BOTTLE
BOTTLE is a U.S. Department of Energy research consortium that develops chemical and biological upcycling technologies for plastics and designs recyclable-by-design polymers, serving industry partners across the plastics value chain through pre-negotiated CRADA agreements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersGolden, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What BOTTLE does
BOTTLE (Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment) is a U.S. Department of Energy multi-organization research consortium launched in 2020 and led by the National Laboratory of the Rockies. It is not a product company; its mission is to develop new chemical upcycling strategies for today's plastics and to redesign tomorrow's plastics to be recyclable-by-design. The consortium integrates six national laboratories (NLR/NREL, Argonne, Oak Ridge, SLAC, plus associated labs) and four universities (MIT, Northwestern, Colorado State, UPR-Mayagüez, UW-Madison), with University of Portsmouth as the first international partner. BOTTLE organizes research into three core tasks (Deconstruction, Building Blocks, Redesign) supported by three crosscutting activities (Analysis, Characterization, Modeling).
The consortium's technical platform spans selective catalytic deconstruction (reductive, oxidative, and homogeneous catalysis targeting polyolefins, mixed plastics, and C-O/C-N-linked polymers), enzymatic depolymerization and biocatalysis, and a proprietary polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) platform for recyclable-by-design polymers. World-class characterization infrastructure (SLAC synchrotron beamlines, advanced mass spectrometry, ASTM biodegradation assays) and rigorous techno-economic and life cycle assessment tooling (Aspen Plus, SimaPro with ecoinvent/TRACI) underpin the research.
BOTTLE's revenue model is government appropriation rather than commercial sales. It is funded by the DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office and Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office, with $25M announced in March 2020 and an additional $27M in October 2020. Industry partners (Amazon, The North Face, Patagonia, P&G, Kraft Heinz, BASF, Syensqo, Lululemon) co-fund and direct research through pre-negotiated Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), receiving first option to exclusive license subject inventions and access to national-lab facilities and researchers.
BOTTLE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BOTTLE
- Legal name
- BOTTLE (Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment)
- Website
- https://bottle.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- BOTTLE is a U.S. Department of Energy research consortium that develops chemical and biological upcycling technologies for plastics and designs recyclable-by-design polymers, serving industry partners across the plastics value chain through pre-negotiated CRADA agreements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where BOTTLE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Golden
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
BOTTLE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- U.S. Department of Energy Funding: BOTTLE is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Bioenergy Technologies Office and Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office. Initial funding was $25 million announced in March 2020, with additional $27 million announced in October 2020.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
BOTTLE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BOTTLE is a U.S. Department of Energy research consortium that develops chemical and biological upcycling technologies for plastics, including enzymatic depolymerization, catalytic deconstruction, and redesign of polymers for recyclability. It does not sell commercial products; instead, it offers collaborative R&D programs through CRADA (Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) mechanisms, where industry partners fund and direct research projects and receive exclusive license options for resulting inventions. The consortium provides access to national laboratory and university researchers, world-class characterization facilities, and techno-economic and life cycle analysis capabilities.
Product overview
BOTTLE (Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment) is a U.S. Department of Energy multi-organization research consortium—not a product company. It does not offer commercial products for sale. The consortium provides collaborative R&D programs, world-class characterization facilities, and partnership opportunities through CRADA agreements. The consortium's research is organized into three core research tasks (Deconstruction, Building Blocks, Redesign) and three crosscutting activities (Analysis, Characterization, Modeling). BOTTLE members gain access to national laboratory and university researchers, prenegotiated CRADA agreements, and first option to license subject inventions developed during collaborative projects. The consortium does not manufacture or sell physical products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BOTTLE Consortium Industry Partnership Program (CRADA-based) Collaborative R&D engagement allowing enterprise companies to direct funding to research projects they select, access national laboratory and university researchers and facilities, and receive a first option to exclusive license for subject inventions developed during their projects.
Companies that use BOTTLE
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
BOTTLE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
BOTTLE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BOTTLE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Eastman Chemical: Large specialty chemical company that has commercialized methanolysis-based chemical recycling for PET and polyester, representing the most credible scaled incumbent pursuing pathways analogous to BOTTLE's catalytic deconstruction and polymer upcycling research.
Direct peers
- Carbios: French biotech company developing enzyme-based depolymerization technologies for PET and other plastics, most comparable to BOTTLE's enzymatic depolymerization research thrust and CRADA-style industry partner model with major CPG brands.
- Plastic Energy: Commercial-scale chemical recycling company using thermal anaerobic depolymerization to convert mixed plastic waste into feedstock for new plastics, pursuing the same end-of-life value chain that BOTTLE targets through its deconstruction research.
- Origin Materials: Public company developing biomass-derived chemicals and recyclable-by-design polymers, comparable to BOTTLE's Redesign research task targeting bio-based, recyclable polymer chemistries.
- Brightmark: Company pursuing plastics-to-fuel and advanced recycling pathways, overlapping with BOTTLE's deconstruction and chemical catalysis research focus areas.
- Ioniqa Technologies: Dutch company using catalytic depolymerization to upcycle PET waste into virgin-grade monomers, with similar technology focus to BOTTLE's homogeneous catalysis research for C-O linked polymer depolymerization.
- Novoloop: Chemical recycling startup where BOTTLE CTO Kat Knauer previously led Materials Innovation R&D; directly comparable as an early-stage venture developing catalytic upcycling of polyethylene waste into performance-advantaged materials.
- Loop Industries: Company developing proprietary depolymerization technology to break down PET and polyester into monomer building blocks for virgin-quality plastic, directly aligned with BOTTLE's Building Blocks research task.
- Agilyx: Pioneer in chemical recycling of polystyrene and mixed plastics waste into styrene monomers, directly comparable to BOTTLE's catalytic deconstruction and building-blocks research thrust.
Emerging players
- Cyclyx International: Joint venture focused on feedstock aggregation and preparation for advanced/chemical recyclers, serving as an enabler in the same plastics-to-feedstock value chain that BOTTLE's technologies are designed to serve.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BOTTLE social profiles
Digital presenceBOTTLE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BOTTLE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles25 records
BOTTLE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BOTTLE 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 BOTTLE
What does BOTTLE do?
BOTTLE is a U.S. Department of Energy research consortium that develops chemical and biological upcycling technologies for plastics, including enzymatic depolymerization, catalytic deconstruction, and redesign of polymers for recyclability. It does not sell commercial products; instead, it offers collaborative R&D programs through CRADA (Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) mechanisms, where industry partners fund and direct research projects and receive exclusive license options for resulting inventions. The consortium provides access to national laboratory and university researchers, world-class characterization facilities, and techno-economic and life cycle analysis capabilities.
Is BOTTLE a public or private company?
BOTTLE is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was BOTTLE founded?
BOTTLE was founded in 2020. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is BOTTLE based?
BOTTLE is headquartered in Golden, United States, in the North America region.
How does BOTTLE make money?
One revenue line is on record: U.S. Department of Energy Funding.
Who are BOTTLE's main competitors?
Eastman Chemical is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Carbios, Plastic Energy, Origin Materials, Brightmark, Ioniqa Technologies, Novoloop, Loop Industries and Agilyx. Cyclyx International is listed as an emerging player.
Does BOTTLE have an API?
No public API is recorded for BOTTLE.