London-based deeptech startup AcouBatt has raised £1.1 million in pre-seed funding. The company will use the investment to develop its battery testing technology and move forward with pilot projects with battery manufacturers.
The funding round was led by Creator Fund, with Ada Ventures also participating. AcouBatt was founded in 2025 by Dr Arthur Fordham and Chris Haoxin Xu after being spun out of UCL Ventures.
AcouBatt is developing a battery diagnostics system that uses acoustic sensors and AI to monitor what is happening inside battery cells during manufacturing. The technology is based on Fordham’s PhD research at University College London’s Electrochemical Innovation Lab.
The company is focused on problems in lithium-ion battery manufacturing, especially during the formation stage. At this stage, manufacturers have limited real-time information about what is happening inside battery cells, which can result in production delays, higher rejection rates and difficulty finding defects.
AcouBatt’s technology uses acoustic sensors to pick up signals produced inside battery cells. Its AI system then analyses these signals to identify changes in the cells’ behaviour in real time.
By combining acoustic and electrochemical data, AcouBatt aims to help manufacturers understand when important formation processes are complete. The company says its technology could reduce formation time by up to 30% while identifying faults and production problems before an entire batch is completed.
According to Dr Arthur Fordham, co-founder and CEO of AcouBatt, “the growing role of batteries in modern infrastructure is increasing the need for better diagnostics and greater visibility into their condition and performance. That is why advanced diagnostics are the next major frontier. AcouBatt provides a diagnostic tool that not only saves massive amounts of time on the factory floor but helps manufacturers and operators truly understand and look after their battery systems from the moment they are formed to the end of their working life.”
The new funding will help AcouBatt grow its technical team and further improve its AI technology.
The company will also use the investment to expand its industrial pilot programme and work more closely with battery manufacturers.
