OnTo Technology
OnTo Technology is a Bend, Oregon-based materials science company that develops patented Direct Recycling technologies — including Cathode Healing™ and CO2-based Battery Inertization — to refurbish lithium-ion battery cathode materials for reuse, serving battery manufacturers, LFP producers, consumer electronics OEMs, and battery recyclers through licensing, on-site services, and engineering partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersBend, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What OnTo Technology does
OnTo Technology, founded in 2004 in Bend, Oregon by Steve Sloop, develops and patents advanced Direct Recycling technologies for lithium-ion battery cathode materials. Its core platform avoids the energy-intensive melting and dissolving steps used by conventional recyclers; instead, Cathode Healing™ refurbishes cathode structures in place, Forever Cathode™ enables indefinite reuse of certain chemistries (notably LCO), and a CO2-based Battery Inertization process eliminates class-9 thermal-runaway hazards while recovering critical materials. Complementary capabilities include Electrolyte Recovery, LFP Recycling, Battery Deactivation, and Pretreatment, supported by a Pilot Plant for industrialization testing. The company monetizes through technology licensing and tech-transfer to OEMs and industrial partners, On-Site Cathode Healing™ services for large-scale battery manufacturers, and engineering/pilot services, with active R&D programs alongside the US Department of Energy, Defense Logistics Agency, and California Energy Commission. OnTo's customer base is concentrated in three primary verticals: large-scale battery manufacturers, LFP producers, and consumer electronics OEMs pursuing carbon-neutrality goals, with battery recyclers as a secondary segment. The firm is privately held, employs 1-10 people, and holds over 25 patents in Inertization and Cathode Healing, with founder Steve Sloop credited as the first inventor of Direct Recycling and holder of 26 US and international patents.
OnTo Technology firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OnTo Technology
- Legal name
- OnTo Technology
- Website
- https://onto-technology.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- OnTo Technology is a Bend, Oregon-based materials science company that develops patented Direct Recycling technologies — including Cathode Healing™ and CO2-based Battery Inertization — to refurbish lithium-ion battery cathode materials for reuse, serving battery manufacturers, LFP producers, consumer electronics OEMs, and battery recyclers through licensing, on-site services, and engineering partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OnTo Technology industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Battery Recycling and Materials Recovery
- NAICS
- Materials Recovery Facilities (562920)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Direct Recycling & Cathode Regeneration (Relithiation, Reconditioning) (EUAFACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Lithium-ion Battery Recycling (Mechanical, Hydro, Direct Recycling) (EUAIAIAF), Battery Recycling, Second-Life & Remanufacturing (IMAGAHAL), Battery Repair, Refurbishment & Remanufacturing Services (Module/Pack Repair, Rework) (EUAFACAI)
Keywords
Where OnTo Technology is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bend
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
OnTo Technology business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Technology Licensing: Licensing of direct recycling technologies including Cathode Healing™ and Inertization to battery manufacturers and recycling companies. Partnership opportunities range from equity investment through license and tech-transfer.
- On-Site Services: On-Site Cathode Healing™ service provided to battery manufacturers to improve manufacturing efficiency and profitability by recycling scrap batteries at the source.
- Engineering and Planning Services: Fundamental steps including planning, testing, and engineering to implement direct recycling on-site at customer facilities. Pilot plant used for production demonstrations and beta-testing for industrialization.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
OnTo Technology product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OnTo Technology develops and patents Direct Recycling technologies for lithium-ion batteries, refurbishing cathode materials for reuse in new batteries without melting or dissolving. The company licenses its Cathode Healing™, Forever Cathode™, Battery Inertization, Electrolyte Recovery, and LFP Recycling technologies, and provides On-Site Cathode Healing™ services to battery manufacturers and electronics OEMs.
Product overview
OnTo Technology offers a suite of intelligent recycling technologies for lithium-ion batteries built around its proprietary Direct Recycling platform. The core portfolio centers on Cathode Healing™ and On-Site Cathode Healing™ services, complemented by Battery Inertization, Electrolyte Recovery, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) Recycling, Battery Deactivation, and Pretreatment solutions. The company also markets the Forever Cathode™ concept for cathodes capable of indefinite reuse. A Pilot Plant facility supports strategic development and industrialization testing. These modular technologies can be deployed individually or in combination, with On-Site services available for manufacturers seeking on-premises recycling capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cathode Healing™: Direct recycling technology that refurbishes cathode materials for reuse in new batteries, reducing carbon footprint to 440g/kg-battery compared to ~1,500g/kg-battery from incumbent recycling.
- Forever Cathode™
- On-Site Cathode Healing™
Products and services
- Cathode Healing™ Direct recycling process that refurbishes battery cathode materials for reuse in new batteries, avoiding the energy-intensive melting and dissolving used in conventional recycling. Targets battery manufacturers, LFP producers, and consumer electronics OEMs.
- On-Site Cathode Healing™ On-site service for battery manufacturers to recycle scrap batteries at the source, improving manufacturing efficiency and bottom-line profitability. Designed for the 200 large-scale battery manufacturing facilities expected globally by end of decade.
- Forever Cathode™ Cathode material concept enabling indefinite reuse of certain cathodes such as lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) used in consumer electronics, achieving a carbon footprint of 440g/kg-battery versus ~1,500g/kg-battery for incumbent recycling.
- Battery Inertization Patented technology that removes hazardous characteristics of batteries, addressing thermal runaway challenges while recovering critical materials. Used for safe handling and recycling of end-of-life batteries.
- Electrolyte Recovery Method to extract lithium-rich electrolyte from whole battery cells, increasing the recycled fraction of batteries and maximizing the recovered value in recycling processes.
- Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) Recycling Cost-effective, high-value recycling solution for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which are challenging for conventional industrial recycling. Allows LFP manufacturers to bring a sustainable recycling dimension to this chemistry.
- Battery Deactivation Process for eliminating class-9 hazards in recycling lithium batteries, including sodium, zinc, iron, and metal-hydride batteries. Validated by a PHMSA interpretation confirming non-hazardous characteristics from OnTo's treatment.
- Pretreatment Value-add process that recovers critical materials from battery black mass and makes it processible for lithium and metals recovery or for producing new cathodes.
- Pilot Plant Strategic development and engineering modeling facility used for production demonstrations and beta-testing for industrialization of OnTo's direct recycling technologies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Carbon footprint reduction: 440g/kg-battery for LCO from Cathode Healing vs ~1,500g/kg-battery from incumbent recycling
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use OnTo Technology
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
OnTo Technology technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
OnTo Technology partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Business OregoncoreOregon state economic development organization that coordinated the Trade Mission to Korea and Japan. Facilitated development of new partnerships and enhanced international relations within the battery critical materials supply chain.
- Governor Tina Kotek's OfficecoreOregon Governor's Office providing leadership for trade missions and global collaboration within battery critical materials supply chain sectors.
- US Department of EnergycoreActive program with the US Department of Energy for research and development of direct recycling technologies. OnTo was featured in DoE announcement of 13 projects to strengthen domestic battery supply chain.
- Defense Logistics AgencycoreActive program with DLA for research and development in battery recycling technologies. DLA Research & Development initiative focused on innovating safe lithium battery disposal using CO2.
- California Energy CommissioncoreActive program with California Energy Commission for development and commercialization of direct recycling technologies.
- Industrial Partners (Battery Materials Manufacturing Chain)corePartnership opportunities ranging from equity investment through license and tech-transfer with companies along the battery materials manufacturing chain. OnTo is ready to partner with OEMs to implement on-site recycling solutions.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
OnTo Technology competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ascend Elements: Formerly Battery Resourcers, Ascend Elements commercializes proprietary hydrometallurgical processes to recover cathode active material from spent lithium-ion batteries. Directly comparable as a battery materials recycling company targeting OEMs and battery manufacturers.
- Redwood Materials: Founded by JB Straubel (Tesla co-founder), Redwood Materials is one of the largest and best-funded lithium-ion battery recycling companies in North America. It is a direct competitor in end-of-life battery processing and materials recovery, operating at a far larger scale with significant OEM partnerships.
- Li-Cycle: Public lithium-ion battery recycler using a hub-and-spoke model combining mechanical preprocessing with hydrometallurgical refining. Directly comparable to OnTo as a lithium-ion battery recycling company serving global battery manufacturers and OEMs.
- Princeton NuEnergy: Direct recycling company using a low-temperature plasma-assisted process to recover cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries. Closely comparable to OnTo as a direct recycling technology developer targeting the same cathode regeneration value proposition.
- American Battery Technology Company: Lithium-ion battery recycling and primary metals extraction company with government partnerships including DOE funding. Comparable to OnTo in targeting US-domestic battery materials supply chain with both recycling and primary resource capabilities.
- Cirba Solutions: North American battery recycling and materials company (formerly Heritage Battery Recycling + Retriev Technologies) offering collection, processing, and materials recovery for lithium-ion and other battery chemistries. Direct competitor in the battery recycling end market.
Broad incumbents
- Glencore: Global mining and commodities giant with significant cobalt, nickel, and lithium operations and growing battery recycling interests. Comparable to OnTo as a downstream player in battery materials supply chains, though vastly larger and vertically integrated.
- Aqua Metals: Public company using AquaRefining technology for sustainable lead-acid battery recycling, now expanding into lithium-ion. Comparable to OnTo as a metals recycling technology company using proprietary electrochemical processes to improve on incumbent recycling methods.
- Umicore: Belgian materials technology group with a major battery materials and recycling business, including closed-loop cathode material recovery for automotive OEMs. Comparable to OnTo as a large incumbent in the battery materials recycling industry with broader portfolio exposure.
Emerging players
- Element Energy: Early-stage company developing battery health monitoring and second-life battery solutions. Comparable to OnTo as an emerging player in the lithium-ion battery lifecycle space, though focused on reuse rather than materials recycling.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
OnTo Technology social profiles
Digital presenceOnTo Technology financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OnTo Technology leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
OnTo Technology funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OnTo Technology 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 OnTo Technology
What does OnTo Technology do?
OnTo Technology develops and patents Direct Recycling technologies for lithium-ion batteries, refurbishing cathode materials for reuse in new batteries without melting or dissolving. The company licenses its Cathode Healing™, Forever Cathode™, Battery Inertization, Electrolyte Recovery, and LFP Recycling technologies, and provides On-Site Cathode Healing™ services to battery manufacturers and electronics OEMs.
Is OnTo Technology a public or private company?
OnTo Technology is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was OnTo Technology founded?
OnTo Technology was founded in 2004. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is OnTo Technology based?
OnTo Technology is headquartered in Bend, United States, in the North America region.
How does OnTo Technology make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Technology Licensing is the primary driver. The others are on-Site Services and engineering and Planning Services.
Who are OnTo Technology's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ascend Elements, Redwood Materials, Li-Cycle, Princeton NuEnergy, American Battery Technology Company and Cirba Solutions. Broad incumbents are Glencore, Aqua Metals and Umicore. Element Energy is listed as an emerging player.
Does OnTo Technology have an API?
No public API is recorded for OnTo Technology.
What industry is OnTo Technology in?
OnTo Technology's product category is Battery Recycling and Materials Recovery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAFACAF, Direct Recycling & Cathode Regeneration (Relithiation, Reconditioning), with a secondary code of EUAIAIAF, Lithium-ion Battery Recycling (Mechanical, Hydro, Direct Recycling). Its NAICS code is 562920 and its SIC code is 4953.