# Jin Lim

> Jin-Myoung Lim is the co-founder, CEO, and CTO of ACT-ion Battery Technologies, a Dallas-based deep-tech startup reinventing how cathode active materials (CAM) are made for lithium-ion batteries. A PhD mechanical engineer from Seoul National University with 2,272+ research citations and an h-index of 27, Lim spun ACT-ion out of Hunt Energy Enterprises in 2019 with a bold thesis: that the biggest bottleneck in the battery supply chain isn't the chemistry - it's the manufacturing process. His Hydro4Crystal platform produces coated single-crystal CAMs continuously, with lower energy, cost, and emissions than any incumbent method, and it works across chemistries from LFP to NMC. In 2024, the technology won an R&D 100 Award. By late 2025, ACT-ion had raised $11.5 million from BASF Venture Capital, LG Technology Ventures, Mirae Asset Capital, and Korean institutional investors, and was breaking ground on a pilot plant in Carrollton, Texas.

- **Role:** CEO, CTO, and Board Director at ACT-ion Battery Technologies
- **Organizations:** ACT-ion Battery Technologies, Hunt Energy Enterprises, Seoul National University, Quantic School of Business and Technology, Argonne National Laboratory (collaborator)
- **Nationality:** South Korean-American
- **Education:** PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, MBA, Quantic School of Business and Technology
- **Known for:** Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award, Seoul National University, 2024 R&D 100 Award for Hydro4Crystal single crystal cathode manufacturing process, 2,272+ research citations with h-index of 27 (Google Scholar)

## Career timeline

- **2011** — Began PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Seoul National University
- **2017** — Completed PhD with Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award; began publishing research in battery materials, accumulating 2,272+ citations
- **2019** — Co-founded ACT-ion Battery Technologies as a spinout from Hunt Energy Enterprises in Dallas, Texas; took on role of CTO and CEO
- **2021** — Began MBA at Quantic School of Business and Technology
- **2022** — Completed MBA
- **2024** — ACT-ion's Hydro4Crystal process selected as a 2024 R&D 100 Award winner by R&D World Magazine
- **2025-02** — ACT-ion closed $7.5M Pre-Series A round led by BASF Venture Capital; appointed Anthony Thurston (former Tesla Cathode Gigafactory lead) as COO
- **2025-02** — ACT-ion and Argonne National Laboratory selected for DOE grant negotiations for domestic sodium-ion battery material production
- **2025-09** — ACT-ion closed $4M Pre-Series A extension led by Kyobo Life Insurance Group and KB Investment, bringing total round to $11.5M
- **2025-09** — ACT-ion announced Carrollton, Texas pilot plant at 1200 Tappan Circle to scale cathode active materials manufacturing

## Achievements

- Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award, Seoul National University
- 2024 R&D 100 Award for Hydro4Crystal single crystal cathode manufacturing process
- 2,272+ research citations with h-index of 27 (Google Scholar)
- Raised $11.5 million in Pre-Series A funding from BASF Venture Capital, LG Technology Ventures, Hunt Energy Enterprises, Mirae Asset Capital, Arosa Capital Management, Kyobo Life Insurance Group, and KB Investment
- DOE grant selection with Argonne National Laboratory for domestic battery material production
- Recruited Anthony Thurston (former Tesla Cathode Gigafactory global lead) as COO
- Established Carrollton, Texas pilot plant with DOE AMMTO and VTO support

## Latest updates

- **2025-09** — ACT-ion closed $4M Pre-Series A extension with Kyobo Life Insurance Group and KB Investment, bringing total raised to $11.5M
- **2025-09** — ACT-ion announced pilot plant in Carrollton, Texas (1200 Tappan Circle) to scale CAM production, backed by DOE AMMTO and VTO
- **2025-02** — ACT-ion closed $7.5M Pre-Series A led by BASF Venture Capital with LG Technology Ventures, Mirae Asset Capital, Arosa Capital Management, and Hunt Energy Enterprises
- **2025-02** — ACT-ion and Argonne National Laboratory selected for DOE grant negotiations for sodium-ion battery material using domestic petroleum coke feedstocks

## Links

- Website: https://act-ion.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jin-myoung-lim-356b85168/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jin-lim
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Last updated: 2026-06-30