EVera Recruitment Information Pack for Illumion

About Illumion

Illumion is a Cambridge battery analytics company, founded in 2022 by CEO Dr Christoph Schnedermann and Head of R&D Dr Alice Merryweather, building on research from co-founders Professor Dame Clare Grey and Professor Akshay Rao at the University of Cambridge.

The company has developed Charge Photometry, a patented optical imaging technique that reveals what's happening inside a battery, at the level of individual particles, in real time.

Technology & USP

Charge Photometry uses light, not electron beams or X-rays, to track the local state of charge and morphology of individual particles across an electrode as it cycles, without damaging the sample.

Their illumionONE system is built for materials scientists working on anode and cathode development, electrode optimisation, degradation, fast charging and capacity fade.

Battery material development methods haven't fundamentally changed in fifty years, and taking a new material to commercial product can take a decade. Charge Photometry is built to shorten that cycle.

Momentum

• 2022: spun out from the University of Cambridge, founded by Dr Christoph Schnedermann and Dr Alice Merryweather.
• Nov 2024: closed a £2.1m seed round led by Foresight Group's Ventures team, with Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, Parkwalk Advisers and Cambridge Angels.
• Nov 2024: Dr Ian Barkshire, former CEO of Oxford Instruments, joined as non-executive Chairperson.
• Early 2025: first illumionONE system installed at the Helmholtz Institute Münster, Germany.
• 2025: awarded Faraday Battery Challenge round 6 funding, partnering with the University of Birmingham to apply Charge Photometry to battery recycling.

Culture & Working Environment

Smart, motivated people in a deep-tech environment. Open and collaborative, and actively encouraging others to share ideas.

Vision & Values

1. Innovate Boldly - Embrace curiosity and creativity to challenge conventional thinking. Develop ground-breaking, sustainable solutions that are both visionary and practical, turning ideas into reality.
2. Collaborate Openly - Foster transparent, honest teamwork where sharing knowledge and active listening ensure every perspective is valued, driving collective success.
3. Cultivate Originality - Celebrate and empower the diverse brilliance of individuals. Create an environment where unique talents thrive, fueling innovation and growth.
4. Deliver Excellence - Take pride in everything we build. Commit to crafting high-quality, sustainable products that balance bold innovation with real-world impact for us and our customers

Location

Illumion is located in Cambridge, a historic and picturesque university city in eastern England, famous for its world-class academic institutions, stunning architecture, and punting along the River Cam. Beyond the areas rich heritage, it serves as a modern global hub for science and biotechnology, heavily driven by the university's cutting-edge research.

Illumion's address: Maxwell Centre, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE

Why Join Illumion

Illumion is a well-funded, academically backed, deep-tech company with patented science solving a real bottleneck in battery R&D. Joining now as the company moves from "start-up" to "scale-up" is an exciting time to help shape what comes next.

Employee Benefits

• Pension – employer contribution 5% 
• Potential for an award-winning company options scheme 
• 25 days + BH 
• Statutory sick pay