Ascend Elements Files For Chapter 11 After Raising $900 Million

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

April 13, 2026

Ascend Elements Faces Financial Crossroads

Ascend Elements filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States after raising nearly $900 million in funding, CEO Linh Austin said in April 2026. The company cited financial constraints following reduced EV demand and the loss of federal funding.

Market Pressures In The Electric Vehicle Sector

The filing comes as demand in the U.S. electric vehicle market slows following a surge in sales ahead of expiring tax credits in September 2025. Growth weakened in subsequent months, reducing momentum across the EV supply chain.

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Additional pressure came from the cancellation of a $316 million federal grant for a Kentucky facility. Although $204 million had already been disbursed, the loss of remaining funds forced the company to seek alternative financing.

Operational Hurdles And Industry Competition

Ascend Elements has been developing a process to extract critical minerals from end-of-life batteries and manufacturing scrap. The approach focuses on converting shredded materials into precursor inputs for new cathodes.

Plans to build a 1 million-square-foot facility in Kentucky faced delays linked to legal disputes and construction challenges, according to local reports. These setbacks increased capital requirements during a period of tightening funding conditions.

Shifting Strategies In A Competitive Landscape

Challenges at Ascend Elements reflect broader adjustments across the EV and battery recycling sector as automakers slow production expansion. Volkswagen halted ID.4 production in Chattanooga while reassessing output strategy.

Other companies have shifted toward near-term revenue streams. Redwood Materials, for example, is deploying mixed battery packs into grid-scale storage systems to capture demand in the stationary energy storage market.

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Google Sets New Android App Rules To Cut Memory Use

by News Editor

August 28, 2026

Google is introducing new quality requirements for Android apps as developers face tighter constraints on device memory and broader hardware supply pressures.

The company announced two new requirements this week. One focuses on reducing apps’ memory use and improving code efficiency, while the other requires apps to restore users’ sign-in status when they move to a new Android device.

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Google Sets New Memory Performance Rules

Google said the mobile industry is facing “significant hardware supply constraints that are altering device memory availability,” which could affect app performance and the user experience.

Under the new rules, developers will need to meet thresholds covering areas including dynamic memory and bitmap usage. Additional code optimisation requirements are designed to reduce slowdowns and crashes linked to excessive resource use.

Google is also rolling out tools that alert developers when their apps exceed the new limits. More diagnostic features are planned later this year, including deeper analysis through Android’s Memory Limiter, which restricts excessive memory use.

Developers have until February 2027 to comply with the new standards, according to Google’s Android Developer documentation.

Zero-Tap Sign-In Requirement Starts In 2027

A separate requirement will apply to all apps distributed through Google Play. By April 2027, apps that use optional or mandatory sign-ins must automatically restore a user’s sign-in state when they move between Android devices.

The feature will rely on Android’s Restore Credentials API, which is designed to transfer sign-in credentials during device migration without requiring users to log in again.

Google said the new standards are intended to help developers maintain app performance and simplify device transitions as device specifications and memory availability change.

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