Sadoway Labs Foundation
Sadoway Labs Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization that develops extreme electrochemistry technologies for industrial decarbonization, licensing and co-developing processes for energy storage, CO2 destruction, aluminum recycling, and rare earth metals with industrial partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sadoway Labs Foundation does
Sadoway Labs Foundation (SLF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization founded by MIT professor emeritus Donald R. Sadoway and based in Watertown, Massachusetts. The organization develops extreme electrochemistry (XE) technologies — electrochemical processes that operate in non-aqueous systems such as molten salts, frequently at temperatures above 1000°F — to replace carbon-dependent industrial processes with electricity-driven alternatives. Its technology portfolio comprises four core platforms: the Whole Earth Battery (a battery operating from -100°C to +70°C without thermal management), the CO2 Zapper (point-source CO2 conversion into products or sequestrable solids), a low-temperature electrochemical aluminum recycling process, and a high-temperature electrolysis process for rare earth metal extraction that eliminates traditional leaching, solvent extraction, and calcining waste streams.
SLF's commercial model is structured around three enterprise-facing monetization channels — technology licensing, milestone-based sponsored research, and non-exclusive subscription access to its research portfolio — in addition to philanthropic donations to its 501(c)(3). Target customers are CTOs, R&D leaders, engineering managers, and technical VPs in hard-to-abate industrial sectors (steel, aluminum, cement, automotive), and SLF positions its XE platform as delivering cost-competitive electrification at or below legacy system pricing. The go-to-motion is relationship-driven, combining co-development partnerships (e.g., Hatch as a core strategic partner), Lunch + Learn events, content marketing, and direct outreach via [email protected]. SLF also operates an education pillar aimed at revitalizing extreme electrochemistry expertise, addressing what it describes as a multi-decade underutilization of the field by both academia and industry.
Sadoway Labs Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sadoway Labs Foundation
- Legal name
- Sadoway Labs Foundation
- Website
- https://sadowaylabs.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sadoway Labs Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization that develops extreme electrochemistry technologies for industrial decarbonization, licensing and co-developing processes for energy storage, CO2 destruction, aluminum recycling, and rare earth metals with industrial partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sadoway Labs Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Electrochemistry / Industrial Decarbonization
- NAICS
- Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (33141), Chemical Manufacturing (325)
- SIC
- Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Precious & Specialty Metal Recovery (Smelting, Refining, Hydrometallurgy) (EUAIAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Industrial Carbon Capture Integration & Retrofit Engineering (Capture-Ready, Balance-of-Plant) (EUABAJAJ), Thermal Energy Storage for Industry (Molten Salt, PCM, Steam/Hot Water Storage) (EUABAJAG), Battery Raw Materials Mining & Refining (Lithium, Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese, Graphite) (EUAFABAA)
Keywords
Where Sadoway Labs Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sadoway Labs Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Technology Licensing: Licensing of proprietary extreme electrochemistry technologies to companies seeking to integrate XE into existing operations or new product lines. Provides access to patented IP, scale-up support, process integration guidance, and technical expertise for commercialization.
- Sponsored Research: Collaborative R&D programs with companies targeting specific technical challenges in metals, chemicals, and materials. Structured to deliver defined technical milestones, access to electrochemical expertise, custom reactor development, and clear pathways to IP generation and commercialization.
- Subscription Access: Non-exclusive subscription providing broad access to ongoing research portfolio, including early visibility into emerging technologies, participation in shared research forums and technical reviews, opportunities to shape pre-competitive research directions, and access to data and technical findings across multiple programs.
- Philanthropic Donations: Nonprofit receiving tax-deductible donations from individuals, foundations, and mission-aligned organizations to advance foundational research and talent development in extreme electrochemistry.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One-time | Tax-deductible donation tiers for supporting nonprofit research mission |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sadoway Labs Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sadoway Labs Foundation develops and licenses extreme electrochemistry (XE) technologies for industrial decarbonization, including the Whole Earth Battery (broad-temperature energy storage), CO2 Zapper (greenhouse gas conversion), low-temperature aluminum recycling, and high-temperature rare earth metal extraction. These proprietary technologies are commercialized through technology licensing, sponsored research collaborations, and subscription access to its research portfolio, targeting hard-to-abate industrial sectors such as steel, aluminum, cement, and automotive.
Product overview
Sadoway Labs Foundation is a scientific research nonprofit developing extreme electrochemical technologies for industrial decarbonization. The organization offers a portfolio of four core technology platforms: the Whole Earth Battery (extreme temperature battery for energy storage), CO2 Zapper (greenhouse gas destruction), Aluminum Recycling Technology (low-temperature electrolytic aluminum recycling), and Rare Earth Metals Production (high-temperature electrolysis for REEs). These technologies are available for license, and the organization also offers sponsored research programs and subscription models for early access to innovations. The company operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on advancing industrial electrification through extreme electrochemistry (XE), which operates in non-aqueous systems such as molten salts above 1000°F.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Whole Earth Battery
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% fewer CO2 emissions compared to traditional aluminum recycling
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sadoway Labs Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sadoway Labs Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sadoway Labs Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- HatchcoreGlobal engineering and consulting firm partnering with Sadoway Labs to discover new technologies for an electrified global industry. The collaboration accelerates development of next-generation electrochemical technologies supporting electrification of heavy industry while reducing emissions, designed to work at or below cost of existing legacy systems. Hatch CEO John Bianchini serves as Hatch Chair.
- Swinburne University of TechnologyminorLogo displayed on partner page indicating some form of academic collaboration or partnership in research and education initiatives.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sadoway Labs Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Charm Industrial: Converts biogenic CO2 into stable liquid for sequestration. Competes with the CO2 Zapper for industrial emitters seeking permanent CO2 removal/utilization pathways.
- Boston Metal: Commercializes molten oxide electrolysis for metals production, including green steel and critical materials. Closest commercial analog to SLF's high-temperature electrochemical metals platform.
- Ambri: Develops liquid metal batteries for grid-scale storage. Direct technology lineage from Donald Sadoway's MIT lab; competes for the same long-duration storage customers SLF targets with the Whole Earth Battery.
- Twelve: CO2 electrolysis platform converting captured carbon into chemicals and fuels. Direct competitor to SLF's CO2 Zapper for industrial point-source CO2 utilization customers.
- Electra: Electrochemical CO2-to-chemicals platform focused on industrial decarbonization. Targets the same hard-to-abate sectors (cement, steel) with a comparable CO2 conversion approach to SLF's CO2 Zapper.
- Phoenix Tailings: Produces rare earth metals and other critical materials using electrochemical processes. Direct competitor in SLF's rare earth metals production vertical, with similar sustainability positioning.
Emerging players
- Form Energy: Long-duration iron-air battery developer targeting grid-scale storage. Competes with the Whole Earth Battery for utility-scale decarbonization customers and decarbonization-driven procurement budgets.
- Heliogen: Concentrated solar thermal technology for industrial process heat decarbonization. Competes for the same hard-to-abate industrial customers (steel, cement) seeking non-fossil-fuel process energy.
Regional players
- REEtec: Norway-based rare earth element producer using electrochemical separation. Competes in the same REE supply chain SLF targets, though primarily serves European customers.
Broad incumbents
- LanzaTech: Gas fermentation platform converting industrial emissions into fuels and chemicals. Larger, more commercially established player addressing the same industrial decarbonization customers SLF targets across steel, cement, and chemicals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sadoway Labs Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceSadoway Labs Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sadoway Labs Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sadoway Labs Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sadoway Labs Foundation 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 Sadoway Labs Foundation
What does Sadoway Labs Foundation do?
Sadoway Labs Foundation develops and licenses extreme electrochemistry (XE) technologies for industrial decarbonization, including the Whole Earth Battery (broad-temperature energy storage), CO2 Zapper (greenhouse gas conversion), low-temperature aluminum recycling, and high-temperature rare earth metal extraction. These proprietary technologies are commercialized through technology licensing, sponsored research collaborations, and subscription access to its research portfolio, targeting hard-to-abate industrial sectors such as steel, aluminum, cement, and automotive.
Is Sadoway Labs Foundation a public or private company?
Sadoway Labs Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sadoway Labs Foundation founded?
Sadoway Labs Foundation was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sadoway Labs Foundation based?
Sadoway Labs Foundation is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sadoway Labs Foundation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Technology Licensing is the primary driver. The others are sponsored Research, subscription Access and philanthropic Donations.
Who are Sadoway Labs Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Charm Industrial, Boston Metal, Ambri, Twelve, Electra and Phoenix Tailings. Emerging players are Form Energy and Heliogen. REEtec is listed as a regional player. LanzaTech is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Sadoway Labs Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sadoway Labs Foundation.
What industry is Sadoway Labs Foundation in?
Sadoway Labs Foundation's product category is Industrial Electrochemistry / Industrial Decarbonization. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAIAD, Precious & Specialty Metal Recovery (Smelting, Refining, Hydrometallurgy), with a secondary code of EUABAJAJ, Industrial Carbon Capture Integration & Retrofit Engineering (Capture-Ready, Balance-of-Plant). Its NAICS code is 33141 and its SIC code is 3620.