Sicona Battery Technologies
Sustainability & Climate
- Media Coverage & PR
- Investor Relations
Third Hemisphere turned Sicona's $45 million ARENA grant into a coordinated national announcement, aligning three government offices so ministerial statements ran on the day. The result was 33 coverage items in three days across the AFR, The Australian, Seven News, trade, and Illawarra local media, with Sicona's spokesperson quoted in every item.
The Challenge
Sicona Battery Technologies is an Australian battery materials company, founded in 2019 and headquartered in Wollongong, that has raised $52 million to commercialise its silicon-carbon anode technology. Its SiCx materials lift battery energy density by over 20 percent and charge over 40 percent faster than conventional graphite. In May 2026 CEO Christiaan Jordaan briefed Third Hemisphere directly: the company needed an agency for a six-month sprint covering a major ARENA grant announcement, a US acquisition, and a Series B raise. Deep-tech stories like Sicona's are hard to tell well: the science is complex, the milestones are interdependent, and government offices sit inside the announcement.
Our Strategy
Third Hemisphere built the ARENA announcement as a coordinated national moment. The agency drafted and managed the release announcing Sicona's $45 million ARENA grant under the Battery Breakthrough Initiative, covering the BlueScope Port Kembla exclusivity agreement, production of up to 230 tonnes of SiCx per year, and up to 36 skilled jobs.
The Execution
The team coordinated across three government offices, including the offices of Minister Chris Bowen and Minister Tim Ayres, and ARENA's own communications team, so ministerial statements ran on announcement day. It secured an AFR exclusive under embargo while landing The Australian the same day, then rolled the story out through broadcast, trade, and regional media.
The Results
The announcement generated 33 tracked coverage items in three days, with Sicona's spokesperson quoted in every one. Tier-one coverage included the AFR exclusive, The Australian, and Seven News broadcast. Trade and sector coverage included Renew Economy, InnovationAus, Startup Daily, Yahoo Finance Australia, AAP, PV Magazine Australia, and Manufacturers' Monthly. Local coverage anchored the jobs story in the Illawarra, including the Illawarra Mercury in print, Wave FM, and the South Coast Register. The campaign was the first milestone in a programme that continues through a US acquisition announcement and a Series B raise.
- 33 tracked coverage items in three days
- $45 million ARENA grant announced nationally
- 3 government offices coordinated
- 100 percent spokesperson quoted in every item