Lithuanian Startup Fivrec Gains Grounds in Battery Recycling

Circular Battery Recycling – A Strategic Response to Raw Material Shortages

Cleantech Lithuania member Fivrec has developed a technology that enables the recycling of used lithium-ion batteries from phones, laptops, and electric vehicles into a high-quality raw material known as “black mass.” This material can be reused for the production of new batteries. Metals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel are limited resources, and their extraction is complex and costly. Europe is facing a growing shortage of these critical materials, especially lithium, as demand rises rapidly with the expansion of electric vehicles and electronics. Fivrec’s technology helps conserve raw materials by reusing existing resources and reducing the need for new mining. Recycling also significantly lowers CO₂ emissions compared to primary raw material extraction. In addition, it has strategic importance by reducing the region’s dependence on imported raw materials.

From a Pilot Line to Commercial Production

Founded in 2023, startup Fivrec is rapidly gaining traction in the market and scaling its operations. “We started in an empty warehouse — everything was done manually, there was no automation, and we built and developed everything in-house,” recalls Kasparas Krasauskas, co-founder and CEO of Fivrec. In just three years, the team has grown from 3 founders to 18 specialists, and 2025 became a breakthrough year for the company. Fivrec’s lithium-ion battery recycling line reached the operational stage, making the company one of the few in Europe actively carrying out full-scale mechanical battery recycling. The company also received an environmental operating license and signed its first major commercial contracts — an important milestone for a young deep-tech startup.

Fivrec’s achievements have also been recognized by Lithuania’s innovation ecosystem. Thanks to the successful implementation of sophisticated technology, the company received several notable awards:

• Winner of the “Startup of the Year” award at the “Kaunas Startup Awards 2025”

• Recipient of the “Tech for Good” award at the “Vilnius TechFusion Awards 2025”

• Winner of “Energy Bootcamp 2025” in Palanga, organized by Rockit

• Selected among the winners of “Startup Fair 2025”

Collaboration with Research Partners

Fivrec is already capable of processing lithium batteries into black mass, as well as separating copper, aluminum, and plastics. This is mechanically challenging because lithium batteries are hazardous, flammable, and can even explode, which means their processing requires highly precise, safe, and technologically advanced solutions. As a result, only a few companies in Europe have mastered this process.

The next important step is the hydrometallurgical purification of black mass into individual critical raw materials (lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese), which are in short supply in Europe and mostly imported. Fivrec is actively working on this stage together with scientific partners.

In Lithuania, Fivrec closely collaborates with Kaunas University of Technology, making active use of its chemistry laboratories to conduct black mass purification experiments. Research partners' network extends beyond Lithuania. Fivrec works with major European research institutes, such as the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany and the Łukasiewicz Research Network in Poland. Fivrec participates in several EU-funded projects such as METIUM and CLOSER.

Together with the Sunrise Tech Park, Fivrec has joined the European Horizon project FINEX, which unites experimentation facilities in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. The project aims to accelerate experimentation for the deployment of clean technology innovations. FINEX helps innovators connect with specialised testing platforms and environments so they can move more rapidly from research to real-world implementation.

“International collaboration allows us to advance technology maturity at a faster pace than would be possible relying only on local infrastructure,” says Kasparas Krasauskas.
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Innovation Ecosystem Support

Recent years have shown the value of a strong innovation ecosystem for a growing deep-tech startup. Thanks to the Cleantech Lithuania cluster, in 2025 Fivrec took part in a mission to Slush in Helsinki, one of the largest startup and technology events in Europe. The mission led to concrete partnerships that are currently being further developed.

The Innovation Agency provided funding for Fivrec’s technology development under the “Green Experiment” program, as well as support in organising trade fair stands and establishing valuable connections. It also enabled participation in the mentorship program and networking events of the U.S. startup accelerator Plug and Play.

“Thanks to these two organisations, we were able to establish ourselves faster in Lithuanian and international markets,” emphasises Kasparas Krasauskas.

Future Vision - Urban Mining Platform

Fivrec is steadily moving toward connecting the battery raw materials value chain — improving its technology, expanding and digitalising production, and building a platform that connects battery users with manufacturers. The company also plans to deepen cooperation with scientific and public sector partners in Lithuania and across Europe, particularly in the field of black mass purification. In the medium term, it aims to scale its pilot line to a processing capacity of 5,000 tons of batteries per year. At this scale, operations would significantly contribute to reducing Europe’s critical raw material shortage and decrease the region’s dependence on imports from third countries. All of this supports Fivrec’s vision of becoming a key urban mining platform in Europe, recovering valuable materials from used batteries and reusing them to make new batteries and other products.

In parallel, the company is developing an internal digital platform designed to make the movement of critical raw materials in Europe more transparent and efficient — from sourcing and procurement to full supply chain traceability.

All of this supports Fivrec’s vision of becoming one of Europe’s key urban mining platforms, enabling valuable materials to be recovered from used batteries and reused in the production of new batteries and other products.