Faradion (Reliance New Energy)

Faradion has one of the oldest claims on this list, and it matters: founded in the UK in 2011, it helped pioneer the layered oxide cathode paired with hard-carbon anodes that much of the industry now builds on, and its commercial cells deliver around 160 Wh/kg with cycle life reported up to roughly 1,000 cycles at 80% depth of discharge. What changed its trajectory was Reliance Industries acquiring it for roughly $135 million in 2022, with additional growth funding committed since — Reliance has signaled plans for a sodium-ion gigafactory in India to cut the country's reliance on Chinese imports, and Faradion's technology-licensing role gives it a supply-chain position that few other Western sodium-ion startups currently occupy.