Brightmark Energy

What Brightmark Energy does

Brightmark Energy is a San Francisco-based, privately held circular waste solutions company founded in 2016 by Bob Powell. It commercializes a patented Plastics Renewal® pyrolysis process that converts post-use plastics of all resin types (#1–7), including difficult-to-recycle co-mingled streams, into two ISCC PLUS-certified outputs: PyBright™ pyrolysis oil, a circular petrochemical feedstock sold to resin producers and converters, and CarbonBright, a powder byproduct sold into R&D applications such as asphalt modification, wastewater filtration, and rubber/plastic fillers. The company's technical differentiation rests on processing mixed plastics without pre-sorting, peer-reviewed LCA validation of 39–139% carbon footprint reduction and 82% energy savings versus virgin production, and full-chain ISCC PLUS certification supporting Extended Producer Responsibility claims for brand owners. Brightmark also operates a parallel renewable natural gas (RNG) business through Brightmark RNG Holdings LLC, a joint venture with Chevron U.S.A. Inc. that runs more than 30 dairy-based anaerobic digestion circularity centers across the United States, representing the largest single revenue vehicle in the portfolio.

The business model is built on direct enterprise sales of PyBright and CarbonBright to resin producers and industrial buyers, direct supply contracts with healthcare facilities, material recovery facilities, manufacturers, and government/marine accounts for plastic waste feedstock, and shared economics from RNG production through the Chevron JV. Go-to-market combines enterprise field sales for large offtake and supply agreements with community-based collection channels (schools, municipalities, events) for feedstock diversification. Active or planned facilities include the operational Ashley, Indiana circularity center (100,000 tons/year, $138.3M Phase 1 investment), the under-development flagship Thomaston, Georgia center (400,000 tons/year, $950M commitment), and a planned Australia facility in the Parkes Special Activation Precinct, NSW, with the NSW Government and Cleanaway. Customer segments span healthcare and medical device manufacturers (Lewis Salvage, Jamar Health, Contec), MRFs, industrial/manufacturing facilities, dairy farms (via RNG JV), educational institutions, and government/conservation organizations (NOAA Florida Keys).

Name

Brightmark Energy

Legal name

Brightmark LLC

Website

https://brightmark.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Brightmark Energy is a circular waste solutions company that uses patented pyrolysis technology to convert mixed post-use plastics (#1–7) into ISCC PLUS-certified PyBright oil and CarbonBright byproduct, while co-operating 30+ dairy-to-renewable-natural-gas facilities through a Chevron joint venture.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advanced Plastics Recycling and Renewable Energy

NAICS

Petrochemical Manufacturing (32511)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Chemical/Advanced Plastics Recycling (Depolymerization, Pyrolysis, Solvolysis) (IMANAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Plastic-to-Fuel/Oil & Feedstock Upgrading (Naphtha/Cracker Feed) (EUAIAKAL)

Keywords

• Advanced plastics recycling
• Chemical recycling
• Renewable natural gas
• Circular petrochemical feedstocks
• Pyrolysis technology

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. PyBright Pyrolysis Oil Sales: Sale of ISCC PLUS-certified pyrolysis oil (PyBright) to resin producers and converters for use as circular petrochemical feedstock to create new plastic products.
2. CarbonBright R&D Materials: Sale of CarbonBright circular byproduct for research and development applications including asphalt modifiers, wastewater filtration, and industrial fillers.
3. RNG Production and Sales: Renewable natural gas production through anaerobic digestion of dairy farm waste via Brightmark RNG Holdings joint venture with Chevron, generating RNG for sale into energy markets.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Brightmark operates Plastics Renewal® circularity centers that use patented pyrolysis to convert post-use plastics (mixed resin types #1-7) into ISCC PLUS-certified circular feedstocks—PyBright™ pyrolysis oil for resin producers and CarbonBright byproduct for industrial R&D. The company also operates more than 30 dairy-based anaerobic digestion facilities (joint venture with Chevron) producing renewable natural gas.

Product overview

Brightmark Energy operates a portfolio of circular waste solutions centered on its proprietary Plastics Renewal® technology—a patented pyrolysis process that converts post-use plastics into circular hydrocarbon feedstocks. The core product offerings include PyBright™ (ISCC PLUS-certified pyrolysis oil used as circular petrochemical feedstock) and CarbonBright (circular byproduct for R&D applications). The company operates multiple Circularity Centers: the operational Ashley, Indiana facility processing 100,000 tons/year, the flagship Thomaston, Georgia center under development with 400,000+ ton capacity, and more than 30 RNG facilities converting agricultural waste to renewable natural gas via anaerobic digestion. Specialized programs target medical plastics, materials recovery facilities, schools, and marine/ocean plastic waste.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plastics Renewal® Patented pyrolysis process that converts post-use plastics—including all resin types #1-7 co-mingled without pre-sorting, flexible films, Styrofoam, and multi-layer materials—into ISCC PLUS-certified circular hydrocarbon feedstocks (PyBright pyrolysis oil and CarbonBright byproduct) for use in new plastic and industrial products.
• PyBright™ Pyrolysis Oil

Quantifiable outcome

• 39-139% carbon footprint reduction vs virgin production (peer-reviewed LCA)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and secondary.

• Lewis SalvagecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2024Strategic partnership with independently-owned recycling company in Warsaw, Indiana to recycle medical and orthopedic implant plastics. Partnership surpassed 1 million pounds of plastics recycled, diverting waste from landfills and incinerators.
• ChevronflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 May 2023Brightmark RNG Holdings LLC is a joint venture between Brightmark and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. focused on renewable natural gas production through anaerobic digestion of dairy farm waste. Partnership expanding to Michigan with five new projects in western Michigan, second-largest RNG project to date.
• NOAA Florida Keys National Marine SanctuaryflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2022First-of-its-kind partnership to recycle marine buoys and downlines, diverting plastics from oceans and landfills. Supports ocean conservation while providing circular solution for traditionally non-recyclable marine equipment.
• Jamar Health ProductscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 August 2022Partnership to recycle PATRAN® slide sheets and other medical plastic waste into circular products. Addresses sustainability goals for healthcare industry while reducing environmental impact.
• Contec Inc.secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to recycle plastic packaging materials from contamination control products used in pharmaceutical, medical device, and semiconductor manufacturing cleanrooms.
• Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPRC member collaborating on advanced recycling of hospital waste. Participated in multi-year project assessing feasibility of advanced recycling for mixed plastics from pre-surgical and laboratory areas.
• Guy Harvey FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarine science curriculum partnership for K-5 and high school students, educating on plastic pollution impacts. Includes beach cleanup events and curriculum translated into Spanish for broader accessibility.
• Frost Museum of Science (Frost Science)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partnership including volunteer habitat restoration, student education programs, beach cleanups, and environmental stewardship initiatives in Miami-Dade County.
• Downtown Fort WaynesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partnership for plastic recycling at events including Lunch on the Square, DORA program, and Holly Shopping collection. Engages local community in recycling initiatives.
• Country Meadow ElementarysecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational partnership with Ashley, Indiana school featuring first-of-its-kind recycling program. Students learn about advanced recycling while diverting plastic waste from landfills.
• Drawdown GeorgiasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Drawdown Georgia Business Compact advancing statewide decarbonization and recycling initiatives in Georgia.
• RecycleForcesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with company dedicated to recycling material and lives, supporting workforce development through environmental programs.
• CleanawaysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian waste management company collaborating on advanced plastics recycling initiatives in Australia alongside Viva Energy and other partners.
• Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of global organization committed to ending plastic waste in the environment through infrastructure development, education, and innovation.
• Georgia Recycling CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLevel One partner since 2021 supporting conferences, recycling initiatives, and educational programs. Partner for Thomaston facility development.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Loop Industries: Focused on depolymerization (PET-to-monomer) rather than pyrolysis. Adjacent competitor in the chemical recycling space targeting the same resin-producer customers with a different technical pathway for circular feedstocks.
• Carbios: French biotech company using enzymatic depolymerization to recycle PET into virgin-equivalent monomers. Competes for the same brand-owner/resin-producer demand for circular plastics via a different (bio-based) chemical recycling route.

Direct peers

• Nexus Circular: U.S.-based advanced recycling company using pyrolysis-like thermal conversion of post-consumer films and packaging into circular feedstocks. Directly comparable to Brightmark in feedstock type (mixed/film plastics) and end product (pyrolysis oil for crackers).
• Plastic Energy: UK-headquartered chemical recycling company using patented pyrolysis to convert end-of-life plastics into TACOIL, a feedstock for new plastics. Direct competitor to Brightmark's Plastics Renewal® with overlapping customer base of resin producers seeking circular feedstock.
• Renewlogy: U.S.-based advanced recycling startup using pyrolysis to convert mixed plastics (including films and multilayers) into petrochemical feedstocks. Closely comparable to Brightmark in feedstock flexibility and end-market focus.
• Agilyx (BASF): Norway-based pioneer in pyrolysis-based plastic-to-feedstock technology, recently partnered with BASF. Direct peer to Brightmark, offering proprietary pyrolysis systems and licensing to convert mixed waste plastics into circular feedstock oils.

Broad incumbents

• Eastman Chemical Company: Operates a major polyester renewal (gasification/methanolysis) recycling facility in Kingsport, TN, producing circular feedstocks for specialty plastics. Comparable as a large incumbent using chemical recycling to convert mixed waste plastics into virgin-equivalent monomers and feedstocks.
• Shell (Chemical Recycling): Investing in pyrolysis-based advanced recycling at facilities in the U.S. and Europe to produce circular feedstocks for cracker units. Comparable as a major integrated energy/petrochemical incumbent entering the same chemical recycling category as Brightmark.
• ExxonMobil (Advanced Recycling): Operates one of the world's largest advanced recycling facilities at Baytown, TX, using pyrolysis to process mixed plastics. Broad incumbent competitor that, like Brightmark, sells pyrolysis oil to petrochemical crackers, but at far larger scale and with integrated refining assets.

Regional players

• Cleanaway Waste Management: Australian waste management company that is Brightmark's named partner for the Parkes, NSW Circularity Center. Comparable as a regional waste services partner and feedstock supplier with overlapping collection capabilities in Australia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BrightmarkE
• Facebookfacebook.com/brightmarkenergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brightmark-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/brightmark

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Brightmark Energy