CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center
CISTAR is an NSF Engineering Research Center, hosted at Purdue University and operating across five partner universities, that develops catalytic, separation, and electrification technologies to convert light hydrocarbons into lower-carbon-footprint chemicals and fuels for an industry consortium.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersWest Lafayette, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center does
CISTAR (Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources) is a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center founded in 2017 and hosted at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. It operates as a coalition of five partner universities - Purdue University, University of New Mexico, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, and The University of Texas at Austin - and functions through four integrated pillars: research, engineering workforce development, industry and innovation, and societal impact. CISTAR's research mission is to develop catalytic, separation, and process-design technologies that convert light hydrocarbons (alkanes) into lower-carbon-footprint chemicals and transportation fuels via decarbonization of manufacturing, modular design, and electrification powered by renewable energy.
CISTAR's principal technical outputs include the Electric Reaction-Towers (ERTs) reactor architecture, developed at Purdue and supported by an ARPA-E grant with industry partner Susteon, which enables continuous chemical production on fluctuating renewable power; and a more economical process for converting natural gas liquids to liquid fuel. The center sustains an Industry Membership Program that enrolls enterprises across the chemical, energy, and agricultural value chains - including Dow, Braskem, Evonik, Corteva, SABIC, Air Liquide, Susteon, Precision Combustion, Swift Fuels, and Diamond Infrastructure Solutions - providing collaborative research access, talent pipelines, and technology-transfer pathways via the Innovation Academy. Workforce programs include CISTAR Graduate Fellows across all five sites, REU, RET, Young Scholar, and Undergraduate Fellows programs.
As a federally funded research center, CISTAR does not sell commercial products or services. Its operating budget is built on NSF ERC charter funding, DOE/ARPA-E research grants (including a $5.5M ARPA-E GREENWELLS award for sustainable aviation fuel), industry membership fees, and targeted industry contracts such as the Air Liquide Scientific Challenge Prize. Revenue mechanics are therefore grant- and membership-driven rather than transactional. CISTAR is in its ninth operating year as of 2026 and is actively pursuing international collaboration via Center-to-Center grants with Brazilian research centers CINE and RCGI.
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center
- Legal name
- CISTAR - Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources
- Website
- https://cistar.us
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CISTAR is an NSF Engineering Research Center, hosted at Purdue University and operating across five partner universities, that develops catalytic, separation, and electrification technologies to convert light hydrocarbons into lower-carbon-footprint chemicals and fuels for an industry consortium.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Engineering Research Services
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Third-Party Certification, Code Compliance & Regulatory Inspection (ASME/API/ISO) (EUAEAHAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD) (EDAAALAF)
Keywords
Where CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West Lafayette
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- NSF Engineering Research Center Funding: Primary funding from National Science Foundation as one of NSF's flagship Engineering Research Centers. ERCs bring together industry, academia, and government to cultivate engineering discovery in research areas critical to nation's strength.
- Industry Membership Program: Industry partners pay membership fees to join the industrial consortium, gaining access to research, talent pipeline, and collaborative innovation opportunities
- ARPA-E and DOE Research Grants: Federal research grants from Department of Energy and ARPA-E for specific research initiatives such as sustainable aviation fuel and decarbonization technologies
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels9 records
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CISTAR is an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center that conducts collaborative research, technology development, and workforce training focused on creating engineered systems to convert light hydrocarbons into lower carbon-footprint chemicals and transportation fuels. Its core deliverables include proprietary process technologies (such as Electric Reaction-Towers), industry-sponsored research through an industrial consortium membership program, and graduate/undergraduate education and training across five partner universities.
Product overview
CISTAR (Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources) is a NSF-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) focused on creating transformative engineered systems to convert light hydrocarbons into lower carbon footprint chemicals and transportation fuels. The center operates four pillars: research, engineering workforce development, industry and innovation, and societal impact. The core research product is the Electric Reaction-Towers (ERTs) technology. CISTAR offers multiple programs including graduate and undergraduate fellowships, Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), Research Experience for Teachers (RET), Young Scholar Program, an Industry Membership Program, and Innovation Academy. The center is a coalition of five universities: Purdue University, University of New Mexico, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, and The University of Texas at Austin.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Electric Reaction-Towers (ERTs) A novel chemical reactor technology designed to operate efficiently on fluctuating renewable power, enabling continuous production of fuels and chemicals from variable renewable energy sources. Targeted at industrial decarbonization and sustainable aviation fuel applications.
- Industry Membership Program (Industrial Consortium) A paid industry consortium membership program bringing together companies across the oil, gas, and chemical value chains to collaborate on research, access cutting-edge decarbonization and hydrocarbon conversion research, recruit talent, and engage in technology transfer opportunities.
- Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) to Liquid Fuel Conversion Process A novel, more economical process developed by CISTAR researchers for converting natural gas liquids into liquid transportation fuels. Targeted at industry partners in the oil, gas, and chemicals sectors.
Companies that use CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Precision Combustion, Inc.minorCompany that joined CISTAR as an Industry Member in 2023 as part of the industrial consortium.
- SABICcoreChemical company that joined CISTAR's Industrial Membership Program to access collaborative research and innovation.
- EvonikcoreSpecialty chemicals company that joined CISTAR as an Industry Member in May 2022, participating in the industrial consortium.
- CortevacoreAgricultural and chemical company that joined CISTAR as an Industry Member in May 2022, participating in the industrial consortium.
- DowcoreMajor chemical company that joined CISTAR's industrial consortium as an Industry Member to collaborate on research and access talent pipeline.
- BraskemcoreBrazilian chemical company that joined CISTAR's industrial consortium as an Industry Member.
- Purdue UniversitycoreLead institution and headquarters for CISTAR, one of NSF's flagship Engineering Research Centers. Integrates research, workforce development, industry partnerships, and societal impact programs.
- University of New MexicocoreOne of five partner universities in the CISTAR coalition, contributing research in catalysis and materials science including work by Abhaya Datye on catalyst technology.
- Northwestern UniversitycoreOne of five partner universities, home to Tobin Marks (Thrust 3 Lead) and key researchers in catalysis and polymer chemistry.
- University of Notre DamecoreOne of five partner universities contributing to CISTAR research in chemical engineering and catalysis.
- The University of Texas at AustincoreOne of five partner universities, home to Joan Brennecke and Benny Freeman who received 2025 Hill Prize in Engineering.
- Susteon Inc.coreStartup focused on developing and deploying decarbonization technologies joined CISTAR industrial consortium. Leading $5.5M ARPA-E GREENWELLS project with Purdue professors for sustainable aviation fuel production. Also collaborating on Electric Reaction-Towers technology.
- Air LiquidecoreFounding industrial consortium member with ongoing collaboration including scientific prize and three-year research contract with Prof. Can Li for market-ready sustainability technologies.
- Swift FuelsminorCISTAR member company that announced exclusive deal with Diamond Infrastructure Solutions for demonstration plant in Louisiana.
- Diamond Infrastructure SolutionsminorPartner in Swift Fuels demonstration plant project in Louisiana as announced by CISTAR member company.
- Center for Innovation on New Energies (CINE)coreBrazilian center partnered with CISTAR through Center-to-Center (C2C) grant for international collaboration on new energies research.
- Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RCGI)coreBrazilian research center partnered with CISTAR through C2C grant. CISTAR leadership visited UFRJ, University of São Paulo, RCGI, CINE, IPEN, Sirius at LNLS, and UFABC.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Air Liquide: Founding CISTAR industry member and global industrial gas and decarbonization technology provider. Operates comparable applied R&D programs in hydrogen, CO2 capture, and sustainable industrial processes, but as a major multinational corporation rather than an academic research consortium.
Broad incumbents
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): DOE national laboratory focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency R&D, including bioenergy, sustainable transportation, and renewable electricity. Much larger scope and budget than CISTAR but overlapping research areas in clean fuels and decarbonization.
- Argonne National Laboratory: DOE national laboratory with major catalysis, chemical engineering, and sustainable transportation research programs. Comparable scale and mission overlap with CISTAR's clean hydrocarbon transformation focus, including large-scale pilot facilities for energy R&D.
- National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL): DOE national laboratory focused on fossil energy research, including carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Directly comparable mission area for hydrocarbon processing and decarbonization research with significantly larger scale and federal funding base.
Regional players
- Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC): UK-based industrial-academic consortium focused on decarbonizing chemical and industrial processes. Comparable mission to CISTAR but operating primarily in the UK/European industrial ecosystem rather than the North American oil and gas value chain.
Emerging players
- Swift Fuels: CISTAR industry member commercializing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technologies. Direct collaboration partner on the announced Diamond Infrastructure Solutions demonstration plant project in Louisiana, translating CISTAR research into commercial deployment.
- Susteon Inc. Startup focused on developing and deploying decarbonization technologies including carbon capture, utilization, and hydrogen production. CISTAR industry partner and co-recipient of the ARPA-E GREENWELLS award for sustainable aviation fuel research with Purdue.
Direct peers
- RAPID Manufacturing Institute: AIChE-led, DOE-funded university-industry consortium focused on chemical process intensification. Closely comparable to CISTAR in operating model (multi-institutional consortium with industry membership program) and core focus area (chemical process R&D for energy applications).
- Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC): Former NSF Engineering Research Center at Iowa State University focused on converting renewable feedstocks into biorenewable chemicals. Direct predecessor in the NSF ERC ecosystem for chemical transformation research, with parallel multi-university structure and industry consortium model.
- Catalytic Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI): University of Delaware/Pitt-led DOE Energy Frontier Research Center focused on catalysis for sustainable chemical and fuel production. Closely comparable research focus (catalysis, separations) and multi-institutional academic-industry collaboration model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center social profiles
Digital presenceCISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center
What does CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center do?
CISTAR is an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center that conducts collaborative research, technology development, and workforce training focused on creating engineered systems to convert light hydrocarbons into lower carbon-footprint chemicals and transportation fuels. Its core deliverables include proprietary process technologies (such as Electric Reaction-Towers), industry-sponsored research through an industrial consortium membership program, and graduate/undergraduate education and training across five partner universities.
Is CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center a public or private company?
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center founded?
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center based?
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center is headquartered in West Lafayette, United States, in the North America region.
How does CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. NSF Engineering Research Center Funding is the primary driver. The others are industry Membership Program and ARPA-E and DOE Research Grants.
Who are CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center's main competitors?
Air Liquide is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Argonne National Laboratory and National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Swift Fuels and Susteon Inc.. Direct peers are RAPID Manufacturing Institute, Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC) and Catalytic Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI).
Does CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center.
What industry is CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center in?
CISTAR NSF Engineering Research Center's product category is Engineering Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAEAHAN, Third-Party Certification, Code Compliance & Regulatory Inspection (ASME/API/ISO), with a secondary code of EDAAALAF, Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8731.