SiTration Raises $11.8M to Revolutionize Critical Material Recovery

SiTration, a materials recovery company dedicated to the mining and metals industries, has announced the successful raising of $11.8 million in seed capital, with funds to be allocated to scaling its innovative solution for the recovery of critical metals and minerals and to deploying pilot systems with commercial partners.

Addressing Critical Material Demand

SiTration was founded as a spinoff from research conducted at MIT, to address the growing demand for critical materials essential for manufacturing technologies pivotal to the clean energy transition. These technologies include electric motors, wind turbines, and batteries. The company’s solution aims to reduce the cost and resource intensity of extracting and recycling materials, supporting the overall push towards a circular economy.

Dr. Brendan Smith, CEO and co-founder of SiTration, highlighted the significant challenge of bolstering the critical materials supply chain, emphasizing that there is a crucial gap between the clean energy technologies needed and the sourcing of the core materials. SiTration hopes to create a cleaner, more equitable, and more profitable critical materials supply chain across various industries with a single technology.

Innovative Membrane Technology

SiTration’s patented porous silicon membrane technology offers chemical-free, energy-efficient extraction and recycling, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and localized pollution from traditional material sourcing. The company’s innovative approach has garnered industry attention, notably through a partnership with Rio Tinto to valorize and remediate mining waste streams. This collaboration is key to catalyzing a green revolution within the mining sector.

Professor Jeffrey Grossman, co-founder of SiTration and professor at MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, pointed out that the key to their membrane technology lies in its durability and selective extraction performance, which is unparalleled among existing solutions. The membrane is produced via a streamlined, scalable, and economical manufacturing process, allowing for its deployment in large-scale industrial applications.

Expanding Sustainability Efforts

Beyond revolutionizing clean energy material sourcing, SiTration is extending its membrane platform to metals refining and lithium-ion battery recycling, further solidifying its commitment to sustainability across a wide range of industries. Jacob Bro, Partner at 2150, the lead company in the financing round, noted the urgent need for breakthrough technology to address the critical metals shortage as the world transitions to a clean, electrified energy system. He expressed confidence in SiTration’s promising technology, and the exceptional team poised to scale it to commercial success in global mining and the emerging battery recycling industry.