Sapphire Technologies

What Sapphire Technologies does

Sapphire Technologies is a US-based clean energy equipment company that designs, manufactures, and sells turboexpander-based energy recovery systems for natural gas and hydrogen industrial applications. Spun off from Calnetix Technologies in 2021 and headquartered in Cypress, California, the company commercializes the FreeSpin In-line Turboexpander (FIT), an integrated high-speed turboexpander-generator that converts waste pressure energy from gas pipeline pressure letdown stations into electricity without combustion. The core technology stack includes active magnetic bearings (non-contact, lubrication-free), a high-speed permanent magnet synchronous generator, a variable speed drive for grid matching, and a hermetically sealed flow-through housing designed for in-line retrofit installation. Output range per unit is 125 kW to 405 kW, with modular scalability from kilowatt to megawatt class; a single pipeline regulating station is cited as capable of producing up to 3 MW of electricity and 35 million BTU of cooling capacity.

The company generates revenue primarily through direct enterprise hardware sales of turboexpander systems to midstream natural gas operators, gas utilities, LNG terminals, upstream E&P operators, and data center developers, supplemented by professional engineering and integration services (including via implementation partner Evolve Energy). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customers include Tallgrass Energy (72+ units across its US pipeline network in the largest US midstream sector agreement), Toho Gas and TB Global Technologies (LNG terminal installations in Japan), CNX Resources (upstream E&P), Magellan Scientific (data center), and partnership channels with Honeywell UOP, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and others in India and Nigeria. The company sells directly through an enterprise field sales motion, supported by participation in energy industry conferences and earned media in Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and trade publications.

Sapphire has raised approximately $38 million across three venture rounds (Series A 2021 led by Cooper and Company; Series B 2023 $10M led by Energy Capital Ventures with Marathon Petroleum, Chevron Technology Ventures, Equinor Ventures, and Cooper and Company; Series C 2025 $18M including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries). It operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Calnetix Technologies, which has provided the underlying high-speed machine and magnetic bearing technology since 1998. The company holds UL certification for the FreeSpin system and has received multiple cleantech and innovation awards between 2021 and 2024. Sapphire operates in North America, Japan, India, and Nigeria, and recently entered the distributed data center vertical through a strategic partnership with Anax Power.

Name

Sapphire Technologies

Legal name

Sapphire Technologies

Website

https://sapphiretechnologies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sapphire Technologies designs and manufactures FreeSpin In-line Turboexpanders that convert waste pressure energy from natural gas and hydrogen pipelines into electricity. The company sells modular energy recovery systems to midstream operators, gas utilities, LNG terminals, E&P firms, and data center developers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Recovery Systems

NAICS

Turbine and Turbine Generator Set Units Manufacturing (333611)

SIC

Engines & Turbines (3510)

akta.pro primary industry

Gas Turbines (Industrial & Utility-Scale) (IMAHAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dispatchable Distributed Generation (Gas Reciprocating Engines, Microturbines) (EUACALAI)

Keywords

• Energy recovery systems
• Turboexpander generators
• Waste pressure energy
• Natural gas infrastructure
• Clean power generation

Headquarters

HQ city

Cypress

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Turboexpander Hardware Sales: Sale of FreeSpin In-line Turboexpander systems to energy infrastructure operators. Systems are sold directly to customers for installation at pipeline pressure letdown stations, data centers co-located with gas infrastructure, and industrial facilities. Units range from 125kW to 405kW per system, with modular scalability from kilowatt to megawatt-class installations.
2. Professional Services and Integration: Engineering and integration services for deployment of turboexpander systems, including process control system development and commissioning support. Evolve Energy partnership provides integration services for deployments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sapphire Technologies develops, manufactures, and sells the FreeSpin® In-line Turboexpander (FIT) system, an integrated high-speed turboexpander-generator that converts waste pressure energy from natural gas and hydrogen pipelines into emission-free electricity without combustion. The systems use active magnetic bearings and high-speed permanent magnet generators in hermetically sealed flow-through units that can be installed in parallel with existing pressure reducing valves, with modular scalability from kilowatt to megawatt-class installations.

Product overview

Sapphire Technologies offers a unified product portfolio centered on the FreeSpin® In-line Turboexpander (FIT), an integrated turboexpander-generator system that recovers waste pressure energy from natural gas pipelines and hydrogen applications to generate clean electricity without combustion. The product portfolio includes modular power and cooling solutions scalable from kilowatt- to megawatt-class installations. These systems utilize advanced active magnetic bearings and high-speed permanent magnet generators contained in hermetically sealed flow-through units. The FreeSpin® turboexpanders serve markets including data centers, utilities, and gas infrastructure, helping customers decarbonize while generating new revenue from previously wasted energy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FreeSpin® In-line Turboexpander (FIT): The company's flagship integrated power generation system that converts excess pressure from natural gas and hydrogen pipelines into electricity using a high-speed turboexpander with active magnetic bearings and a permanent magnet generator.

Products and services

• FreeSpin® In-line Turboexpander (FIT) Integrated high-speed turboexpander-generator system with active magnetic bearings and a permanent magnet generator that converts waste pressure energy from natural gas pipelines and hydrogen applications into emission-free electricity without combustion. Hermetically sealed flow-through unit installs in parallel with existing pressure reducing valves; scalable from 125 kW to 405 kW per unit and modular to megawatt-class installations.
• Power and Cooling Module Modular power generation and cooling solution that produces electricity and low-temperature thermal cooling from gas expansion using the FreeSpin turboexpander platform, delivering integrated power and cooling capacity for data centers, utilities, and gas infrastructure deployments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 2,900 MW of wasted pressure energy recoverable in US midstream sector
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Anax PowercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Strategic partnership to deploy integrated power and cooling system for distributed data centers. Anax builds, owns, and operates the project using Sapphire's FreeSpin In-line Turboexpander. First-of-its-kind integration of turboexpander generation with data center infrastructure. Commissioning expected later in 2026.
• Tallgrass EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Partnership for nationwide clean energy project to install over 72 turboexpanders across Tallgrass natural gas pipeline system over 3 years. Largest US installation and single largest supply agreement for turboexpanders in midstream sector. Partnership helps Tallgrass decarbonize pipeline operations.
• Evolve EnergycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 October 2022Partnership to develop turboexpander process control system capable of responding to variable temperatures, pressures, and flow rates of natural gas pipeline network. Evolve provides integration services for Tallgrass and consumes clean power generated by turboexpanders in their data centers.
• TB Global Technologies Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Partnership to install first-of-kind FreeSpin In-line Turboexpanders at LNG terminal in Japan. TB Global provided installation and integration services for the project generating 405 kW combined power.
• Calnetix TechnologiescoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 May 2021Parent company and technology licensor. Sapphire Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Calnetix Technologies. Calnetix provides underlying technologies including high-speed motor generators and magnetic bearings that Sapphire applies in its turboexpander products. Joint presentations at ASME events.
• Honeywell UOPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to revolutionize energy recovery in refineries. Partner spotlight highlighting collaboration for turboexpander deployment in refinery applications.
• Tulip Compression Private LimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to advance clean energy in India through deployment of turboexpander technology for energy recovery applications.
• Horizon ShoresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deploy clean energy solutions for oil and gas sector in Nigeria, expanding into new geographic markets.
• CCYSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to drive energy efficiency in Asia's natural gas sector through turboexpander deployment.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Elliott Group: Established manufacturer of turboexpanders and cryogenic equipment for natural gas processing, LNG, and petrochemical applications. Direct competitor in the same product category, with a much larger installed base and broader service network — Sapphire is competing for the same midstream and LNG customers.
• Atlas Copco Gas and Process: Division of Atlas Copco that manufactures turboexpanders, integrally geared compressors, and related process gas equipment. Direct competitor serving oil & gas, air separation, and petrochemical customers with overlapping product lines.
• MAN Energy Solutions: Global manufacturer of turbochargers, turboexpanders, and large-bore engines serving oil & gas, marine, and power generation. Comparable in serving the midstream/LNG turboexpander market and a potential competitor for pressure-recovery applications.
• Cryostar (Linde Engineering): Provider of cryogenic turboexpanders and pumps for air separation, LNG, and helium liquefaction, now part of Linde Engineering. Direct competitor in the LNG terminal and cryogenic turboexpander segment where Sapphire has deployed in Japan.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Energy: Global energy technology OEM offering gas turbines, compression, and grid solutions. Broadly overlaps with Sapphire's distributed generation and gas infrastructure positioning through its Dresser-Rand heritage, but operates as a much larger diversified portfolio rather than specializing in pressure-recovery turboexpanders.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: Global turbomachinery OEM (gas/steam turbines, compressors) and Sapphire's strategic investor in Series C. Comparable in addressing natural gas and power generation end markets, but at vastly larger scale and as an established incumbent rather than a niche specialist.
• Baker Hughes: Large oilfield services and industrial equipment company with turboexpander, compression, and rotating equipment offerings. Overlaps with Sapphire on gas infrastructure equipment but competes from a much broader portfolio perspective.
• Solar Turbines (Caterpillar): Subsidiary of Caterpillar manufacturing industrial gas turbines for mechanical drive and power generation, including natural gas applications. Overlaps with Sapphire's gas turbine-adjacent equipment portfolio at the distributed generation and gas infrastructure intersection.

Emerging players

• Bloom Energy: Fuel cell-based distributed power generation company serving data centers and industrial customers. Comparable in targeting behind-the-meter and AI data center power needs with clean generation technology — adjacent rather than directly competing on turboexpander hardware.
• Anax Power: Distributed data center power and cooling developer partnering with Sapphire to integrate FreeSpin turboexpanders with modular data center sites. Closely tied commercial partner (not a direct competitor) but a relevant comparable on the integrated-data-center-power-and-cooling thesis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sapphire-technologies1
• Xx.com/SapphireTechno3

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sapphire Technologies