Draslovka a.s., the Prague‑based chemicals and battery‑materials group, has agreed to acquire the intellectual‑property portfolio for Prussian‑Blue Analogue (PBA) and Prussian‑White Analogue (PWA) sodium‑ion battery technology originally developed by US startup Natron Energy, the company announced in a Business Wire release dated 29 October 2026. The deal covers patents, trademarks and manufacturing know‑how across active‑material synthesis, electrodes, electrolyte, cell design and systems.
Deal details and technology
Draslovka said the IP will be held by its US subsidiary Covoro Mining Solutions LLC and that the acquisition was cleared by the US Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) as a condition to closing. The Business Wire release states the IP protection extends into the mid‑2040s and covers materials and cell‑level know‑how that Draslovka plans to pair with existing cathode production at Kolín in the Czech Republic.
Pavel Brůžek, Draslovka’s CEO, described the transaction as filling “the missing piece of the Western battery value chain” by putting materials IP under Draslovka Group control, and said the company has already solved scale‑up of active material at Kolín. The announcement highlights partnerships with Swedish developer Altris and mentions commercial links to customers such as Clarios for low‑voltage systems.
Regional coverage and industry reaction
The acquisition was picked up by specialist CEE battery newsletter CellsDesk in its 6 November 2026 CEE Battery Brief and by other industry outlets, which flagged the move as completing a Western‑anchored sodium‑ion stack with production located in the Czech Republic. CellsDesk noted the story in its weekly briefing on 6 November.
What this means for the market
For Central and Eastern Europe the deal is notable because it combines chemistry, IP and an existing industrial footprint in Czechia — Kolín is cited as hosting Europe’s first industrial‑scale Prussian‑White analogue line in the announcement — creating a route to make sodium‑ion cathode materials and then license or co‑locate cell manufacturing in Europe. That could accelerate availability of lithium‑free battery options for grid storage, industrial fleets, telecom backup, rail and some vehicle applications where safety and cycle life matter more than maximum energy density.
Draslovka and partners say the PBA/PWA family is compatible with existing cell‑line equipment and avoids reliance on lithium, cobalt or nickel, making it attractive for buyers seeking Western‑sourced supply chains and for applications with high cycle‑life or safety priorities. The Business Wire statement singled out data‑centres, AI infrastructure, industrial fleets and rail as early target markets.
For automakers and suppliers in the CEE region the immediate implication is not a replacement for high‑energy lithium‑ion traction packs used in mainstream passenger BEVs, but a potential near‑term source of lower‑cost, robust battery systems for commercial and industrial vehicles (light commercial vehicles, buses, utility fleets) and for stationary energy storage supporting charging infrastructure and plant electrification.
Draslovka’s move also strengthens Czechia’s position in battery materials: by combining IP ownership with an operational materials line at Kolín and partnerships with Altris and others, the group positions itself as a European supplier of sodium‑ion cathodes and licensing partner for cell makers that may want a Western‑anchored sodium‑ion route to market.
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Sources: Draslovka (Business Wire), CellsDesk, Europreneurs
