EarthClean

What EarthClean does

EarthClean (EarthClean LLC, also doing business as EarthClean Corporation) is a privately held specialty-chemical company founded in 2006 and headquartered in South St. Paul, Minnesota. The company develops, manufactures, and distributes TetraKO, a patented, corn-starch-based water enhancer technology that converts plain water into a shear-thinning hydrocolloid for Class-A fire suppression and wildland fire retardant applications. TetraKO is sold in two forms: TetraKO XL-P Granulate (dry powder packaged in sizes from 4-ounce bottles to 22-pound bags, mixed on-site with water) and TetraKO Liquid (a second-generation ready-to-use formula). The product is certified "ready biodegradable" (highest tier), non-toxic to mammals, fish, and plants, and works through standard firefighting equipment without modification.

EarthClean monetizes TetraKO as a one-time-purchase consumable through a distributor-led channel strategy. Distribution is anchored by an April 2017 strategic partnership with Angus Fire Limited, a 220-year-old global firefighting technology firm with reach into over 100 countries, and supplemented by a domestic distributor network plus direct sales to large organizations and government agencies. Customers span federal and state wildland firefighting agencies (USDA Forest Service, CAL FIRE, Los Angeles County Fire, French Forest Service), municipal fire departments (SBM, Montour, Ashby), conservation organizations (The Nature Conservancy), railway operators, and homeowners in wildfire-prone areas. EarthClean holds the first USDA Forest Service Qualified Product List (QPL) designation for a ready-biodegradable water enhancer and operates the Blue Sky / Green Earth agricultural extension program with Minnesota's AURI targeting spray adjuvant and crop freeze protection applications. Revenue figures, headcount beyond the 11-50 band, and funding history are not publicly disclosed; the only known capital inflow is a 2013 National Science Foundation grant of $178,097.

Name

EarthClean

Legal name

EarthClean LLC

Website

https://earthclean.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EarthClean is a Minnesota-based specialty-chemical company that develops and distributes TetraKO, a patented non-toxic cornstarch-based water enhancer used by wildland and municipal fire departments to suppress Class-A fires faster and with less water than conventional foams or retardants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Suppression Chemicals

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals (IMAEAJAA)

Keywords

• Firefighting water enhancer
• Wildland fire suppression
• Class A fire retardant
• Biodegradable fire suppressant
• Agricultural spray adjuvant

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: EarthClean sells its TetraKO water enhancer products directly through distributors and potentially directly to end customers. Products are sold in various packaging sizes ranging from 4-ounce bottles to 22-pound bags for mixing with water to create firefighting solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EarthClean manufactures and sells TetraKO, a patented, corn starch-based water enhancer that converts plain water into a hydrocolloid for Class-A fire suppression. The product line is delivered as TetraKO XL-P Granulate (in sizes from 4-oz bottles to 22-lb bags) and TetraKO Liquid, deployable through existing firefighting equipment such as extinguishers, backpack sprayers, skid units, trucks, and aircraft. The company targets municipal fire departments, federal/state wildland firefighting agencies, railway operators, and emerging agricultural applications via the Blue Sky / Green Earth initiative.

Product overview

EarthClean offers a unified product line centered on TetraKO, a patented corn starch-based water enhancer technology for firefighting applications. The portfolio consists of two core product forms: TetraKO XL-P Granulate (dry powder that mixes with water) and TetraKO Liquid (ready-to-use second-generation formula). Both products deliver fast fire knockdown and suppression of Class-A fires through a mechanism where the cornstarch-based formula traps moisture and releases a persistent water vapor curtain when exposed to fire. The products can be deployed through various existing firefighting equipment including extinguishers, backpack sprayers, skid units, trucks, and aircraft. EarthClean is also developing Blue Sky / Green Earth initiatives for agricultural applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TetraKO: Patented cornstarch-based water enhancer for firefighting applications, available in granulate and liquid forms. Provides fast knockdown and suppression of Class-A fires.

Products and services

• TetraKO XL-P Water Enhancer (Granulate) Patented, corn starch-based, dry firefighting water enhancer that mixes with water to provide fast knockdown and suppression of Class-A fires. Exhibits shear-thinning behavior allowing deployment through existing firefighting equipment including APW extinguishers, backpack sprayers, skid units, trucks, and air tankers. Packaged in sizes ranging from 4-oz bottles (for 2.5 gallons of water) up to 22-lb bags (for 500 gallons of water).
• TetraKO Liquid Ready-to-use, second-generation liquid form of EarthClean's TetraKO water enhancer technology for Class-A fire suppression. Designed to provide the same fast knockdown and persistent fire suppression as the granulate but in a liquid that can be metered directly into water sources without pre-mixing powder.
• Blue Sky / Green Earth Agricultural Concepts Series of patented, sustainable, non-toxic, biodegradable TetraKO-derived concepts for agricultural applications, including freeze protection for fruit trees, over-winter preservation of harvested crops, and use as a spray adjuvant to extend the effectiveness of fertilizers and agricultural chemicals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Heat calorie absorption up to 10 times more effective than water alone
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Angus Fire LimitedflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 April 2017EarthClean and Angus Fire announced a strategic partnership on April 12, 2017, to undertake joint marketing and exhibit together at FDIC (Fire Department Instructors Conference). Angus Fire is a global leader in firefighting technology with products traced back over 220 years and customers in over 100 countries. Through Angus Fire's unmatched development team and global distribution network, EarthClean sees excellent long-term synergies and new horizons for TetraKO water enhancer products.
• Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarthClean is working with Minnesota's Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) to test and develop new applications for TetraKO technology under the Blue Sky/Green Earth initiative, including agricultural applications such as crop protection from freezing and spray adjuvant uses.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Dr. Sthomson GmbH: Dr. Sthomson produces firefighting foam concentrates, wetting agents, and Class A additives distributed primarily in Europe. Comparable chemistry to TetraKO but with a regional (European) focus rather than direct wildland/US Forest Service competition.

Direct peers

• Perimeter Solutions: Perimeter Solutions is the dominant supplier of wildland fire retardants (PHOS-CHEK) and Class A/B foams. Directly competes with TetraKO for the same USDA Forest Service and municipal wildland suppression contracts with an established nationwide aerial and ground distribution system.
• National Foam: National Foam is a long-standing manufacturer of firefighting foam concentrates (Class A and B) used by municipal and wildland agencies. Competes in the same foam-concentrate, water-enhancer-adjacent category EarthClean targets, with established municipal specifications.
• Angus Fire: Angus Fire is EarthClean's global distribution partner and a 220+-year-old firefighting foam/equipment manufacturer with its own Class A and Class B foam product lines. It is both a partner and a competing foam supplier in markets outside North America.
• Chemguard: Chemguard manufactures firefighting foam concentrates and equipment, including environmentally-considered foam chemistries competing with TetraKO for municipal and industrial fire suppression specifications.
• Buckeye Fire Equipment: Buckeye manufactures portable and wheeled fire extinguishers plus Class A foam concentrates sold to municipal fire departments — overlapping distribution channels and customer base with EarthClean's municipal / wildland segments.
• Solberg (Perimeter Solutions): Solberg is a foam concentrate manufacturer acquired by Perimeter Solutions, producing Class A foams used in wildland and structural firefighting. Directly comparable product type (water-enhancing foam concentrate) to TetraKO.

Emerging players

• BioFire (clean-agent fire suppression): BioFire is an emerging fire suppression technology company focused on environmentally-considered suppression agents. Comparable as a newer entrant trying to displace incumbent chemistries in fire suppression, although it targets industrial/indoor rather than wildland.

Broad incumbents

• Amerex / UTC Fire & Security: Amerex is a large manufacturer of fire extinguishers and suppression hardware used by municipal fire departments. Same end buyer (fire departments) and overlapping distribution channel, but its core business is hardware, not chemistry.
• 3M Fire Protection: 3M offers fire protection products (Novec clean agents, fire-resistant films/coatings) as part of a much larger industrial safety portfolio. Overlaps with EarthClean in fire suppression chemistry but is not specialized in wildland retardant/water enhancers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earthclean-corp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 EarthClean