What Carbon Rivers does

Carbon Rivers is a privately held, Certified Small Business founded in 2017 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, operating a materials science platform built around two proprietary technology pillars. The first is G2G+ (Glass to Glass) Reclamation, a multi-stage pyrolysis process that converts end-of-life composite waste — including retired wind turbine blades, boat hulls, automotive panels, and travel trailers — into reclaimed glass fiber (rGF) pellets and intermediates suitable for re-entry into automotive, aerospace, marine, construction, and next-generation wind energy manufacturing, with ESG pyrolysis crude oil as a byproduct. The second is CR Nano, a manufacturing platform for pristine 1–3 layer graphene nanoplatelets (no defects, up to 250 m2/g surface area) marketed as the largest commercial capacity in the world at over 120 metric tonnes per month.

The company commercializes this underlying graphene and reclaimed-fiber IP through a broad product portfolio of named sub-brands: ReadyMaxx and BlockMaxx graphene concrete admixtures (claimed up to 30% cement reduction); NIJ Level II/IIA/IIIA/IV-certified ballistic armor for law enforcement and military use; graphene-enhanced coatings with anti-fouling, UV-resistant, fire-retardant, and friction-reducing properties for marine and industrial applications; energy storage additives for batteries and thermal films; elastomer and lubrication products; and an Advanced Materials line covering specialty polymer/ceramic/metallic additives, anti-viral polyelectrolyte coatings, and nuclear industry materials. Beyond physical products, the company offers custom master-batching, compounding services for thermoplastics and thermosets, and technology licensing and consulting engagements.

The business model combines direct B2B hardware sales (graphene sold in metric tonnes to global industrial partners, reclaimed glass fiber pellets, concrete admixtures, armor, coatings) with professional services (custom master-batching, prototyping, design) and licensing/consulting revenue. The go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales targeting wind OEMs and utilities, automotive and EV manufacturers, defense and law enforcement agencies, construction and infrastructure developers, and marine and oil & gas operators, with public-sector engagement mediated by DOE-funded research programs and defense procurement. Pricing is opaque and inquiry-based across all product lines. The firm employs 1–10 people and is led by Founder/CEO Bowie Benson with Eva Li (VP Operations) and David Morgan (Chief Strategy Officer); in October 2024 it received $500K in cash plus $100K in laboratory vouchers from the U.S. DOE Wind Energy Technologies Office as one of six winners of the Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize.

Name

Carbon Rivers

Legal name

Carbon Rivers

Website

https://carbonrivers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Carbon Rivers is a Knoxville-based materials science company that operates a Glass to Glass pyrolysis platform to reclaim glass fiber from end-of-life composites (notably retired wind turbine blades) and manufactures pristine 1–3 layer graphene at commercial scale for graphene-enhanced concrete, ballistic armor, coatings, and composite intermediates sold to wind energy, automotive/EV, defense, construction, and marine customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advanced Composite Materials and Nanomaterials Manufacturing

NAICS

Glass and Glass Product Manufacturing (32721), Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252)

SIC

Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080), Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820)

akta.pro primary industry

Plastic Recycling Equipment & Technology Providers (Sorting, Washing, Extrusion) (EUAIAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rigid Plastics Recycling (HDPE/PP, Injection/Blow Molded) (EUAIAKAF), Engineering Plastics Recycling (ABS, PC, PA, POM, PMMA) (EUAIAKAI)

Keywords

• Glass fiber reclamation
• Pristine graphene manufacturing
• Wind turbine blade recycling
• Ballistic armor materials
• Graphene composite materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Graphene Material Sales: Sale of pristine graphene nanoplatelets (1–3 layers) to global industrial partners in metric tonnes. Carbon Rivers is the largest source of pristine graphene in the world, with capacity over 120 metric tonnes per month, supplying industries including EV batteries, construction, fuel cells, smart textiles, lubricants, plastics, and specialty coatings.
2. Custom Master-Batching and Compounding: Custom master-batching and compounding of thermoplastic composites, including modeling, design and prototyping for extrusion, gel-spinning, additive manufacturing, resin infusion, woven/non-wovens, hand layup, compression, VARTM, and other composite processes.
3. Glass Fiber Reclaimed Intermediates and Pellets: Sale of reclaimed glass fiber (rGF) pellets and composite intermediates produced from the Glass to Glass reclamation process. These intermediates are sold to manufacturers for use in automotive, aerospace, marine, construction, and wind energy sectors.
4. Technology Licensing and Consulting: Consultation on applications and advances in materials. The company works with industry partners on product development and deployment of graphene-enhanced and composite solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Carbon Rivers develops and sells proprietary Glass to Glass (G2G+) reclamation technology that uses multi-stage pyrolysis to convert end-of-life composite waste (wind turbine blades, boat hulls, automotive panels) into virgin-quality reclaimed glass fiber. The company also manufactures and sells pristine 1-3 layer graphene nanoplatelets (CR Nano brand), graphene-based ballistic armor, concrete admixtures (ReadyMaxx/BlockMaxx), specialty coatings, and advanced composite intermediates to industrial, government, and defense customers worldwide.

Product overview

Carbon Rivers is a sustainable materials company operating as a platform-plus-products architecture. The core technology is G2G+ (Glass to Glass), a pyrolysis-based glass fiber reclamation system that upcycles end-of-life composites into reclaimed glass fiber for manufacturing. Supporting this is CR Nano, the graphene division producing pristine 1-3 layer graphene nanoplatelets at commercial scale. Concrete products ReadyMaxx and BlockMaxx leverage graphene admixtures for enhanced construction materials. Ballistic Armor provides NIJ-certified protection solutions, while Graphene Coatings & Paints serve marine, aerospace, and industrial applications. Advanced Materials encompasses specialty additives, anti-viral coatings, and nuclear industry solutions. The portfolio is tied together through proprietary materials science expertise spanning composites recycling, graphene enhancement, and advanced manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ReadyMaxx: Graphene-enhanced concrete admixture product delivering high-range water reduction, enhanced compressive and flexural strength, reduced permeability, and superior durability for concrete applications including precast, 3D printing, shotcrete, seawalls, bridge decks, and commercial/residential floors.
• BlockMaxx

Products and services

• G2G+ (Glass to Glass) Reclamation Technology Glass fiber reclamation service/product that captures glass fiber from end-of-life composites and converts it into virgin-quality reclaimed glass fiber (rGF) pellets and composite intermediates for automotive, aerospace, marine, construction, and wind energy manufacturers. Outputs also include ESG pyrolysis crude oil used as an alternative fuel or chemical precursor.
• CR Nano Pristine Graphene Nanoplatelets Pristine 1-3 layer graphene nanoplatelets sold in metric tonnes to global industrial partners for use in EV batteries, construction materials, metals, fuel cells, smart textiles, lubricants, plastics, and specialty coatings.
• Graphene Ballistic Armor Ultra-lightweight, flexible ballistic body and vehicle armor made from graphene composite materials, third-party tested at NIJ Level II, IIA, IIIA, and IV, marketed to law enforcement and military customers.
• ReadyMaxx Graphene Concrete Admixture Graphene-enhanced concrete admixture for precast products, 3D printing, shotcrete, seawalls, bridge decks, and commercial/residential floors, providing higher strength, reduced permeability, and lower cement usage.
• BlockMaxx Graphene Concrete Block Admixture Graphene-enhanced concrete block product engineered for precast and block construction applications, delivering superior water and chemical resistance and increased structural durability.
• Graphene Composite Coatings & Paints Graphene-enhanced specialty coatings and paints providing fire retardancy, UV protection, anti-fouling, anti-corrosion, anti-bacterial/anti-viral action, and friction reduction for marine, aerospace, construction, and oil & gas customers.
• Energy Storage Solutions Graphene-enabled materials for battery, covetic, alloy, and thermal film applications that boost battery life, decrease charge time, and improve thermal management in utility and energy applications.
• Elastomers & Lubricity Products Graphene-enhanced elastomer and lubrication formulations providing abrasion resistance, reduced friction, and improved durability for sport and industrial applications.
• Advanced Materials (Specialty Additives & Master-Batching) Custom specialty polymer, ceramic, and metallic additives with master-batching and materials selection services for polymeric and composite applications, including anti-bacterial/anti-viral coatings and nuclear industry materials.
• Graphene Enhanced Composites Graphene-enhanced resin and composite material solutions that improve mechanical integrity, flexural properties, hydrophobicity, fire retardancy, and enable tunable electrical/thermal conductivity.
• Graphene Enhanced Construction Materials Graphene-enhanced concrete and asphalt construction materials offering improved structural integrity, strength, electrical/thermal conductivity, and hydrophobicity for infrastructure applications.
• ESG Pyrolysis Crude Oil Pyrolysis oil produced as a by-product of the G2G+ reclamation process, sold or used as an alternative fuel source or as a precursor for next-generation polymers.
• Custom Master-Batching and Compounding Services Professional services for custom thermoplastic composite master-batching, compounding, modeling, design, and prototyping for extrusion, additive manufacturing, resin infusion, hand layup, VARTM, and other composite processes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 30% cement reduction in concrete mix designs using ReadyMaxx/BlockMaxx graphene admixtures
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 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

One partnership is on record.

• University of TennesseemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Researchers from the University of Tennessee and Carbon Rivers are jointly developing a pyrolysis method to reclaim fiberglass from retired wind turbine blades for use in automotive, consumer products, marine, and aerospace industries. This collaboration is connected to the DOE Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize award.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vestas: The world's largest wind turbine manufacturer, operating a Circularity program that recovers and recycles end-of-life turbine blades. Directly comparable to Carbon Rivers' G2G+ glass fiber reclamation technology as a competitor and potential partner in wind blade recycling.
• Siemens Gamesa: Major wind turbine OEM that has developed RecyclableBlade technology for full recyclability of wind turbine blades. Directly comparable to Carbon Rivers' pyrolysis-based composite reclamation approach as both a competitor and a potential offtake customer.
• ELG Carbon Fibre (Gen 2 Carbon): Leading recycler of carbon fiber composites (now part of Mitsubishi Chemical), producing reclaimed carbon fiber products for automotive, aerospace, and industrial markets. Directly comparable to Carbon Rivers' composite recycling and reclaimed fiber intermediate business.
• Carbon Conversions: US-based carbon fiber composite recycler that converts end-of-life carbon fiber scrap into reusable molded products for industrial applications. Directly comparable to Carbon Rivers' G2G+ reclamation technology as a domestic composite recycling peer.
• Graphenea: Leading graphene producer offering CVD graphene films, graphene oxide, and nanoplatelets for research and industrial markets. Directly comparable to Carbon Rivers' CR Nano division in pristine and few-layer graphene supply.
• XG Sciences: US-based producer of graphene nanoplatelets and xGnP graphene materials serving automotive, energy storage, and industrial coating applications. Directly comparable to Carbon Rivers' CR Nano graphene nanoplatelet business and downstream composite and coating uses.
• NanoXplore: Canadian graphene producer operating one of the largest graphene production facilities globally, supplying graphene-enhanced composites, batteries, and industrial materials. Directly comparable to Carbon Rivers' graphene production scale and downstream industrial integration strategy.
• Haydale Graphene Industries: UK-based supplier of functionalized graphene and other nano-materials for composites, coatings, and energy storage applications. Directly comparable to Carbon Rivers' CR Nano and graphene-enhanced composite product lines.
• Vorbeck Materials: US-based graphene materials company producing Vor-ink and other graphene-based conductive inks, composites, and coatings. Comparable to Carbon Rivers' graphene product platform as a US-based industrial graphene peer serving similar end-markets.

Emerging players

• Aditya Birla Composites Recycling: Diversified materials group with composite recycling initiatives including glass fiber recovery. Comparable to Carbon Rivers as an emerging player in circular composite materials, though operating from a much larger corporate parent.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carbon-rivers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Carbon Rivers