ElectraLith wins prestigious Grand Prix at 2026 World Materials Forum in Paris

ElectraLith’s DLE-R system is the first DLE technology to win this prestigious award. Follows selection as a Top Innovator by the World Economic Forum in 2024.

MELBOURNE, VIC, AUSTRALIA, September 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- ElectraLith, a pioneer in direct lithium extraction (DLE) and refining, today announced that it was awarded the prestigious Grand Prix at the 2026 World Materials Forum (WMF) Start Up Challenge. This major international accolade was announced at the WMF final awards ceremony held on 4 September 2026 at the historic Paris School of Mines.

Selected from a highly competitive global cohort of deep-tech and advanced materials pioneers, ElectraLith secured the top honour for its revolutionary Direct Lithium Extraction and Refining (DLE-R) technology. This marks the first DLE technology to win this prestigious award, cementing ElectraLith’s position as a global leader in sustainable critical minerals innovation.

Chief Executive Officer Charlie McGill accepted the award on behalf of ElectraLith, expressing gratitude to the WMF jury, chaired by Professor Victoire de Margerie. "Winning the WMF Grand Prix is an incredible validation of our team’s hard work and the global potential of our DLE-R technology," said Mr McGill. "It was an honor to represent ElectraLith, Monash University and Australia on this prestigious international stage as we work to build a cleaner, faster and more sustainable future for critical minerals."

Monash University Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) and Senior Vice-President, Professor Robyn Ward AM, said the global accolade highlights the profound impact of the University’s research commercialisation pipeline. “Becoming the first Australian startup to win the WMF Grand Prix in over a decade is an extraordinary achievement that highlights the global impact of Australian innovation," Professor Ward said. "ElectraLith’s success shows how research translated directly from our labs can lead the world in addressing critical global challenges and accelerating the clean energy transition.”

By eliminating reliance on third-party overseas chemical refineries, ElectraLith's modular on-site processing is set to drastically reduce the carbon footprint and capital costs of battery-grade lithium production globally, while also securing domestic supply chains.

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About ElectraLith:
ElectraLith’s DLE-R technology is emerging as the cleanest, most versatile and most cost-efficient method to extract and refine lithium. DLE-R’s proprietary electrochemical process is designed to produce 99.5%+ pure battery-grade lithium hydroxide or carbonate from a range of resources in a single, scalable and modular step that requires no water or chemicals and fully eliminates the need for further refining, often performed overseas.

ElectraLith is backed by Rio Tinto, Chevron Technology Ventures, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Vista Energy, In-Q-Tel (IQT), IP Group, Main Sequence, Fathom Fund, Hostplus, Innovation Victoria and Monash University, and has received considerable funding from the Australian Government.

ElectraLith was designated a Top Innovator by the World Economic Forum in 2024.

Media: media@electralith.com

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