Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST)
CCAST is a University of Connecticut-affiliated not-for-profit contract R&D center providing technology-agnostic membrane fabrication, testing, and consulting services to industrial, government, and federal clients across water treatment, gas separations, and air filtration.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersStorrs-Mansfield, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) does
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) is a not-for-profit contract research and development center operated by the University of Connecticut in Storrs-Mansfield, Connecticut. Founded in 2013 and reorganized under direct UConn ownership in June 2020 (previously Fraunhofer USA Center for Energy Innovation), the center delivers technology-agnostic R&D services to industrial and government clients across the separations industry, with primary focus on water treatment, desalination, gas separations, air filtration, and chemical processing. Core technical capabilities include membrane fabrication using electrospray 3D printing (enabling ultra-thin films down to ~100nm), mixed matrix membrane development with MOF and zeolite fillers, ceramic membrane testing through partnerships with Fraunhofer IKTS and Rauschert, and NIOSH-standard mask/PPE testing. The center is also a Deputy Topic Area lead for Materials & Manufacturing within the DOE's $100M National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) hub.
CCAST generates revenue through fee-for-service contract R&D, technology validation and benchmarking, custom separation equipment design and fabrication, and grant partnerships (including SBIR support for SMEs). Federal grants from NSF, DOE, USBR, and NAWI — alongside funding from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development — provide a substantial non-dilutive capital base, with Dr. McCutcheon having raised over $12M in research funding across his career and managing more than $25M in NAWI projects. The go-to-market model combines direct consultative sales to enterprise clients, recurring industry events (the annual Industrial Separations Workshop), and joint development agreements with technology companies and national labs. Customers span industrial water treatment (Memsift, M2 Thermal), healthcare/PPE (Aerospace Alloys), and municipal/government (Greater Lawrence Sanitation District), served by a core team of approximately five full-time staff plus a rotating cohort of PhD candidates and undergraduate researchers. The center has produced more than 90 refereed publications and 15+ patents through its leadership and team.
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST)
- Legal name
- Connecticut Center for Applied Separation Technologies (CCAST)
- Website
- https://ccast.uconn.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CCAST is a University of Connecticut-affiliated not-for-profit contract R&D center providing technology-agnostic membrane fabrication, testing, and consulting services to industrial, government, and federal clients across water treatment, gas separations, and air filtration.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Storrs-Mansfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Fee-for-Service Testing and R&D: CCAST executes fee-for-service work and applied R&D on behalf of clients. Services include testing for air filtration and PPE, membrane characterization, applications testing at bench/pilot scale, technology evaluation/validation, and customized system development. As a not-for-profit organization part of a public institution, they maintain reasonable costs while serving client interests.
- Federal and State Grant Partnerships: CCAST partners with various SMEs on SBIR grants and explores federal and state funding opportunities for development, validation, and deployment of new separations technologies. Dr. McCutcheon has extensive grant writing experience and has raised over $10M in funding from federal and industry sources.
- Technology Licensing and Validation: CCAST provides technology validation, benchmarking, and comparison services for commercial options. They also support joint development opportunities and publication of research findings when clients seek it.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Fee-for-Service Work and Applied R&D |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CCAST provides contract R&D, custom membrane fabrication, and standardized testing services for the separations industry across water, solvent, vapor, and gas applications. Offerings include electrospray 3D-printed membranes, ceramic and mixed matrix membrane development, bench-to-pilot scale process testing, NIOSH-aligned mask and respirator testing, and custom separation equipment design and fabrication. The center operates as a technology-agnostic, not-for-profit evaluator for industrial, government, and academic clients.
Product overview
CCAST offers a comprehensive portfolio of contract R&D and testing services for the separations industry. The core offerings include membrane fabrication and testing services (spanning water, solvent, vapor, and gas applications), mask/PPE testing, and customized separation equipment design and fabrication. These are supported by analytical resources, specialized consulting services, and partnership opportunities for federal and state grants. The organization is technology-agnostic and provides access to specialized technology platforms including ceramic, polymeric, and mixed matrix membranes, as well as ion exchange/adsorption solutions. CCAST also conducts active research projects in areas such as water treatment membranes, gas separation membranes, ion exchange membranes, wastewater treatment, solar desalination, and PFAS remediation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Membrane Fabrication Custom membrane fabrication services for air and liquid separation needs using various membrane configurations and fabrication techniques, including electrospray 3D-printed polyamide films.
- Membrane Testing Separation testing services spanning water, solvent, vapor, and gas applications from laboratory scale through prototype, pilot, and full-scale implementations.
- Mask/PPE Testing Testing services for mask materials to near NIOSH or NIOSH standards, including filtration media testing for personal protective equipment and N95/N99 respirator pre-certification.
- Separation Equipment Design & Fabrication Custom design and build of separation equipment tailored to unique application requirements that cannot be addressed by standardized systems.
- Standardized Separation Equipment Testing Comprehensive testing services using standardized equipment including gas permeation, pervaporation, membrane distillation, forward osmosis, reverse osmosis, and ultrafiltration/nanofiltration systems.
- Analytical Resources Access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure at the University of Connecticut, including materials characterization and liquids/gas analysis facilities for ion analysis, organics analysis, and water quality analyses.
- Specialized Consulting Services Technology-agnostic assessment of technologies for client needs, technical diligence services, and technical pain point consultation across industry sectors.
- Fee-for-Service Work and Applied R&D Contract R&D services including air filtration testing, mask material testing, membrane characterization, technology validation, and customized bench or pilot scale testing.
- Specialized Technology Platforms Technology-agnostic platform offerings including ceramic membranes, polymeric membranes, mixed matrix membranes, air filtration/PPE materials, and ion exchange/adsorption solutions.
- Customized Separations Solutions Tailored solutions for desalination/water treatment, membrane solutions, resource recovery, non-aqueous liquid separations, air/gas filtration, and vapor/gas separations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Ultra-thin defect-free films as little as 100nm in thickness
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST)
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Memsift Innovations Pte LtdcoreSingapore-based company specializing in thermal separation processes and STOMATE membranes for brine treatment and zero liquid discharge solutions. MOU established for application studies and pilot trials of Memsift technologies in North America.
- BarclaysminorPartnered with Mazarine Ventures and Barclays to hold exclusive luncheon venture meetings across the United States on water challenges topics including upstream oil and gas, lead contamination, PFAS, and food and beverage technologies.
- Future FrogmenminorFuture Frogmen fosters ocean ambassadors and future leaders through education, communication and action. It is a community of like-minded environmental stewards working to improve public awareness and appreciation of earth's waters.
- Fraunhofer IKTScorePartnership with ceramic membrane producer Fraunhofer IKTS provides CCAST access to a variety of ceramic membranes for many different separations processes where polymeric membranes cannot operate.
- National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI)coreNAWI is a $100M hub on desalination technology funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. CCAST is involved as Deputy Topic Area lead for Materials & Manufacturing, managing over $25M in projects.
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)coreCollaborating entity on hydrophobic ceramic membrane development for vacuum membrane distillation and solar thermal collection technology projects.
- Oak Ridge National LaboratorycoreCollaborating entity on ceramic membrane development for solar-driven membrane distillation applications.
- RauschertcorePartnership with Rauschert provides access to ceramic membrane products and InnoMini testing equipment for various separations processes.
- Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering (UConn)coreUniversity center providing access to state-of-the-art analytical testing equipment and facilities for liquid/gas analysis and materials characterization.
- Connecticut Center for Clean Energy Engineering (UConn)coreUniversity center providing analytical testing facilities and research infrastructure support for CCAST operations.
- Institute of Materials Science (UConn)coreUniversity institute providing access to advanced materials characterization facilities including NMR, AFM, and TEM equipment.
- Innovation Partnership Building at UConn Tech ParkcoreUConn Tech Park facility providing additional research infrastructure and analytical testing capabilities for CCAST projects.
- Professor Baikun Li (UConn Civil & Environmental Engineering)coreCollaborative project on printing ion-selective membranes onto carbon electrodes to create sensors for ammonium, nitrate, and metal contaminants in municipal, industrial, and mining wastewaters.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Eurodia Industrie: European membrane separation and ion-exchange system provider. Comparable to CCAST's industrial water treatment, chemical processing, and separation technology offerings, though operating primarily in EMEA.
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): U.S. DOE national lab with active collaboration with CCAST on solar-driven membrane distillation. Comparable as a federally funded research entity running pilot-scale water and membrane programs, though at much larger scope.
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory: DOE national lab collaborating with CCAST on ceramic membrane development. Comparable as a publicly funded research partner with deep analytical and pilot capabilities for advanced separation technologies.
Broad incumbents
- Battelle Memorial Institute: Major non-profit applied science organization managing national laboratories and offering contract R&D, testing, and technology validation. Similar institutional model and revenue mix to CCAST, but at vastly greater scale and across many industries.
- RTI International: Large non-profit research institute providing contract R&D and laboratory services across multiple domains. Comparable to CCAST as a university/spin-out-affiliated non-profit that monetizes scientific capabilities via fee-for-service and federal grants.
Emerging players
- Porogen Corporation: Membrane technology company focused on porous polymeric membranes for separation applications. Adjacent peer given shared emphasis on custom membrane fabrication and applied membrane R&D.
- Hydration Technology Innovations (HTI): Membrane company known for forward osmosis and water treatment technologies. Comparable to CCAST's portfolio in forward osmosis, membrane distillation, and applied water separations R&D.
- Compact Membrane Systems: Private company developing advanced membrane platforms for industrial gas and chemical separations. Comparable to CCAST's mixed-matrix and polymeric membrane R&D focus, particularly in gas and vapor separations.
Direct peers
- Fraunhofer USA: U.S. arm of the German Fraunhofer network of applied research centers. CCAST was formerly the Fraunhofer USA Center for Energy Innovation, so it shares the same applied-R&D-for-industry model, funding structure, and operating philosophy.
- Membrane Technology and Research (MTR): Private membrane R&D company specializing in membrane separation and gas separation technologies. Closely comparable to CCAST's core competency in polymeric and mixed-matrix membranes for gas, vapor, and liquid separations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) social profiles
Digital presenceConnecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) 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 Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST)
What does Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) do?
CCAST provides contract R&D, custom membrane fabrication, and standardized testing services for the separations industry across water, solvent, vapor, and gas applications. Offerings include electrospray 3D-printed membranes, ceramic and mixed matrix membrane development, bench-to-pilot scale process testing, NIOSH-aligned mask and respirator testing, and custom separation equipment design and fabrication. The center operates as a technology-agnostic, not-for-profit evaluator for industrial, government, and academic clients.
Is Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) a public or private company?
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) founded?
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) based?
Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) is headquartered in Storrs-Mansfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fee-for-Service Testing and R&D is the primary driver. The others are federal and State Grant Partnerships and technology Licensing and Validation.
Who are Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST)'s main competitors?
Regional players on record are Eurodia Industrie, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Broad incumbents are Battelle Memorial Institute and RTI International. Emerging players are Porogen Corporation, Hydration Technology Innovations (HTI) and Compact Membrane Systems. Direct peers are Fraunhofer USA and Membrane Technology and Research (MTR).
Does Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST).