illumion

illumion is a University of Cambridge spinout transforming how battery materials are developed. The company was founded in 2022 to commercialise Charge Photometry — a pioneering optical imaging technique that lets researchers visualise energy storage processes in real time, at sub-micrometre scales, and in realistic sample environments. Battery material development methods have not fundamentally changed in fifty years, and the process of taking a new material to a commercial product can take a decade. Charge Photometry accelerates this by providing fast, non-destructive insights into how materials behave during charge and discharge cycles.

illumion's lab-based measurement platform enables battery R&D teams at universities and companies worldwide to characterise electrode materials without destructive testing, unlocking new possibilities in the development of next-generation battery chemistries. The platform addresses a critical need as the global energy transition drives demand for more diverse, higher-performing batteries across electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and grid storage.

The company raised a £2.1 million seed round in 2024 led by Foresight Group's Ventures team, with co-investment from Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, Parkwalk Advisors, and Cambridge Angels. Co-founded by Dr Christoph Schnedermann (CEO), Dr Alice Merryweather, Professor Akshay Rao, and Professor Dame Clare Grey, illumion is based in Cambridge and is already placing instruments in leading battery R&D labs globally.