraging its excellent electronic and ionic conductivity, chemical and physical durability, and structural controllability. Due to these improvements, demand from potential customers has increased rapidly, resulting in our production capacity restrictions.
Furthermore, GMS has applications beyond conductive additives. It has also shown potential as a scaffold material for silicon-carbon composite anodes (Si/C), a material that has attracted attention in recent years. In laboratory-scale prototype testing conducted by 3DC, GMS demonstrated superior characteristics compared to conventional materials. We are currently collaborating with a partner company to develop this application. In battery applications, particularly in fields such as drones and air mobility, GMS is expected to be a key area of innovation, generating significant future demand for the battery industry.
In addition, 3DC was selected for the Strategic Innovation Creation Program (SIP) led by the Cabinet Office in August 2024.Under the selected theme “Revolutionizing lithium-ion battery electrode manufacturing with GMS through slurry control innovation,” we are collaborating with partner companies to develop data-driven applications that aim to enhance manufacturing processes. These applications will particularly target the slurry manufacturing process, which is one of the most challenging and yield-constrained stages in battery production.
Through various initiatives, 3DC has accelerated technology development and commercialization as a battery materials startup. At the same time, we are advancing our business activities under the vision of "being the first Japanese company to mass-produce materials technology developed in Japan." In July 2023, with generous support from our shareholder and strategic partner, Takasago Industries, we established a new office and pilot factory in the former Takasago Industrial factory building in Toki City, Gifu Prefecture. This allowed us to begin shipping our conductive additive, GMS, in February 2024, with regular monthly shipments to follow. In response to positive customer evaluations and strong demand, we have decided to accelerate the construction of our mass production plant by approximately one year. This expansion will involve upgrading the existing pilot plant. Through this initiative, we aim to develop GMS production technology, promote industrial transformation applications, and grow our business by strengthening our partnerships. To support these efforts, we secured funding through the grant by NEDO DTSU PCA and a Series A Round. The mass production facility is scheduled to begin operations by the end of 2026.
Regarding the grant portion of this funding under the NEDO DTSU GX Program, which was approved in September 2024, the STS phase, which was originally planned to last 24 months until August 2026, was completed in just nine months. The phase passed the stage gate review and secured approval to transition to the PCA phase, and 1 billion yen in grants is expected to be provided over the next three years in this phase. Additionally, regarding the equity portion, we secured a total of 1.45 billion yen from eight venture capitals and companies. ANRI Co., Ltd., one of Japan's leading venture capital firms, served as the lead investor. The proceeds from this funding will be used for the following purposes:
1) Construction and equipment investment for a mass production plant in Toki City, Gifu Prefecture
2) Research and development of battery materials and data-driven applications
3) Strengthening human resources and product supply systems, as well as deepening overseas partnerships
To date, the cumulative equity funding raised amounts to 25.2 billion yen, and the cumulative grant awards total 28.1 billion yen. This brings the total to 53.3 billion yen.
Funds proceeds
・Capital investment for the construction of a mass production plant
・Research and development activities for GMS mass production
・Strengthening the global supply system for GMS
・Expanding R&D personnel and deepening overseas partnerships
■ NEDO DTSU program overview
NEDO provides comprehensive support to "Deep Tech Startups" — innovative companies engaged in the research and development of technologies that require long-term R&D, substantial funding, and time to establish, commercialize, and implement in society. These technologies are deemed capable of addressing economic and social challenges that require national or global action. The NEDO DTSU program provides support across three phases: STS (Practical Research and Development [Early Stage]), PCA (Practical Research and Development [Late Stage]), and DMP (Mass Production Demonstration). The program takes a long-term perspective and focuses on practical research and development, mass production demonstration, and overseas technology verification.
NEDO DTSU program: https://www.nedo.go.jp/english/activities/activities_ZZJP_100250.html
Press release: https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101873.html
■ Investors
・ANRI
・Mitsubishi UFJ Capital
・Golden Asia Fund (a fund jointly established by Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and Taiwan's ITIC)
・Sony Innovation Fund
・KSP
・OSAKA University Venture Capital
・Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital
・77 Capital
・Kyoritsu Holdings
■ About 3DC
3DC is a Japanese startup company that develops and manufactures Graphene MesoSponge® (GMS), with the mission of "Creating a better world through the synergy of chemistry and physics."
3DC was founded from Tohoku University in 2022, aiming for the mass production of GMS, a next-generation carbon material, expected to be utilized in a wide range of applications, including batteries. In the battery industry, GMS is expected to be applied not only in lithium-ion batteries but also in all-solid-state batteries and lithium-sulfur batteries, which are anticipated for future commercialization.
Toward commercialization, in February 2024, shipments of conductive additive grade GMS for lithium-ion batteries began, and performance tests for practical application and commercialization are underway with numerous battery manufacturers. Furthermore, from March to May 2024, a total of JPY 580M was raised in the Pre-Series A round 2nd close from multiple venture capital firms and industrial players (https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000012.000098727.html), and from August to September 2024, multiple large grant programs sponsored by the Cabinet Office, etc., were granted (SIP&BRIDGE, GX). The cumulative amount raised (including grant) to date is JPY 2.97B.
We are striving for business development to realize a truly carbon-neutral society that is kind to the environment and people, by popularizing batteries with significantly improved functions and lifespan through GMS.
■ About GMS
GMS is a "three-dimensional graphene" material with a sponge-like three-dimensional structure that is only one carbon atom thick. As an innovative material that combines multiple excellent properties such as flexibility, porosity, conductivity, and corrosion resistance, it is attracting global attention as a carbon material that can resolve the "trade-off problem where another property deteriorates when capacity is improved" in batteries.
■ Recruitment information
＜Open Positions＞
・Battery Application Research
・Manufacturing Shift Leader
・Material Application Development
・Technical Sales
・Corporate (Management Planning, Technical Administration)
＜Work Locations＞
Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, or Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, or Toki City, Gifu Prefecture
If you are interested, please inquire using the form below.
■ 3DC company profile
Company Name: 3DC Inc.
Founders: Takuma Kuroda, Hirotomo Nishihara
Established: February 2022
Head Office: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Tohoku University Advanced Institute for Materials Research
Kawasaki Office: AIRBIC A38 & A4, Shin-Kawasaki Sozo-no-Mori District, 7-7 Shinkawasaki, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Business: Development, manufacturing, and sales of carbon materials
Contact Form: https://www.3dc.co.jp/en/contact
