The South American nation has been working towards creating the world’s first sustainable lithium economy capable of producing and processing the metal for domestic and international needs, the companies said in the media statement, adding that the partnership between MOBI and EnergyX aims to take the country one step closer to becoming a green energy superpower.
MOBI, founded in 2020, closed the largest ever seed round for a startup in Bolivia at $1.38 million off a $5 million valuation, and has a fleet of electric scooters, bikes, mopeds and e-bikes.
EnergyX is integrated into the lithium industry’s supply chains from brine to battery, and will provide MOBI work on developing a next generation SoLiS battery for MOBI’s fleet.
This partnership, the company said, will see EnergyX’s direct source of lithium and batteries help MOBI fleet and swap stations by creating a domestic brine to battery ecosystem within Bolivia.
EnergyX was founded in Austin, Texas in 2018 and currently has over 50 patents focused on creating more efficient and sustainable lithium extraction processes, as well as lithium batteries for electric vehicles and grid-scale renewable energy storage.
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EnergyX is currently building its Innovation Labs in Austin, Texas, and is scaling up its operations after raising $20 million in funding and deploying their first LiTAS direct lithium extraction plants to Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni.
“Latin America has the capacity to become a global powerhouse in electric micro-mobility, and we believe Bolivia can be the leader of this transition,” MOBI CEO Ariel Revollo said in a news release.
“With domestic lithium supply chains being developed, continued infrastructure improvements and the people’s demand for local sustainable solutions, Bolivia has all the hallmarks of a country on the verge of an economic boom,” he said.
This partnership is one step towards developing the local micro-mobility market and helping create a domestic innovation pipeline that integrates Bolivia’s lithium, manufacturing, and transportation,” EnergyX Director of Bolivia, Mario Gianella said.
“We are working on integrating global lithium supply chains from brine to battery, and this partnership with MOBI reflects this.”
