It was a busy April. Across climate tech, batteries, mobility and AI, the NovAzure team was out in the field, and the conversation kept coming back to the same place: that the transition is no longer held back by a lack of innovation, but by the ability to execute on it.
That thread runs through everything in this edition, and the month ended, as the best ones do, with the team coming together in person.
Inside NovAzure
Taking time away from the day-to-day to think, challenge ideas and reconnect as a team is always valuable. This month, part of the NovAzure team did exactly that.
We spent the day exploring where we are going next, from how AI can more meaningfully support sustainability efforts, to how we continue evolving our approach to better serve clients. Lots of passion, and quite a few excellent ideas we will be building on.
The evening shifted gears. A blind wine tasting that quickly became competitive, with Lama Hayek taking the win. We also took turns trying to blow a traditional hunting horn, which proved far harder than it looks and sparked a lot of laughter.
These are precious moments. Proud of this team, and looking forward to what comes next.
Accross the Network
Across the network, NovAzure has been engaging with founders, investors and innovators at ChangeNOW 2026 in Paris, one of the most energising gatherings in the climate innovation calendar, and a powerful reminder of the pace at which the space is moving.
Jean-Jacques Jouanna, Managing Director
“Always energising to be in a room where the ambition matches the urgency. The quality of pitches was genuinely impressive, and beyond the startups, it was a great reminder of how much momentum is building across the ecosystem right now.”
From novel approaches to critical minerals, to buildings reimagined as energy assets, ChangeNOW was a powerful snapshot of where climate innovation is heading. With some exciting follow-ups already in motion, watch this space.
Philip Cholerton, partner, was at Silverstone last week, immersed in the UK battery ecosystem at Battery Tech Expo, in conversation with leaders across solid-state, manufacturing scale-up, and EV supply chains.
“Great to spend time at Silverstone as part of the UK battery ecosystem. One thing is clear: the UK battery sector has momentum, but commercialisation is lagging innovation. Strong innovation, but gaps between strategy, funding, and go-to-market execution. That’s exactly where we’re focused.”
Philip Cholerton, Partner
These are precisely the gaps NovAzure is built to close, helping battery and BESS companies move from promising technology to credible, fundable, scalable businesses. Philip shares more in his Partner Perspective below.
Andrew Aldridge, Partner, headed to Manchester in April, joining Honda Xcelerator Ventures for a meet the team session and networking with innovators, investors and accelerators across the energy and mobility space in the North of England and Scotland.
Andrew Aldridge, Partner
“A great opportunity to share insights at the intersection of mobility and energy. From early-stage ventures through to new business initiatives for corporates, across last-mile delivery through to alternative fuelled HGVs and associated infrastructure.”
The mobility-energy intersection continues to throw up genuinely complex challenges, and some of the most interesting thinking on them is happening outside of London.
Partner Perspectives
Scaling the UK Battery Value Chain: Reflections from Silverstone
Philip Cholerton- Partner
Spending time at the Battery Tech Expo at Silverstone last month was a valuable reminder of where the UK battery sector stands. The market is not short of innovation. It is short of commercialisation strategies.
Volklec are targeting production ramp-up from 2027, Ilika are progressing solid-state chemistries to early commercial stages, but fragmentation persists between innovation, manufacturing and end-market demand. A recurring theme was pricing, not cost, but value capture. Winners will quantify efficiency gains in IRR terms, not just technical specifications. The spectrum of company maturity was equally striking: some choosing bootstrapped independence, others raising growth capital aggressively. Both valid, but leading to very different outcomes.
Circularity is also shifting from compliance to commercial opportunity, particularly as OEMs like JLR focus on lifecycle value. The UK has real ambition, but success will depend on strategy, partnerships and execution, not technology alone.
At NovAzure, we help battery and BESS businesses turn technical differentiation into credible, fundable growth. If you are working in this space, we would welcome a conversation.
Philip goes deeper on all of this in his full article on the NovAzure website. If you work in batteries, BESS or the wider energy storage space, it is worth your time: Scaling the UK Battery Value Chain: Reflections from Silverstone
Vehicle-to-Grid: From Holy Grail to Commercial Reality
Andrew Aldridge – Partner
Vehicle-to-Grid has long been a holy grail in the EV space. The potential is significant, unlocking the storage capability of batteries across all EVs to facilitate the transition to fully flexible electricity networks, both within the home and across the wider electricity grid. To date, vehicle OEMs have been slow to move. Nissan pioneered early trials with the Leaf, and yet even Tesla has remained reluctant to open its vehicles to full V2G functionality. The gap between potential and reality has been frustrating for those working in the space.
It is good to see that changing. Some OEMs are now embracing V2G’s potential, and regulations are moving to mandate that new charging hardware is V2G ready. The commercial and regulatory conditions are beginning to align.
NovAzure has worked with software and hardware providers in the EV charging space who are adapting to this shift. If you would like to discuss how to take advantage of this opportunity as the market opens up, please do reach out.
What’s Next for Our Partners
Discover where our partners will be engaging with innovators, investors, and industry leaders.
Andrew Aldridge
Jean-Jacques Jouanna
Philip Cholerton
Continuing the Conversation
