Sparkz Raises $20.2 Million Series A to Scale the Only Fully Integrated LFP Battery Ecosystem in the U.S.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Sparkz Raises $20.2 Million Series A to Scale the Only Fully Integrated LFP Battery Ecosystem in the U.S.
Investment Led by Jack Abraham Signals Market Pull for Domestic Battery Materials as Industry Consolidates

 

Sacramento, CA – February 6, 2026 – Sparkz today announced the close of a $20.2 million Series A financing led by Jack Abraham, with participation from Empros Capital Partners, JRJ Group Founders Family Office, 3D Angels LLC, Mark Becker, Jaiveer Singh, and existing investors such as Community Equity Partners, Savasta Management Holdings, Chad Loweth. The capital will fund Sparkz’s second U.S. manufacturing facility, scaling production of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode active material (CAM)—the most critical bottleneck in the domestic battery supply chain.

 

The Problem

At a time when much of the battery industry is being crushed by overcapacity, pricing pressure, and offshore dependence, Sparkz is scaling into clear market demand. Sparkz is uniquely positioned as the only U.S. platform producing LFP cathode material, cells, and battery systems, enabling the end-to-end ecosystem required to meet customer, grid, and national security needs.

 

The Solution

LFP has become the chemistry of choice for AI data centers, grid-scale storage, defense, and industrial energy applications, yet the U.S. remains overwhelmingly dependent on China for cathode materials. Sparkz is addressing this vulnerability by building domestic production where it matters most—at the material level—unlocking resilience, cost control, and scalable downstream manufacturing.

 

The Investors

“The global energy transition is no longer just a technology race—it’s a manufacturing and supply chain race. Sparkz is winning that race by delivering industry-leading energy density that allows AI data centers to pack 25% more power into the same footprint. I am proud to lead this round as they scale domestic production and build out a U.S. based LFP ecosystem,” said Jack Abraham, Founder and Managing Partner at Atomic.

 

“This investment validates both the market pull and the urgency of rebuilding critical battery supply chains in the U.S.,” said Sanjiv Malhotra, CEO of Sparkz. “Customers are demanding domestic solutions, and this capital allows us to scale production and deliver at the speed the market requires.”

 

Company Mission and Vision

Founded in 2020, Sparkz operates the first LFP cathode active material production facility in the United States and is already shipping to customers. This Series A accelerates Sparkz’s expansion and reinforces its mission to build a durable, fully domestic LFP battery ecosystem—materials, cells, and systems, made in America.

 

Media Contact:
Abby Rodriguez
VP Corporate Development

media@sparkz.energy

https://sparkz.energy/

Founder & CEO

Dr. Sanjiv Malhotra

Dr. Sanjiv Malhotra is the founder and CEO of Sparkz—the battery start-up reinventing the energy supply chain.

 

Malhotra has been a leader in the energy sector for nearly three decades as a founder, investor and executive. Most recently, he served as the inaugural director for the Energy Investor Center at the U.S Department of Energy (DOE), serving under both Democratic and Republican administrations.

 

At DOE, Malhotra led the Obama Administration’s initiative to boost public-private partnerships to accelerate the commercialization of technologies developed in national research centers like Oak Ridge National Labs.

 

Malhotra was recruited to the Department of Energy after a successful exit of Oorja Protonics—the world leader in methanol fuel cells—which he founded and led as CEO for 10 years. Oorja raised $50 Million in equity financing from leading VCs such as Sequoia, DAG Ventures, Artis Capital and others during his tenure. He boosted Oorja’s revenue and profitability growth, while expanding operations globally in Japan, China, South Africa, Mexico, and India.

 

Oorja was acquired in 2014 by the Private Equity firm MinXing Growth Fund.

 

As an investor and consultant, Malhotra has worked at leading venture capital firms, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers as an advisor on clean energy and advanced materials.

 

Earlier in his career, Malhotra led the engineering and product development team at H Power, a pioneer in hydrogen fuel cells. As part of the management team, he managed the successful IPO, which raised more than $100 million in August 2000.

 

He began his career as a post-doctoral fellow at the renowned Lawrence Berkeley National Labs on electrochemical storage systems. Dr. Malhotra has authored seven patents and more than 40 publications in various fields of energy storage technology and materials. He holds a PhD in chemical engineering and an M.B.A from University of Iowa.