- Insolvency of major customer Lilium has significant impact
- Business operations to continue / Employee salaries secured through June 2025
- Investor process to be relaunched
Kiel / Itzehoe / Tübingen, April 30, 2025 – German battery pioneer CustomCells has filed for insolvency proceedings for the group’s key operating entities located in Itzehoe and Tübingen. The competent court in Kiel has appointed attorney Dr. Malte Köster, a partner at the law firm WILLMERKÖSTER, as the preliminary insolvency administrator of the operating companies. WILLMERKÖSTER is one of the leading insolvency law firms in Germany. The holding company of the CustomCells Group is not affected by the insolvency filing at this time.
The financial difficulties at CustomCells stem primarily from the insolvency and payment default of its largest customer, aerospace company Lilium. Outstanding receivables in the tens of millions of euros remained unpaid and could no longer be absorbed. Despite promising business developments, no new investors with sufficient capital were secured in time to offset these losses, due in part to the current challenging macroeconomic environment. The strained situation affecting other battery industry players added further pressure. Efforts to avoid insolvency through support from regional, federal, and EU institutions ultimately proved unsuccessful.
Dr. Köster and his team have already begun their work as preliminary insolvency administrators. Employees were informed of the insolvency filing and the next steps in the preliminary proceedings during an all-hands meeting. Business operations at CustomCells will continue for the time being. Employee wages and salaries are secured through June 2025. In parallel with stabilizing ongoing operations, preparations are underway to restart the investor search process.
“This decision was not made lightly,” said Dr. Dirk Abendroth, CEO of CustomCells. “Despite our best efforts, outstanding products, and strong business development, we are forced to take this step due to external factors beyond our control. Our focus is now on maintaining operations as best as possible and creating a viable path forward for the company. We are grateful to our employees, customers, investors, and partners for their trust and support during this challenging time.”
In an initial statement, preliminary insolvency administrator Dr. Malte Köster commented: “CustomCells is a premium battery manufacturer and one of the pioneers in cutting-edge battery cell technology, with a strong focus on research. The environment for startups in Germany is currently difficult, particularly in the battery sector. Ultimately, the developments at Lilium have significantly impacted CustomCells. We are now working to gain a full understanding of the situation and, over the coming days and weeks, will evaluate what restructuring options are available under insolvency protection. At the same time, we will launch a new investor process together with the management team.”
About CustomCells
CustomCells is one of the few European players specializing in high-performance, tailor-made battery cells, and one of the very few battery manufacturers based in Germany. The company recently announced the construction of a state-of-the-art pilot facility for innovative cylindrical cells in Tübingen, as part of a large-scale funding initiative aimed at bridging the gap between research and industrial-scale production.
Just weeks ago, CustomCells’ battery cells underwent independent testing and ranked highly in competitive comparisons.
Founded in 2012 as a spin-off of the German Fraunhofer Society, CustomCells established sites in Itzehoe and Tübingen, where more than 200 dedicated professionals are currently employed. The company supports customers throughout the entire value chain – from initial concept development to the delivery of cells for serial production. CustomCells develops and industrializes customized premium battery technology and contributes to the global energy transition with innovation and comprehensive battery expertise – for a better future.
