A burning concern ignites innovation
Ecolyte was founded in 2025 by two young women in Azerbaijan: Laman Mehtiyeva, a chemical engineering student, and Aytaj Suleymanzada, who was studying automation engineering at the time. The start-up emerged from the founders' academic research into next-generation battery materials, driven by a shared concern over the safety and sustainability challenges facing today's electric vehicle industry.
Their motivation grew from repeatedly seeing reports of lithium-ion battery fires in consumer electronics and electric vehicles. As they investigated the root causes of these incidents, they identified the electrolyte as one of the most critical safety challenges in current battery technology. The idea of replacing the flammable liquid electrolyte with an inherently safe alternative – while maintaining competitive ionic conductivity – became the question they were determined to answer.
Today, Ecolyte's core team consists of Laman Mehtiyeva (CEO), leading chemistry and materials development, and Aytaj Suleymanzada (CTO), overseeing battery integration research, data analysis, and the company's business strategy. They are joined by Elmar Asgarzada (COO), responsible for operations, resource planning, and coordination, and Aysel Mammadova (Head of R&D), who leads the company's research efforts.
Like many early-stage start-ups, Ecolyte has faced its share of challenges. One of the biggest was access to laboratory facilities and research resources. As student founders in Azerbaijan, they initially relied on their university laboratory, which lacked some of the equipment and materials required for advanced electrolyte development and electrochemical testing. To overcome these limitations, the team focused on building partnerships and applying for funding opportunities. After securing a grant, they were able to purchase essential materials and continue their experimental work more effectively.
According to Ecolyte, the experience taught the team to be resourceful, prioritise research goals, and make steady progress despite limited resources.
"The experience also strengthened our resilience and reinforced our belief that innovative deep-tech solutions can emerge even from resource-constrained environments"
, explains Laman.The company's name reflects its mission. "Ecolyte" combines "Eco"− representing its commitment to Sustainable Chemistry − with "lyte," the scientific shorthand for electrolyte. Together, the name captures the company's vision: developing a more ecological electrolyte for the next generation of batteries.
A fireproof solution to a flammable problem
In recent years, the number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries has increased significantly. In the UK alone, 1,330 lithium-ion battery fires were recorded in 2024. Where are these types of batteries used? On the streets, on your desk, in your pocket. From electric vehicles and laptops to smartphones and other everyday electronics, these batteries power countless devices. Despite their high energy density, long life cycle, and fast charging capability, lithium-ion batteries carry an inherent risk: thermal runaway.
This phenomenon occurs when a battery cell short-circuits, for example due to overcharging or physical damage. The resulting chain reaction causes the cell to heat uncontrollably, potentially leading to fire or even an explosion. In applications such as electric vehicles, where hundreds or even thousands of cells are packed closely together, a single failing cell can quickly spread heat throughout the battery pack. Adding to the risk, conventional liquid electrolytes are highly flammable, and the gases released during battery fires are toxic and pose serious risks to both human health and the environment.
Ecolyte aims to address this challenge by developing a non-flammable, non-toxic gel polymer electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles.
"We mapped the problem back to its chemical root - the flammable organic solvent - and began exploring green alternatives"
, explains Aytaj.The company's electrolyte is based on a glycerol/choline chloride deep eutectic solvent (DES), crosslinked with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and enhanced with a lithium salt to provide ionic conductivity. The DES consists of food-grade components, namely glycerol and choline chloride, which are widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and nutraceutical industries and have well-established safety profiles. This composition eliminates flammability at the material level while avoiding the hazardous organic solvents commonly used in conventional electrolytes. As a gel polymer, the electrolyte is inherently leak-proof, eliminating one of the major failure modes of liquid electrolytes that can result in hazardous chemical exposure.
According to the company, the electrolyte performs at least competitively with conventional battery technologies. It enables fast ion transport and maintains high ionic conductivity across temperatures ranging from -20 °C to +100 °C, ensuring reliable operation under diverse climate conditions. It also remains stable at temperatures above 400 °C, eliminating the risk of fire and thermal runaway. In addition, the technology is designed to deliver high performance at a lower cost, supporting scalable manufacturing.
Ecolyte also expects its technology to reduce the total cost of battery ownership. By improving battery safety, the electrolyte could lower insurance costs, simplify battery management systems, and reduce product recalls. Improved ionic conductivity may also enhance battery performance, supporting broader adoption of electric vehicles. Rather than relying on novel manufacturing techniques, Ecolyte builds on established polymer chemistry, deep eutectic solvent science, and freeze-drying processes already used in the pharmaceutical and food industries. This allows the company to incorporate its technology into proven, scalable industrial manufacturing pathways.
The gel architecture minimizes solvent evaporation, limits electrolyte degradation, and promotes a stable electrode–electrolyte interface, supporting long-term capacity retention. Under normal EV operating conditions, the material is also projected to provide a calendar life exceeding 10 years due to its resistance to leakage, oxidation, and thermal degradation. Long-term performance will be further validated through future full-cell optimization and scale-up. The reversible nature of deep eutectic solvent systems provides a pathway for the electrolyte to be separated, purified, reconditioned, and reformulated for future reuse. Moreover, the electrolyte integrates into existing recycling practices while contributing to safer handling and reduced environmental and occupational risks throughout the end-of-life process.
With this approach, Ecolyte aims to contribute to safer, greener battery technologies while reducing risks to both human health and the environment.
Next up at Ecolyte
Ecolyte's immediate next step is to complete a formal proof of concept and advance towards battery cell integration by testing its gel polymer electrolyte in a working lithium-ion cell. At the same time, the team is actively engaging with the international Sustainable Chemistry community to build strategic partnerships and increase the company's visibility.
Over the next 12 to 18 months, the start-up aims to secure pre-seed funding to establish a dedicated laboratory and accelerate product development. In the medium term, the founders hope to partner with an electric vehicle battery manufacturer to pilot their technology under real-world conditions. Looking further ahead, Ecolyte envisions its gel polymer electrolyte as a platform technology extending beyond electric vehicles. Alongside EV batteries, the company sees potential applications in grid-scale energy storage and consumer electronics.
With their innovative approach, Ecolyte, who joined the ISC3 Global Start-up Service as one of the Innovation Challenge finalists in June 2026, actively contributes to SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG13 (Climate Action).
