Akshay Singhal on Building Log9 Materials: India's EV Battery Bet

How did Akshay Singhal turn Log9 from a dorm-room nanotech experiment into a battery-tech player reshaping India’s EV future? In this Founder Thesis episode, we unpack the science, strategy, and hard lessons behind building tropicalized EV batteries in India’s heat and hustle—where battery packs can be 50% of an EV’s cost.
From IIT Roorkee labs to Bengaluru’s IISc ecosystem, Akshay charts the shift from graphene R&D to fast-charging, long-life battery platforms built for Indian duty cycles. He breaks down lithium-ion fundamentals with vivid analogies, explains why LTO and LFP chemistries fit India better than NMC, and shares how Log9 navigated COVID by launching “Corona Oven” in 14 days—then accelerated its EV battery go-to-market. In this candid conversation with host Akshay Datt, you’ll hear the mission (“materials science for the tropical world”), the ops realities of cell vs. pack manufacturing, funding milestones, and what it takes to validate deeptech in the market. If you care about EVs, battery safety, charging speed, and Make-in-India manufacturing, this one’s loaded with insights—and scars. Also: Akshay’s profile highlights “Previously scaled Log9 ($13M revenue, $50M raised),” giving added context to the journey.

• How Log9 evolved from graphene research to a battery business designed for India’s climate and usage patterns.
• A simple, unforgettable explainer of how lithium-ion batteries work—and why heat and charge rates cause degradation.
• LTO vs. LFP vs. NMC: the trade-offs, why LTO/LFP win in Indian two- and three-wheeler fleets, and the safety/fast-charge edge.
• The capex, tech access, and scale barriers in cell manufacturing—and why pack assembly is a different game.
• The COVID pivot: shipping a UV-based “Corona Oven” in two weeks, building distribution, and keeping the team intact.
• Funding, partnerships, and validation loops that helped Log9 de-risk deeptech and accelerate commercialization.

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00:00 – Why Battery Costs Matter (EV India)
05:15 – Founder Journey: Roorkee to Startup
10:40 – Graphene 101 for Batteries
21:55 – Shift to Bengaluru & IISc Advantage
41:12 – How Lithium-ion Batteries Work
47:29 – LTO vs LFP: India’s Best Fit
1:03:58 – COVID Pivot: “Corona Oven”
1:13:44 – Scaling Cell Manufacturing in India

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