NEXT Renewable Fuels
NEXT Renewable Fuels is a Houston-based biofuel company developing an Oregon biorefinery to produce sustainable aviation fuel for US West Coast airline customers, with production targeted to begin in 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What NEXT Renewable Fuels does
NEXT Renewable Fuels (also operating as Renewal Fuels, Inc.) is a Houston-headquartered, privately-held biofuel company developing a single-asset biorefinery in Oregon to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for the US West Coast aviation market. The company is pre-revenue, with SAF production scheduled to commence in 2026. Its core technology is industrial biorefinery processing aimed at converting feedstocks (supplied under a strategic agreement with BP) into drop-in SAF for commercial aviation customers, primarily airlines and aviation fuel distributors on the West Coast.
The business model is built on direct B2B enterprise offtake agreements with airline customers, with anchor alignment to United Airlines Ventures, which committed up to $37.5 million in November 2022. A subsequent $75 million funding round in April 2023 brought total disclosed funding to approximately $112.5 million, supporting facility development. The company is led by founder Christopher Efird (Executive Chairman & CEO), with Kelly Merritt serving as SVP. The company employs 101-250 people.
In December 2025, NEXT announced a proposed merger via non-binding LOI with Kepler Fusion Technologies, a fusion energy company developing the Texatron fusion power system. If consummated, the combined entity would rebrand as American Fusion and pursue a public listing on Nasdaq or TXSE, signaling a strategic pivot from pure-play SAF toward fusion energy. Pricing of SAF offtake contracts is not publicly disclosed and is expected to be negotiated bilaterally with airline counterparties.
NEXT Renewable Fuels firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NEXT Renewable Fuels
- Legal name
- NEXT Renewable Fuels
- Website
- https://nextrenewables.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- NEXT Renewable Fuels is a Houston-based biofuel company developing an Oregon biorefinery to produce sustainable aviation fuel for US West Coast airline customers, with production targeted to begin in 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NEXT Renewable Fuels industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel
- NAICS
- Petroleum Refineries (32411), Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (3241)
- SIC
- Petroleum Refining (2911)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Production (HEFA, FT, ATJ) (EUAAAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) & Alternative Fuels (e-fuels, biofuels, hydrogen) (THABANAA), Biofuel Upgrading, Hydrotreating & Refining (Co-processing, Isomerization) (EUAAAHAG), Biofuels & Renewable Fuels Switching (Biomethane/RNG, Bio-oils, Sustainable Biomass) (EUABAJAD)
Keywords
Where NEXT Renewable Fuels is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
NEXT Renewable Fuels business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Production and Sales: NEXT Renewable Fuels generates revenue through the production and sale of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from its Oregon biorefinery, targeting airline customers on the US West Coast starting in 2026.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
NEXT Renewable Fuels product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NEXT Renewable Fuels is developing a biorefinery in Oregon to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from 2026 onward. The facility is designed to convert feedstock (secured under an agreement with BP) into SAF for sale to airline customers on the US West Coast. The company's sole commercial offering is the physical SAF produced at the Oregon facility, sold via direct enterprise offtake arrangements.
Product overview
NEXT Renewable Fuels is a single-product company focused on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production. The company's sole offering is its Oregon-based biorefinery, which is designed to produce SAF starting in 2026. The project operates with strategic location advantages and has a feedstock supply agreement with BP. NOTE: The company appears to have undergone or be undergoing a merger with Kepler Fusion Technologies (Renewal Fuels, Inc.), with plans to eventually rebrand as American Fusion and shift focus toward fusion energy systems (Texatron platform).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Drop-in renewable aviation fuel produced at NEXT's Oregon biorefinery using BP-supplied feedstock, sold under direct offtake contracts to commercial airlines and aviation fuel distributors serving the US West Coast.
Quantifiable outcome
- Will produce sustainable aviation fuel from 2026
Companies that use NEXT Renewable Fuels
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
NEXT Renewable Fuels technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
NEXT Renewable Fuels partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- BPcoreNEXT Renewable Fuels has agreements with BP for feedstock supply, providing strategic location advantages for the biorefinery operation in Oregon. BP serves as a key supplier for the sustainable aviation fuel production process.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NEXT Renewable Fuels competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Neste: Global leader in renewable diesel and SAF, currently the largest commercial SAF supplier to major airlines. Directly comparable as a commercial-scale biofuel producer targeting the same aviation decarbonization customers.
- World Energy: US-based SAF and renewable diesel producer operating one of the longest-running SAF biorefineries (Paramount, CA). Comparable as a North American SAF producer supplying airlines on the West Coast.
- Gevo: Developer of renewable hydrocarbons and SAF via alcohol-to-jet pathways. Comparable as a project-stage SAF producer targeting aviation customers with low-carbon intensity feedstock.
- Fulcrum BioEnergy: Waste-to-jet-fuel producer developing commercial-scale SAF facilities. Comparable as a feedstock-conversion SAF developer pursuing similar airline offtake strategies.
- Aemetis: Renewable diesel and SAF producer with operational biorefinery assets in California. Comparable as a US West Coast-adjacent low-carbon fuels producer with airline and aviation customers.
- LanzaTech: Carbon-capture-to-fuels company with SAF pathways (e.g., LanzaJet joint venture). Comparable as an alternative-route SAF technology developer targeting the same aviation fuel market.
- Velocys: Fischer-Tropsch SAF technology provider developing commercial projects with partners. Comparable as a project-stage SAF technology company pursuing commercial plant builds.
- SkyNRG: SAF-focused company developing dedicated SAF supply for the aviation industry, including project development and feedstock partnerships. Comparable as a pure-play SAF specialist.
Emerging players
- Alder Fuels: Emerging SAF technology company focused on converting woody biomass into sustainable aviation fuel. Comparable as an early-stage SAF project developer with airline partnerships.
Broad incumbents
- BP: Global energy major with growing SAF interests and an existing feedstock partnership with NEXT. Comparable as a strategic feedstock partner and as a broad incumbent with overlapping low-carbon fuels ambitions in aviation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NEXT Renewable Fuels social profiles
Digital presenceNEXT Renewable Fuels financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NEXT Renewable Fuels leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
NEXT Renewable Fuels funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NEXT Renewable Fuels M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NEXT Renewable Fuels
What does NEXT Renewable Fuels do?
NEXT Renewable Fuels is developing a biorefinery in Oregon to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from 2026 onward. The facility is designed to convert feedstock (secured under an agreement with BP) into SAF for sale to airline customers on the US West Coast. The company's sole commercial offering is the physical SAF produced at the Oregon facility, sold via direct enterprise offtake arrangements.
When was NEXT Renewable Fuels founded?
NEXT Renewable Fuels was founded in 2022. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is NEXT Renewable Fuels based?
NEXT Renewable Fuels is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does NEXT Renewable Fuels make money?
One revenue line is on record: sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Production and Sales.
Who are NEXT Renewable Fuels's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Neste, World Energy, Gevo, Fulcrum BioEnergy, Aemetis, LanzaTech, Velocys and SkyNRG. Alder Fuels is listed as an emerging player. BP is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does NEXT Renewable Fuels have an API?
No public API is recorded for NEXT Renewable Fuels.
What industry is NEXT Renewable Fuels in?
NEXT Renewable Fuels's product category is Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAAAHAE, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Production (HEFA, FT, ATJ), with a secondary code of THABANAA, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) & Alternative Fuels (e-fuels, biofuels, hydrogen). Its NAICS code is 32411 and its SIC code is 2911.