Circu Li-ion and the EIC Accelerator: Robots That Strip Batteries

Circu Li-ion, founded in Luxembourg in 2021 by CEO Antoine Welter and CTO Xavier Kohll, automates the dismantling of used lithium-ion battery packs. Its EIC application promised technology that processes used packs automatically, analyses each cell, refurbishes cells for reuse and prepares the rest for recycling, claiming it "can recover >80% of otherwise recycled cells" and "doubles the battery lifetime", according to CORDIS, where the project is now listed under the company's new name, R3 Robotics SA.

The European Innovation Council granted €2,481,706 towards a €3.55 million project from March 2023 to August 2024. The final report says Circu Li-ion built a Battery Disassembly Line that can take apart packs of various designs and brands, split it into four machines each meant to be CE-marked, and had processed 80 different battery pack types. It developed computer vision and AI for cell analysis, quality control and predictive maintenance. In early 2026 the company renamed itself R3 Robotics and announced €20 million in financing: a €14 million Series A with the EIC Fund among the investors, and €6 million in European grants.

Where Circu Li-ion Stands Now

The Series A was co-led by HG Ventures and Suma Capital, with Oetker Collection, the EIC Fund and existing shareholders including BonVenture and former KUKA chief executive Peter Mohnen, Suma Capital said. The rebrand widens the company's scope from battery packs to e-drives, power electronics and eventually whole electric vehicle systems. Its website lists a certified disassembly facility in Kuppenheim, Germany, opened in 2023, partnerships with Amazon, Hyundai, JLR and others from November 2024, and projects with Daimler Truck and Fortum from February 2025.

The Technology: Taking Packs Apart by Robot

Manual disassembly "remains labor-intensive, costly, and difficult to scale safely", Suma Capital says. Circu Li-ion's line uses computer vision to recognise pack designs and guide robots, then assesses each cell's state of health to decide whether it can be reused. The report says more research is needed to cope with the variety of packs on the market.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The project promised an in-house pilot with vision algorithms, quality control, predictive maintenance, safety systems and cell sorting. The report documents these, centred on the disassembly line. It does not report measured cell recovery rates or emission savings, the headline claims of the application. Its website now sells disassembly as a service and machines as a service. CORDIS lists the project as closed.

1. Automated disassembly lineDeliveredFour modular machines.
2. Vision and AI diagnosticsDeliveredPer report.
3. 80% cell recoveryUnverifiedNot measured publicly.
4. Industrial customersDeliveredCarmaker projects.

The Money

Circu Li-ion raised €8.5 million in seed funding in October 2023 from BonVenture, EIT Urban Mobility and business angels, according to its press page. The 2026 round takes announced funding since the EIC award to about €31 million including the grant. Revenue, the size of the EIC Fund's stake and the source of the €6 million in grants are not public.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

The EU Battery Regulation sets a 70% recycling efficiency target for lithium batteries by 2030, and the Critical Raw Materials Act pushes for domestic supply of battery metals, Suma Capital notes. The EIC funded its first industrial line; the company has since attracted private capital to grow it.

The Verdict

R3 Robotics and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.