Group14 Technologies, a provider of silicon-carbon composite materials for lithium-ion markets, has secured $17 million in Series B funding led by SK Materials, a manufacturer of special gases and industrial gases; with participation from returning investor OVP Venture Partners.

Group14 integrates the world's leading synthetic carbon technology with novel approaches to silicon structure and manufacturing to address the challenges of energy density and cycle life in Li-ion batteries. The engineered carbons at the heart of Group14's technology already outperform all other carbons available in Li-ion batteries. Group14's expertise in nanomaterials and manufacturing has enabled the development of novel approaches to producing and incorporating silicon into carbon to produce a new class of silicon-carbon composites for battery applications. The objective at Group14 is to develop products that replace graphite in all batteries reflecting not just high performance, but also value derived from novel manufacturing approaches.