chemicals
(5)
Arduro
Arduro is a Pennsylvania-based recovered materials company that uses a patented, low-temperature chemical devulcanization process to reclaim high-quality carbon black, rubber and silica from end-of-life tires and industrial rubber waste. Its process breaks the sulfur cross-links in vulcanized rubber without cutting the carbon-carbon polymer backbone, letting manufacturers replace virgin raw materials with recovered ones at comparable performance and lower carbon footprint. Its first commercial product, ELDARIX r1000 recovered carbon black, is PAH-compliant and 6PPD-free.
Fluid Efficiency
Fluid Efficiency is a Caltech spin-out that builds MegaSupraMolecules (MSMs), self-assembling polymers that change how fluids move. Its flagship product is a removable drag-reducing agent for natural gas liquids (NGL) pipelines - a fluid class where conventional drag reducers can't be used because leftover polymer fouls downstream fractionation equipment. By letting the additive be removed before sensitive processing, Fluid Efficiency helps midstream operators push more volume through existing pipelines without building new ones. The same polymer platform also reduces fuel misting (and the explosion risk that comes with it), improves lubricant viscosity, and aids long-distance pumping of crude and refined products.
Molten Industries
Molten Industries is an Oakland, California climate-hardware startup that uses methane pyrolysis to crack natural gas into clean hydrogen and high-value synthetic graphite, with no carbon dioxide emitted in the process. Founded in 2021 by Dr. Caleb Boyd and Dr. Kevin Bush, the company aims to onshore battery supply chains and decarbonize heavy industry by producing battery-grade graphite for lithium-ion cells and low-cost clean hydrogen for fuels, ammonia, plastics, and green steel. It raised a $25M Series A in June 2024 led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures to build its first modular commercial reactor.
Quantum Boost
Quantum Boost is a London-based deep-tech startup building an AI formulation assistant for the chemicals and materials industry. Its platform uses Bayesian optimization and machine learning to help R&D scientists design smarter experiments, cut the number of lab trials needed to hit a target, and surface insights from existing experimental data. The company claims its approach reaches formulation targets roughly 2-5x faster than traditional Design of Experiments (DoE), and serves teams working on inks, paints and coatings, pharmaceuticals, and specialty chemicals.
Knowde
Knowde is a B2B digital marketplace and AI-powered master data platform for the chemicals, polymers and ingredients industry. It helps chemical suppliers and distributors digitize fragmented product data, launch storefronts, and reach the researchers, formulators, and procurement buyers who need their materials.