Petalite
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
Petalite was a Birmingham, UK power-electronics startup founded in 2014 by Leigh Purnell, an Aston University graduate. It began with the Petalite Flux — a pocket-size external phone battery that could recharge to 100% (2,600mAh) in just 15 minutes, launched on Indiegogo. The company later pivoted to electric vehicles, developing a patented SDC power-converter technology for EV chargers and DC-DC converters, plus grid-connected power conversion equipment. It won multiple engineering awards (including Collaborate 2 Innovate 2023) and raised about $12 million.
02 / Petalite FAILURE REASONS
Failure reasons
Petalite entered administration (the UK insolvency procedure) in 2025. The collapse followed a boardroom shakeup: director Jonathan Groocock resigned in October 2024, Charles Jillings was appointed in November 2024, and founder Leigh Purnell resigned as a director on January 10, 2025. Companies House now lists PETALITE LIMITED as 'In Administration'. No public statement has detailed the reasons for the failure.
03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Company founded
Leigh Purnell founds Petalite in Birmingham; the Petalite Flux fast-charging external battery is announced and crowdfunded.
- EV pivot
Petalite shifts to electric vehicles, developing its patented SDC power-converter technology for EV chargers and DC-DC converters, and begins working on eVTOL charging infrastructure.
- Boardroom changes
Director Jonathan Groocock resigns in October 2024; Charles David Owen Jillings is appointed as a director in November 2024.
- Administration
Founder Leigh Purnell resigns as a director on January 10, 2025; Companies House lists PETALITE LIMITED as 'In Administration'.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN
How the factors connect
- 01
Petalite raised about $12 million and pivoted from consumer batteries to EV power electronics.
- 02
Directors departed and were replaced through late 2024.
- 03
Founder Leigh Purnell resigned as a director on January 10, 2025.
- 04
Companies House now lists PETALITE LIMITED as 'In Administration'; the company has not published a statement on the reasons.