Bryan Oh is the co-founder and CEO of NEU Battery Materials, a company that is electrifying lithium battery recycling. NEU’s patented technology produces battery grade recycled lithium for the manufacturing of new batteries.

Right now, they are expanding capacity to process 2,600 tonnes of batteries with a roadmap to be the world’s largest battery recycler.

‍

👋🏼  How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

We recycle used lithium batteries from phones, electric cars, and extract materials from it to make a new battery. Our company has developed a patented method to recycle these batteries cleanly and sustainably, that only utilizes water and electricity. This method helps us to scale rapidly to meet all the needs of the rapidly growing EV industry.

‍

🧐  What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

I spend a lot of time traveling to meet partners across the globe because battery recycling is not a Singapore problem, it is a global problem. We work with suppliers in Europe, North and South America. Although we have our recycling plant in Singapore, we’re focused on solving the global problem by expanding our facilities to key regions in the near future.

‍

🏆  What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

Building and operating our pilot recycling facility in Singapore. We started with a lab research technology and scaled it up approximately ten thousand times bigger since inception. This was achieved through innovations in our in-house research and development. We have also been able to secure key contracts for our recycling plant, ensuring that we have the means to further scale our process to scale our technology from lab to operational pilot scale is one of the biggest highlights.

‍

🔍  What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?

We’re watching the uptake of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries trend in the EV sector. As more automotive makers adopt LFP in their vehicles, more LFP waste is being generated. As such, our process has to scale even faster to match this demand for waste.

‍

💼  What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry?

Focus on creating a solution that adds value to the industry, ensuring that the techno-economics are feasible as well.

‍

🗣  What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours?

Internal Combustion Engine and Electric Vehicle parts from a 6-cylinder engine to a cell to pack battery design.

‍

🎥  What's your favorite movie/TV show?

Big Bang Theory.

‍

🍨  What's your go-to ice cream flavor?

Cookies and Cream Häagen-Dazs. Simple yet hits the spot!