Cygni Energy Opens 4.8 GWh BESS Gigafactory, To Double Output by 2027

• Features fully-automated line for grid-scale energy storage solutions
• Secures order pipeline of 1 GWh from BESS developers and automotive customers
• Over ₹100 crores invested in Phase One, with ₹ 150 Crores earmarked for Phase Two

Hyderabad-headquartered Cygni Energy, India’s largest independent energy storage solutions company, announced today the commencement of its Phase-I, fully operational and automated Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Gigafactory. Located in E-Mobility Valley, at the Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) Maheshwaram, Hyderabad, it is also India’s first “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED) qualified facility equipped with an Advanced Engineering Lab and Battery Management System (BMS) Lab.

Set up with an investment of over ₹100 crores, the 1,60,000 sq. ft Phase-I facility is located on a 5-acre campus and is designed with an initial capacity to produce 4.8 GWh of high-capacity battery packs for electric vehicles and energy storage systems. These advanced BESS systems will cater to large grid-scale stationary storage projects and Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

Shri. Jayesh Ranjan Inagurating cygni energy gigafactory at Maheswaram

Venkat Rajaraman- ​Founder & CEO​, Cygni Energy at the new Gigafactory

Mr. Venkat Rajaram, Cygni Energy, Founder & CEO, along with Vipin and Gautam

Shri. Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary to Government of Telangana, and CEO Industry & Investment Cell in CMO, unveiled the first phase in the presence of Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Chairman, IIIT-Hyderabad, Mr. Srini Raju, Founder, iLabs Group, alongside many industrialists and the leadership team of Cygni on Wednesday.

In his address Shri. Jayesh Ranjan commended Cygni for completing its first milestone and setting up the BESS Gigafactory. “The inauguration of Cygni's battery manufacturing gigafactory in Telangana marks a transformative step toward sustainable energy, manufacturing excellence, and innovation. This facility not only strengthens India’s commitment to clean energy but also creates jobs, fosters local talent, and builds a robust ecosystem for the future of energy storage solutions”.

Venkat Rajaraman, Founder and CEO of Cygni said, “This Gigafactory positions us to lead in the energy storage sector, delivering high-quality, safe battery packs across multiple applications. Cygni's Automated BESS Assembly Line is engineered for advanced, high-quality BESS module manufacturing, leveraging globally recognized best practices such as Poka-Yoke-enabled stations and end-to-end traceability. We plan to grow exponentially in energy storage over the next few years in India and internationally”.

“In Phase II, we are scaling our Gigafactory’s capacity to 10.8 GWh in the existing facility itself. With a total investment of Rs. 250 Cr across 2 phases, this will result in direct and indirect job creation of over 1,000 jobs in the next 24 months. As part of this expansion, we will be adding three additional automated 2 GWh cell-to-pack manufacturing lines and container integration facilities to our existing lines, to meet the rising demand for stationary and e-mobility storage applications.” Rajaraman added.

Going forward, Cygni will provide advanced high-capacity energy storage solutions featuring modular, scalable designs and integrated with Machine Learning for predictive analysis, Digital Twin technology for real-time monitoring, high-performance energy management systems, seamless smart grid-code integration, and precision-engineered manufacturing. It also leverages research on futuristic technologies and battery chemistries through its long-term partnership with IIT-Madras, such as Cell-to-Pack (CTP) and Cell-to-Chassis (CTC) Design Architectures, sodium-ion batteries, and super-capacitors.

Cygni has manufactured and delivered 500 MWh of batteries for the power and energy segment. Currently, it has a pipeline of 1 GWh in orders for BESS projects and EV battery packs, backed by a nationwide service network and an experienced project commissioning team.

This production line is capable of manufacturing 105kWh liquid cooled base modules using advanced 314Ah cells, serving as the fundamental building blocks for nearly all energy storage containers worldwide. The Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Software in this BESS manufacturing line ensures seamless production monitoring, real-time data analytics, quality control, and enhanced traceability, driving operational efficiency and product reliability.

Ongoing R&D at the Gigafactory will include development of innovative energy storage solutions with Sodium-ion chemistry, thermal management strategies to improve safety, and advanced Energy Management System (EMS) algorithms to cater to evolving grid-code and design of India specific energy storage solutions.

About Cygni Energy

Cygni, headquartered in Hyderabad, India, is a New Age, chemistry agnostic, Energy Storage engineering and manufacturing company. Established in 2014, it has the distinction of becoming the first company recognized under the “Make in India” (Start-up India) initiative. Cygni’s Founder is also a Recognized Mentor under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).

Cygni is IATF 16949 certified (one of the highest levels of quality certification in the automotive sector). It also has ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications and AIS 156 certifications for its automotive products.

The company boasts a robust portfolio of corporate and government customers. To know more about its offerings visit – https://cygni.com/

Hyderabad based Solar Startup Cygni Energy Raises $6.4 Mn in Funding led by Endiya Partners

Hyderabad based Cygni Energy Private Limited; an innovative Solar-DC solutions startup announced that it has raised funds of $ 6.4 Million through a combination of Equity and Debt. The equity funding is led by Endiya Partners, a leading early-stage venture capital firm that invests in product startups and the debt by IndusInd Bank, a leading Private Bank in India. The funds will help the startup in expanding capacity, strengthening R&D capabilities and increasing market reach.

Founded in 2014, by Venkat Rajaraman, Cygni's offers an innovative technology which provides green solar energy and DC power at an affordable price. The startup designs, manufactures, and sells inverter-less solar power backup DC technology solutions which removes the requirement of AC to DC and DC to AC conversions which helps in reducing the cost of production of per unit watt power.

This technology was developed by Cygni in collaboration with IIT Madras. Cygni has brought electricity to over 20000 homes across India and is building first DC Microgrid city in Sasaram, Bihar.

[caption id="attachment_125682" align="alignleft" width="255"] Venkat Rajaraman, CEO, Cygni Energy[/caption]

Cygni manufactures one of the most efficient solar controllers and had raised an initial funding in 2014. It was the first company to be recognized under Startup India program. The company is also boosting its leadership team and has roped in Mr. Paramjit Singh as Chief Operating Officer, who was earlier serving as Circle Chief Technology Officer with Airtel. The startup has received a grant from Millennium Alliance (FICCI in partnership with USAID, TDB, and World Bank) for developing Solar-DC microgrid systems. The company posted annual revenues of $ 7.8 Million for the financial year 2018 and is looking at a buoyant growth of 300-400% in the next fiscal.

Cygni’s mission is to “Power a Billion Dreams” by venturing into new solar solutions based on Technology and Innovation. The company focuses on creating more efficient power and brighter future by providing green solar energy and DC power at a reasonable cost advantage. Today, Cygni has deployed its products in more than 20,000 homes changing the lives of over 100,000 people across India. It provides various Solar DC and microgrid solutions which are energy efficient and reliable offering for today’s power needs.

Related - Cygni Energy is First To Benefit From ‘Start-Up India’ Initiative

Speaking on the announcement, Venkat Rajaraman, CEO, Cygni Energy said, “This round of funding will help us strengthen our product offering& enhance customer experience. It will enable us to achieve our mission of building great products that will facilitate rural development and electrification in our country and other parts of the world. We are excited to welcome Endiya Partners as a new Investor and mentor. Their investment not only validates our belief in the technology but also gives us the push to accelerate and achieve our dreams.”

Commenting on the development, Sateesh Andra ofEndiya Partners said, “Renewable and clean energy is the better solution to handle the power demand in our country. We see Cygni take a unique position to revolutionize the way energy is stored and consumed by using technology to provide affordable clean energy to consumers. The company’s rapid growth demonstrates the strong demand for easy, affordable access to renewable energy in our country. We are pleased to lead the investment round with Cygni and partner with them on their growth journey.”

Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Professor at IITM said “IITM has worked closely with Cygni to develop the Inverterless technology. This product was built ground up with high efficiency and affordability in mind. We are confident that this product will play a pivotal role in eliminating energy poverty and provide an efficient solution for developing economies.”

About Endiya Partners, it is an early-stage venture capital fund that invests in IP led product startups that are globally relevant. Endiya’s portfolio consists of disruptive and category-defining companies across the Technology, Healthcare, and Tech-enabled Consumer sectors. Leveraging deep domain expertise along with vast entrepreneurial and operating experience, the Endiya team plays a key role in co-creating scalable businesses while bridging a funding gap between Angel and Series A investments in the venture capital spectrum of India.

Top Featured Image - Facebook.com/Cygni

Hyderabad Startup Cygni Energy is First To Benefit From 'Start-Up India' Initiative

Narendra Modi and his government have been quite vocal about their support and the potential they see in India's startup industry. This is the reason that the government unveiled its ambitious Start-up India Action Plan in January this year so as to give that desired push to the Indian entrepreneurs and startups.

While many programs and initiatives are launched by the government, it is seldom that we, the public, get to know who were the beneficiaries and to what extent they befitted from the initiative. But, finally, in the case of the Start-up India Action Plan, that's not the case. Cygni Energy, a Hyderabad-based renewable energy has made the cut and emerged as the first startup that will avail the benefits offered by the Modi's government Start-up India Action Plan.

Founded in the year 2015, the startup is currently in the midst of filling a patent under the fast-track mode for its inverter-less solar energy technology invention.

According to information available, about 30 applications were filtered in May from a grand total of 200 applications for consideration by the inter-ministerial board for tax and intellectual property rights related benefits. After a long selection process, Cygni was the one that was able to meet all the required criteria of the board and was selected as the beneficiary.

Venkat Rajaraman, a Stanford graduate, is the brains behind Cygni. It was at IIT, Madras that Rajaraman conceived the idea for the startup. Prior to starting Cygnj, he has worked at Sun Microsystems, US and Portal Player, the company credited with developing the iPod's chip. After having a successful abroad stint, he came back to India in the year 2007 and started working at Su-Kam Power Systems.

According to Rajaraman, Cygni's inverter-less solar power backup will deliver 40 percent savings in energy. While currently the product is catering to the Indian market, it has still managed to create waves in the international market as well. The startup plans to expand its market to North Africa and Southeast Asia by the end of this year.

Answering questions on what differentiates his startup from others, Rajaraman believes that it his company's intellectual property that gives it an upper hand over others.

The startup recently received a private equity investment from Sasken worth Rs. 10 crore . The company plans to utilize the funds in expanding its manufacturing capacity from 36,000 units a year to 1 lakh units by 2016.