Sustainable Electrolytes for a Sustainable Future
Ecolyte, a women-led start-up from Azerbaijan, has developed a non-flammable electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles.
The electrolyte is non-toxic and exists in a gel state, preventing leakage by design. It combines high energy density with excellent heat tolerance while delivering high performance at a lower cost. The company achieves this by relying on proven, scalable manufacturing methods that can be integrated into existing battery production processes. By reducing the use of hazardous materials and supporting greener battery production, the start-up seeks to improve both environmental sustainability and human safety while contributing to wider access to electric vehicle technology.
For these reasons, the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3) has chosen Ecolyte as one of the finalists of the ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2026 and the ISC3 Start-up of the Month in August 2026.
The company's electrolyte is based on a 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, including characteristics such as extreme heat tolerance, fast ion transport, and cost-effectiveness.
The whole success story of the ISC3 Start-up of the Month in August 2026 is currently told by ISC3 on its website at Ecolyte (isc3.org).
Three questions for Laman Mehtiyeva (founder and CEO of Ecolyte):
What led to your solution in Sustainable Chemistry?
Laman Mehtiyeva: The idea developed through a combination of academic research and a personal drive to solve a real-world problem. Studying electrochemistry and materials science gave us the technical foundation, while following EV battery fire incidents in the news gave us urgency. We mapped the problem back to its chemical root, the flammable organic solvent, and began exploring more sustainable alternatives, which led us to deep eutectic solvents.
What does being chosen as ISC3 Start-up of the Month mean to you?
L. Mehtiyeva: It is a meaningful recognition of our vision and the work we have invested in developing Ecolyte. It reinforces our belief that innovative and Sustainable Chemistry solutions can emerge from anywhere, including Azerbaijan, and that impactful ideas are not limited by geography. We hope it will increase the visibility of our work, open new opportunities for collaboration, and help accelerate our journey toward bringing safer, more sustainable battery technologies to the market.”
What’s next up at Ecolyte?
L. Mehtiyeva: Over the next 12–18 months, we aim to complete proof-of-concept validation and secure pre-seed funding to establish a dedicated laboratory. Medium-term, our goal is to partner with an EV battery manufacturer for pilot integration. Long-term, we envision Ecolyte's electrolyte as a platform technology applicable beyond EVs, to grid storage and consumer electronics.
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