Ascend Elements

Opening the Door to a New Era at Ascend Elements By Linh Austin, President & CEO, Ascend Elements When I joined Ascend Elements as CEO in March of last year, I did so with the full knowledge that Ascend Elements had a long history of fiscal and operational mismanagement, and that its future was very much in question. But I also did so because I believe deeply that this company has a unique combination of world‑class technology and mission that truly matters. That belief has only grown stronger in the year since. I assembled a team of top professionals from around the globe who have shown me time and again that they are capable of turning a company like this around to build an entirely new kind of industrial champion in North America and Europe. But despite their deep expertise and my complete confidence in their ability to make this work, they and I knew that the financial difficulties were insurmountable. Today, I want to speak directly about the step we have taken to put Ascend on firmer financial footing for the long term. We have voluntarily initiated a Chapter 11 process in the United States to maximize value for all stakeholders. Please see my full post below.

Ascend Elements is proud to be a founding member of the Polish Electric Battery Cluster, which was officially launched today in Opole, bringing together industry, academia, and government together to build an integrated battery value chain ranging from raw materials through refining and material reuse on Polish soil. The event drew top experts and dignitaries from around the country, with opening remarks from Michał Jaros, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Development and Technology, alongside contributions from Opole Mayor Arkadiusz Wiśniewski, Michal Kramarz, Head of the Investor Services Office, and Prof. Jarosław Mamala, President of the Management Board of the Science and Technology Park. Ascend Elements’ Chief Commercial Officer, Tomasz Poznar, delivered an expert presentation on how circular battery material production fits into the broader supply chain architecture that Poland is building. The EU Battery Regulation's recycled-content mandates are being phased in now, and the countries and clusters that build real production capacity for recycled cathode materials now will define where European battery supply chains will expand over the next decade. Poland, with its fast-growing manufacturing base and the high levels of cross-sector coordination we saw today, is positioned to be the hub of that network, and we are fully committed to its support. Ascend Elements and AE Elemental will be a cornerstone of this ecosystem, producing performance-equivalent cathode active materials from recycled feedstock with our patented Hydro-to-Cathode® process. Thanks to all who participated in the event today. The work starts now! #PowerCluster #BatteryRecycling #CircularEconomy #PolishElectricBatteryCluster #EnergyStorage #BatteryMaterials

Poland Closing the Loop with Ascend from Battery Recycling to Circular Battery Manufacturing    The Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) just named our Project Apex 2 its Manufacturing Investment of the Year, less than a year after Poland's Ministry of Economic Development and Technology gave us a $320 million USD grant, one of the largest the country has ever offered. Ascend Elements Project Apex 2 will be the EU's first fully integrated battery materials refining center, with our turning spent lithium-ion batteries into lithium carbonate and precursor cathode active material (pCAM) using our Hydro-to-Cathode® process. It’s the same process we've already scaled commercially in the United States, producing approximately 2,500 tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate in 2025. See more details in the link below. https://lnkd.in/eCJKj9dA #BatteryRefining #CriticalMinerals #EUBatteryRegulation #CircularEconomy #CathodeManufacturing  

Ascend Elements will be at the @International Battery Seminar, where Eric Gratz, Ph.D., CTO, will present “From Global Risk to Local Value: Unlocking Domestic Critical Mineral Potential.”    His session will examine global supply chain volatility and geopolitical risk, and how domestic circular manufacturing can strengthen access to critical battery materials. He will also discuss Ascend Elements’ lithium extraction technology for recovering lithium carbonate from recycled battery black mass, Hydro-to-Cathode processing for high-performance pCAM production and the shift from EV-driven demand toward energy storage systems. An important conversation as the industry focuses on strengthening domestic battery material supply chains. Interested in joining? Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eYfayGy     #InternationalBatterySeminar #BatteryMaterials #BatterySupplyChain #EnergyStorage #AdvancedMaterials #AscendElements

Thank you to everyone who joined us at The Battery Show Asia today. We were honored to share how our closed‑loop technology is transforming used lithium‑ion batteries into high‑performance materials and to have our own Tomasz Poznar contribute to the panel discussion on circular manufacturing and supply chain resilience. Together, we’re advancing a more secure global battery supply chain. #TheBatteryShowAsia #AdvancedMaterials #SupplyChainResilience #BatteryRecycling #CircularEconomy #AscendElements

Ascend Elements is heading to The Battery Show Asia in Hong Kong. On March 10 at 13:25, Chief Commercial Officer Dr. Tomasz Poznar will share how Ascend Elements transforms used lithium‑ion batteries into high‑performance materials for next‑generation energy storage. He will also join a panel moderated by Katelyn Tomaszewski of CALSTART at 14:45, alongside Michael Berube of CALSTART and Pan Kornwika Chaiprateep of SK tes Thailand, discussing the role of circular manufacturing and advanced material recovery in the global battery market. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eghenhCV #TheBatteryShowAsia #AdvancedMaterials #SupplyChainResilience #BatterySupplyChain #AscendElements

We welcome the Lunar New Year and the arrival of the Year of the Horse. Across cultures, this holiday marks a fresh start and a time to look ahead. The Horse is known for its energy, confidence, and forward motion, qualities that resonate in a year defined by progress and possibility. To our colleagues, partners, and communities around the world celebrating today, we wish you prosperity, good health, and success in the year ahead. Happy Lunar New Year. #LunarNewYear #ChineseNewYear #YearOfTheHorse #AscendElements

Ascend Elements is proud to name TDK Ventures our inaugural 2025 Partner of the Year. During a defining year for our company, TDK Ventures distinguished itself through consistent, hands-on engagement across strategic guidance, business development, industry advocacy, and long-term capital support. Their regular leadership-level involvement, candid counsel, and visible advocacy for Ascend Elements strengthened our execution and expanded our reach across the battery materials ecosystem. Most importantly, TDK Ventures demonstrated conviction and trust during periods of transition, approaching the partnership with a long-term mindset focused on shared success. We are grateful for their belief in our team, our technology, and our mission to build a resilient, local critical mineral supply chain. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/eg674feS #PartnerOfTheYear #TDKVentures #AscendElements #StrategicPartnership #BatteryMaterials #CriticalMinerals #CircularEconomy

On Presidents Day, we reflect on the leadership, long-term vision, and spirit of American ingenuity that have shaped the nation. At Ascend Elements, that same commitment guides our work to build a secure, domestic battery materials supply chain and drive innovation at scale. From manufacturing to advanced materials development, we are focused on strengthening U.S. energy independence and American industrial leadership. Happy Presidents Day. #PresidentsDay #Leadership #AmericanInnovation #EnergyIndependence #AscendElements

Thanks Fritz G. for this thoughtful take on what’s really happening in battery recycling. You get it! The technology works. The question now is business model, capital discipline, and position in the value chain. At commercial scale, this isn’t about producing black mass. It’s about capturing margin where it’s defensible, closer to engineered materials like pCAM and cathode inputs, where qualification, performance, and long-term offtake create real staying power. Downstream integration matters. Commercial validation matters. Sequencing capital matters. The next 3–5 years will separate companies built for buzz from those built for industrial execution. Battery recycling is no science project; it’s heavy industry. And heavy industry rewards scale, operational rigor, and the ability to turn circular chemistry into reliable, bankable supply. The long-term demand for domestic battery materials is undeniable. The winners will be the ones who can navigate the feedstock gap and emerge with commercially proven, downstream assets in place.