Tesla has opened applications for a new program inviting startups to test battery manufacturing technologies at Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg. The JUNI x Tesla Battery Cell Giga Challenge targets solutions in materials, equipment, operations, automation, and artificial intelligence. Selected participants may receive paid pilot projects with the company's 4680 cell team.
The initiative coincides with a $250 million investment announced on May 12, 2026, by plant manager André Thierig to expand annual 4680 cell production capacity from 8 GWh to 18 GWh. Thierig stated the expansion "will enable 18 GWh of annual 4680 cell production and create more than 1,500 new jobs."
Applications close on July 24, 2026. Tesla requires applicants to show working prototypes, test data, or prior pilots rather than early-stage concepts. The program is managed by the cell manufacturing team at the Grunheide site.
Tesla first outlined plans for large-scale battery cell production at the site in 2020 but shifted focus elsewhere in 2022. The current revival brings total committed battery investment at the location above $1 billion. The challenge seeks external technology to help reach the new production target.
