Ara Partners ("Ara"), a private equity firm that specializes in industrial decarbonization investments, today announced that is has partnered with Blue Whale Materials ("BWM") to build a leading lithium-ion battery ("LIB") recycling platform. Together, Ara and the BWM management team will build at least five LIB recycling plants across the US and Europe to address the growing demand for the critical materials required to support electrification and decarbonization. BWM's proprietary technology recycles LIBs to recover cobalt, nickel, manganese, lithium, and other valuable elements that can be reused to manufacture lithium-ion batteries or in other applications. The proliferation of electric vehicles and electrification is driving increased demand for LIBs; however, supply is constrained as most metals needed for LIBs are mined and processed in countries that present geopolitical, environmental, and ethical challenges.