Japanese air conditioning giant Daikin Industries has become a shareholder of Luxembourg-based Ocsial.

The graphene nanotube manufacturer announced the signing of the equity subscription agreement in a press release issued on Tuesday. Under the agreement terms, the firm was valued at $2bn.

The two partners signed a cooperation agreement to develop, produce and commercialise graphene nanotube solutions for next-generation Li-ion batteries and fluoropolymers.

According to our sister publication Paperjam, the HVAC Technology Innovation Center of Daikin Industries invested more than $30m in ten start-ups in recent years. It took 378 shares for $10,586 and injected $4m into the share premium account.

2 Russian capital increases

Paperjam also revealed that there were two other recent capital increases in Ocsial: Russian businessman Pavel Shishkin, who, after a successful career as a volleyball player, started by opening restaurants in Moscow before entering the real estate business with Tactics Group. He bought 1,094 shares and invested €10m in the share premium account. Meanwhile, Russian Renat Fatkhullin, head of MetaQuotes Software, took nearly 5,500 shares, investing €50m.

325 jobs

Ocsial, which is responsible for 97% of the world’s graphene nanotube production, plans to launch the first train of the world's largest graphene nanotube synthesis facility and an applied nanotechnology centre in 2024 in Differdange. The project will create approximately 325 job opportunities and bring annual production capacity from 80 to 100 tonnes.

What is graphene nanotube technology?

Graphene nanotubes, also known as single-walled carbon nanotubes, are one-atom-thick graphene planes wound into tubes, enabling the creation of products with a new set of properties. Ocsial develops graphene nanotube solutions for electrochemical power sources, elastomers, paints and coatings, composites and plastics.

Graphene nanotubes have been recognised as an industry standard in some sectors. For example, 10 of the world's top 10 Li-ion battery manufacturers are developing cells with Ocsial nanotubes for the world's leading automotive manufacturers.