What if a material 200,000 times thinner than a human hair could transform EV batteries, semiconductors, and advanced electronics? NoPo Nanotechnologies is making that possible with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), among the most advanced carbon-based nanomaterials available today. Gadhadar Reddy of NoPo Nanotechnologies speaks with EFY’s Nitisha Dubey about the company’s SWCNT technology, its applications, and its potential impact on batteries, semiconductors, and advanced electronics.
Q. What does NoPo Nanotechnologies do, and what is its core product portfolio?
A. NoPo Nanotechnologies specialises in the production of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), an advanced nanomaterial made entirely of carbon. These nanotubes are extremely small, around 200,000 times thinner than a human hair, and possess exceptional electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. They are among the strongest known materials and are used in applications such as batteries, semiconductors, conductive polymers, and water filtration systems.
Q. How would you explain your product to a non-technical audience?
A. Throughout history, civilisations have been defined by materials such as bronze, iron, and steel. Carbon nanotubes represent the next generation of engineered materials. They are incredibly strong, lightweight, and conductive, enabling innovations that conventional materials cannot achieve. In simple terms, they are advanced materials designed to help build better batteries, electronics, and filtration systems.
Q. What makes NoPo’s technology unique?
A. We have developed a scalable process to manufacture high-quality single-walled carbon nanotubes in India. We have built our own reactor systems, optimised production methods, and achieved quality levels comparable to global benchmarks. Research conducted at Rice University validated the quality of NoPo’s material, and our nanotubes have been cited in multiple scientific publications.
Q. How many patents does NoPo hold?
A. We currently have seven patents. Five have been granted, and two are pending. These patents cover reactor designs, catalyst production processes, high-temperature mixing systems, purification technologies, stress-sensing applications, and high-strength nanotube fibres.
Q. Who are your target customers?
A. We provide services to four industries where advanced material performance is critical. Our solutions serve polymer manufacturers seeking electrostatic discharge (ESD) and anti-static materials to enhance product safety and reliability. This includes transparent coatings that provide anti-static capability.
We also provide products to battery manufacturers, particularly electric vehicle (EV) battery producers, helping improve battery performance and efficiency through advanced material technologies.
In addition, we support semiconductor manufacturers in developing the next generation of transistors that are much smaller than the 2nm node. SWCNTs provide perfectly aligned band gaps and help shrink devices a further 1000x.
A fourth area of focus is water filtration and membrane technology, where SWCNTs improve filtration efficiency, durability, and overall system performance, enabling highly water-efficient RO membranes.
Q. How do single-walled carbon nanotubes improve EV batteries?
A. Our solution helps stabilise silicon anodes, which are increasingly used in next-generation batteries. Silicon significantly boosts battery capacity but expands and contracts during charging cycles. Nanotubes create a conductive, mechanically robust network that accommodates these changes, thereby improving charging speed, energy density, and battery lifespan.
Q. How suitable are your nanotubes for silicon-anode battery development?
A. Our nanotubes are highly compatible with silicon-anode batteries. Customer evaluations and studies conducted with research institutions have shown excellent results, with performance that matches or exceeds that of comparable solutions currently available on the market.
Q. What impact do your materials have on battery lifespan and stability?
A. The nanotubes improve battery stability, support higher charge-discharge rates, and significantly extend cycle life. Lithium-ion batteries could achieve around 2000 cycles, while sodium-ion batteries may potentially reach 20,000–30,000 cycles.
Q. Have EV battery manufacturers already tested your materials?
A. Yes. Multiple battery manufacturers are currently evaluating NoPo’s nanotubes. Approximately 14 battery-related companies are actively testing the material, with results reported to be highly encouraging to date.
Q. What challenges do battery manufacturers face when adopting your materials?
A. Adoption is relatively straightforward because we supply nanotubes in ready-to-use formulations. The material is delivered as a slurry that integrates directly into existing battery manufacturing processes, minimising the need for process modifications.
Q. Does NoPo manufacture everything in-house?
A. We design and build reactors, develop catalysts, purify nanotubes, and prepare customer-ready formulations.
Q. Tell us about your manufacturing and R&D facilities.
A. We have a 1486.44 sq. metres (16,000-square-foot) R&D facility in Bengaluru. At the facility, we have reactors organised into two reactor clusters, along with purification and processing equipment. A significant proportion of the manufacturing equipment was developed in-house from first principles. More than 90% of components and 100% of raw materials have been indigenised.
We are also raising funds to establish a larger commercial-scale manufacturing plant.
Q. How large is your team today?
A. We currently employ 52 people, including engineers, scientists, and several PhD holders specialising in nanomaterials and nanotechnology.
Q. What are the biggest challenges you faced while developing this technology?
A. There are numerous challenges across different stages, including sourcing specialised components, designing high-temperature systems, developing manufacturing expertise, and building an ecosystem of vendors capable of supporting the production of advanced nanotechnology.
Many components had to be developed internally because suitable suppliers did not exist.
Q. What is the current status of commercialisation?
A. We have been operating as a deep-tech company focused on technology development. Commercial sales are expected to begin soon. We are already receiving customer orders and are preparing to supply materials through our pilot production line, which was inaugurated in January this year.
