Fresh start after insolvency: CustomCells refocuses its strategy

The new Managing Directors, Benno Leuthner (CEO) and Jan Diekmann (CTO), have officially taken up their roles, as announced by CustomCells. Following the conclusion of its insolvency proceedings earlier this year, the German battery pioneer is making a fresh start ‘with a significantly sharpened strategic focus.’

CustomCells will now focus on bespoke solutions for defence applications and high-performance solutions in motorsport—specifically mentioning Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship (WEC), with its hybrid race cars in the ‘Hypercar’ class. The shift towards the defence sector had already become apparent: when it was revealed this summer that the insolvent company had found an investor, the strategic refocus was already highlighted.

Since its founding in 2012, CustomCells—as the name suggests—has specialised in customised battery cells rather than mass production. Through its unit Cellforce, established as a joint venture with Porsche, the company also developed battery cells for high-performance electric vehicles. However, its largest customer was the air taxi start-up Lilium. With Lilium’s financial collapse, the ‘old’ CustomCells also ran into difficulties.

The ‘new’ CustomCells reaffirms its commitment to delivering tailor-made high-performance cells: “Our strength lies in special solutions. We develop battery cells that precisely match our customers’ operating conditions,” says Chief Product Officer (CPO) Andreas Löhrke. “This remains our core business—only now with a stronger focus, greater speed, and a significantly more robust organisation.”

Demand for such specialised applications is reportedly rising, particularly in the defence sector. CustomCells states that it is one of the few European battery companies already manufacturing to the required military standards and can currently offer a supply chain largely independent of China. “This underscores Europe’s technological sovereignty, which is gaining increasing importance in security-critical industries,” CustomCells said in its announcement.

“We are embarking on this fresh start with clear priorities, a robust investor base, and an agile organisation,” says Benno Leuthner, Managing Director of CustomCells. “Our customers can rely on us to continue developing technologically leading solutions—faster, more focused, and consistently aligned with their individual requirements.”

Source: Information via email