Frontieras North America

What Frontieras North America does

Frontieras North America is a private, pre-revenue energy and environmental technology company commercializing the patented FASForm Solid Carbon Fractionation process, a continuous-feed, zero-combustion thermal cracking and distillation technology that deconstructs coal into multiple high-value output streams without burning the feedstock. The platform produces ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), jet fuel, naphtha, hydrogen, FASCarbon (a clean low-sulfur solid carbon product), sulfuric acid (via licensed Topsoe technology), and ammonium sulfate fertilizer (via the proprietary Witherspoon Method). Patents have been granted in nine countries across five continents covering approximately 85% of global coal-based thermal markets.

The company is currently constructing its first commercial-scale facility in Mason County, West Virginia — a $850 million project on 183 acres of Ohio River riverfront land designed to process 2.7 million tons of coal annually into the full co-product slate, with commissioning targeted for Q1-Q2 2028. Once operational, Frontieras plans to sell output to enterprise buyers across energy/refining, coal-fired utilities (via the FASGEN co-located platform), steel manufacturing, industrial hydrogen, and agricultural fertilizer segments, with a 10-year offtake agreement already covering 100% of planned ULSD and Naphtha production.

Frontieras has raised cumulative capital of approximately $25.7M through prior Reg A+ and Reg CF retail offerings (with a $25M Reg A+ closed in April 2026 at a $2.728B pre-money valuation and expanded to a $75M maximum), secured a $150M Share Subscription Facility from GEM Global Yield (callable upon a successful public listing), and built a 12,000+ shareholder retail investor base. The company is led by co-founders Matthew McKean (CEO) and Joe Witherspoon (CTO), with CFO Jose Lopez leading IPO readiness; it has reserved the 'FASF' NASDAQ ticker and operates from Houston, Texas.

Name

Frontieras North America

Legal name

Frontieras North America

Website

https://www.frontieras.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Frontieras North America is a pre-revenue energy and environmental technology company commercializing the patented FASForm Solid Carbon Fractionation process, which converts coal into ULSD diesel, jet fuel, naphtha, hydrogen, FASCarbon, sulfuric acid, and ammonium sulfate fertilizer without combustion, targeting enterprise energy, agricultural, and steel buyers from its $850M Mason County, West Virginia facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coal-to-Liquids Technology & Clean Fuel Manufacturing

NAICS

Petroleum Refineries (32411), Industrial Gas Manufacturing (325120)

SIC

Petroleum Refining (2911)

akta.pro primary industry

Thermochemical CO₂ Conversion Systems (RWGS, Fischer‑Tropsch integration, catalytic hydrogenation) (EUABAIAL)

Keywords

• Coal-to-liquids technology
• Solid carbon fractionation
• Clean fuel production
• Coal gasification process
• Industrial decarbonization

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheyenne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Future Fuel Sales (ULSD, Jet Fuel, Naphtha): Once operational, planned sales of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), sustainable aviation jet fuel, and naphtha produced from coal via FASForm. Output pre-sold under long-term offtake agreements including a 10-year agreement for 100% of FASForm ULSD and Naphtha production. Transaction-based/contracted revenue.
2. Hydrogen Sales: Planned sale of hydrogen as a co-product from the FASForm process to industrial and energy buyers.
3. FASCarbon Solid Carbon Sales: Planned sales of FASCarbon, a solid carbon co-product usable in steel manufacturing, agriculture, and as FASGEN generator fuel.
4. FASGEN Generator Sales & Sulfuric Acid Sales: Planned sales of FASGEN generator units for coal-fired power decarbonization and on-site sulfuric acid production.
5. Ammonium Sulfate Fertilizer Sales: Planned sales of ammonium sulfate fertilizer as a co-product of the FASForm process to agricultural customers.
6. Retail Equity Capital Raise (Reg A+): Capital raised via SEC-qualified Reg A+ public offering of Class C Common Stock to retail investors at $8.48/share with a $1,000.64 minimum subscription; primarily pre-revenue capital formation rather than operational revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Frontieras North America commercializes the patented FASForm Solid Carbon Fractionation (SCF) technology, a continuous-feed, zero-combustion thermal cracking and distillation process that converts coal into multiple high-value products including ultra-low sulfur diesel, jet fuel, naphtha, hydrogen, FASCarbon solid carbon, sulfuric acid, and ammonium sulfate fertilizer. The company is constructing its first $850M commercial-scale facility in Mason County, West Virginia, designed to process 2.7 million tons of coal annually.

Product overview

Frontieras North America offers an integrated platform-plus-products architecture built around its patented FASForm™ Solid Carbon Fractionation (SCF) technology. The core FASForm™ process is a continuous-feed, zero-combustion thermal cracking and distillation process that deconstructs coal into multiple high-value output streams. From a single feedstock, the system produces ultra-low sulfur diesel, naphtha and kerosene, hydrogen, sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate fertilizer (via the Witherspoon Method™), and FASCarbon™, a clean solid carbon fuel for thermal, petcoke, and steel-coke markets. The Mason County, West Virginia commercial facility is the first commercial-scale deployment of FASForm™. The FASGEN™ platform extends FASForm™ to be co-located with existing U.S. coal-fired power plants, turning them into multi-output energy hubs. Solid Carbon Fractionation is the underlying patented process category, while the Witherspoon Method™ is the proprietary process that converts captured volatiles into sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate fertilizer. Together, FASForm™, FASGEN™, FASCarbon™, the Witherspoon Method™, and the Mason County facility form a vertically integrated offering that addresses fuels, hydrogen, fertilizer, and clean carbon markets from American coal feedstock.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FASForm™: Patented Solid Carbon Fractionation (SCF) energy technology — the company's core technology platform that deconstructs coal into fuels, hydrogen, fertilizer, and clean carbon products.
• FASGEN™
• FASCarbon™
• Witherspoon Method™

Products and services

• FASForm Solid Carbon Fractionation (SCF) Patented, validated continuous-feed thermal cracking and distillation process that operates in a reducing atmosphere at slightly positive pressure and moderate temperature without combustion or oxidation to deconstruct coal into liquid fuels, hydrogen, methane, and clean solid carbon (FASCarbon). Targeted at fuel refiners, blenders, and industrial energy buyers.
• FASGEN Platform Co-located platform that integrates the FASForm Solid Carbon Fractionation process with existing U.S. coal-fired power plants, converting them into multi-output energy hubs producing cleaner solid carbon fuel, liquid fuels, hydrogen, fertilizer, and industrial chemicals while continuing to generate dispatchable baseload power. Targeted at U.S. coal-fired power plant operators and utility owners.
• FASCarbon Clean Solid Carbon A virtually sulfur-free (<1% sulfur) clean high-energy solid carbon product (technical carbon coke) produced by the FASForm process. Functions as a replacement or co-feed carbon for thermal markets, petcoke markets, and steel-coke/iron-ore steel manufacturing; burns hotter and cleaner than raw coal with 90% less sulfur than petcoke. Targeted at steel manufacturers, thermal power markets, and petcoke buyers.
• Witherspoon Method (Ammonium Sulfate Fertilizer Production) Proprietary method developed by CTO and Co-Founder Joe Witherspoon that captures and converts volatile by-products of the FASForm SCF process (such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide) into sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate fertilizer at lower cost than gas-dependent competitors. Targeted at commercial agriculture buyers and industrial chemicals markets.
• Mason County, West Virginia Commercial FASForm Facility First commercial-scale FASForm facility: $850 million project on 183 acres of riverfront property on the Ohio River in Mason County, WV. Designed to process 2.7 million tons of coal per year (7,500 tons/day) into ULSD diesel, naphtha, FASCarbon, hydrogen, sulfuric acid, and ammonium sulfate fertilizer. Includes on-site CSX rail spur and Ohio River barge moorings. Expected to create approximately 300 full-time jobs and roughly 2,000 construction jobs.
• Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD), Jet Fuel, and Naphtha Planned liquid fuel products from the FASForm process including ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), sustainable aviation jet fuel, and naphtha for petrochemical applications. Pre-sold under long-term offtake agreements to major fuel refiners, blenders, and downstream fuel distributors.
• Industrial Hydrogen Planned sale of hydrogen as a co-product from the FASForm process to industrial gas and chemicals buyers, for use in refining, ammonia production, and fuel cell applications as a low-cost domestic alternative to imported and grey hydrogen sources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.7M tons of coal processed annually at the Mason County facility, producing multiple co-products
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• TopsoecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensing agreement for Topsoe's sulfuric acid production technology, integrated into the Mason County facility to produce sulfuric acid on-site and supply FASGEN generator deployments for coal-fired power decarbonization.
• KiewitflagshipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner for the Mason County, West Virginia FASForm facility. Announced in conjunction with the project's groundbreaking ceremony; full-scale EPCM role for the $850M build-out.
• KBCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering partner providing process simulation, safety, and operational consulting support for the FASForm commercial facility.
• YokogawacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering partner providing automation, control systems, and industrial IT infrastructure for the Mason County facility.
• Performance ContractorscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProcurement and contracting partner supporting construction execution at the Mason County facility.
• Consolidated Asset Management Services (CAMS)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperations and maintenance partner selected to run and maintain the Mason County FASForm facility once operational.
• LocktonminorOthersInsurance brokerage partner supporting risk advisory and insurance placement for the Mason County facility.
• CSXcoreOthersRail logistics partner providing coal feedstock delivery and finished product transport access to the Mason County facility site.
• State of West VirginiaflagshipOthersLand agreement with the State of West Virginia for the 183-acre Mason County site, secured with support from Governor Patrick Morrisey; enables project construction and provides state-level permitting and infrastructure support.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Emerging players

• Prometheus Fuels: Prometheus Fuels is developing direct-air-capture-to-gasoline and jet fuel technology at commercial scale. While its feedstock is CO2 rather than coal, its commercial-scale alternative-liquid-fuels thesis and target jet/diesel customer base overlap materially with Frontieras's downstream fuel offtake strategy.
• Aemetis: Aemetis is a US-based renewable and low-carbon fuels company building cellulosic ethanol and renewable diesel capacity, including a planned CCS-enabled 'Carbon Zero' plant. Its cellulosic ethanol utilizes coal-to-fuels-adjacent thermochemical pathways and competes for the same downstream renewable/low-carbon fuel offtake customers.
• Monolith Materials: Monolith Materials uses a thermal plasma process to convert natural gas into carbon black and hydrogen — a parallel 'zero-combustion thermochemical fractionation of hydrocarbons into multiple co-products' model. Its commercial-scale facility in Nebraska and co-product monetization approach are directly analogous to Frontieras's FASForm + FASCarbon + hydrogen strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Shell: Shell operates the Pearl GTL plant (Qatar, gas-to-liquids) — the world's largest commercial GTL complex — and has deep expertise in Fischer-Tropsch and synthetic fuels. Its GTL platform makes Shell a broad incumbent peer in alternative liquid fuels at industrial scale.
• ExxonMobil: ExxonMobil is the largest US integrated refiner and a global fuels/petrochemicals incumbent. Frontieras's planned ULSD, jet, and naphtha output competes with and/or substitutes for ExxonMobil refining streams, and the company's prior CTL/GTL research programs make it the most relevant broad incumbent in coal-to-fuels.
• Air Products and Chemicals: Air Products is one of the world's largest industrial gas and hydrogen producers, with growing exposure to clean hydrogen, gasification, and synthetic fuels. Its hydrogen and syngas capabilities are directly relevant to the planned hydrogen co-product and Topsoe-licensed sulfuric acid units at Mason County.

Direct peers

• Sasol: Sasol operates the world's largest commercial coal-to-liquids (CTL) complex at Secunda, South Africa, converting coal into synthetic fuels and chemicals via Fischer-Tropsch and related processes. It is the closest analog to Frontieras's planned coal-to-multi-product platform and the dominant benchmark for CTL economics globally.
• Velocys: Velocys develops small-scale Fischer-Tropsch reactors for converting biomass, natural gas, or coal-derived synthesis gas into liquid fuels. Its distributed-scale fuels-from-syngas thesis overlaps directly with Frontieras's vision of modular coal-to-fuels deployment at sub-refinery scale.
• LanzaTech: LanzaTech uses gas-fermentation technology to convert carbon-rich waste gases (including those derived from coal and steel-mill off-gases) into fuels and chemicals such as ethanol and jet fuel. It is one of the most advanced 'carbon-to-fuels' technology companies and a direct peer in commercializing alternative pathways to liquid fuels from solid/gaseous feedstocks.

Regional players

• Shenhua Group (CHN Energy Investment): Shenhua (now part of CHN Energy) operates China's largest commercial direct coal liquefaction plants, converting coal directly into liquid fuels using similar catalytic/thermal processes. It is the leading Asian CTL operator but does not directly compete in the US fuel market, making it a strong regional rather than direct peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/frontieras
• YouTubeyoutu.be/XPHNaR8OAR4
• Facebookfacebook.com/frontieras.northamerica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors1 record

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 Frontieras North America