NOVAC

Tell us about NOVAC: what problem do you solve, for which market, and where are you today?

NOVAC develops and manufactures supercapacitor-based cells and storage systems, designed for applications where traditional batteries can’t efficiently handle very high power peaks, frequent cycles, fast charging, or particularly demanding operating conditions.

What sets us apart is the pouch format: thin, lightweight cells that can be shaped to fit, so they can be integrated even into complex spaces or inside structural components. Starting from the cell, we also design complete modules with control and management electronics.

We’re mainly targeting the automotive, aerospace, and intralogistics markets, plus some industrial and stationary applications. In these fields, supercapacitors can work alongside batteries — or in some cases replace them — for starting, energy recovery, peak shaving, powering actuators, and managing power peaks.

Today we’ve completed several pilot projects with industrial, automotive, and aerospace companies, built operational applications, and even flown our technology on board a commercial satellite mission.

What convinced you it was worth building a company around such complex hardware technology?

What convinced us was that the problem was real, recurring, and still not solved in a satisfying way.

In a lot of industrial systems, a battery isn’t sized for the average energy it needs, but for a few seconds of peak power. That means oversizing, extra weight, more stress on the battery, and a shorter service life. We saw that supercapacitors could solve this problem, but the products already on the market — mostly cylindrical and standardized — were often hard to integrate.

So we decided to work not just on electrochemical performance, but also on shape, customization, and integration of the complete system. Being able to adapt the cell to the customer’s product, instead of forcing the customer to adapt their product to the cell, was one of the things that convinced us most.

Building hardware takes more capital, more time, and a different kind of execution than a purely digital project. At the same time, though, it creates technological, industrial, and know-how barriers that are much harder to replicate. We figured that if we handled this complexity right, it could become a competitive advantage.

Gate REI works to connect startups with the market: in a startup’s path, where does this kind of contribution prove most tangible for a growing company?

For a deep-tech startup like ours, the most tangible value of a company like Gate REI is shortening the distance to the market. Developing complex hardware means working on technology and production for years, but the real leap happens when you meet the right industrial customer at the right time: that’s where an ecosystem able to bridge startups and companies becomes decisive, because it opens validation channels and collaboration opportunities that would otherwise take much longer to find on your own.

You’ve raised about 4,6 million euros. What convinced investors to back a technology with long return times, and how did you build that trust round after round?

Investors understood they weren’t just funding a new cell, but a technology platform that could be applied across multiple markets and could meet industrial needs that already existed.

Trust was built step by step, turning every round into verifiable results: from the first prototypes to intellectual property, from building the production line to the first paid projects, all the way to validations with industrial customers and applications in automotive and aerospace.

Where has NOVAC gotten to today, and what’s the next milestone ahead of you?

Today NOVAC has moved from research and prototyping into industrialization and market entry. We have proprietary technology, an operating pre-pilot line, systems already tested in real applications, paid projects with industrial customers, and an organization that covers skills in materials, production, electronics, mechanical design, and business development.

The next milestone is turning these validations and pilot projects into recurring, serial supply. To get there, we’re working on three fronts: increasing production capacity with the new pilot line, completing the qualifications and certifications needed in our priority markets, and locking in our first high-volume industrial programs.