TY GEM

What TY GEM does

6K Inc. is a sustainable advanced materials company that commercializes proprietary UniMelt microwave plasma technology originating from MIT and University of Connecticut research. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in North Andover, Massachusetts, the company operates two primary business divisions: 6K Additive produces premium metal powders for additive manufacturing (including nickel superalloys Ni718/Ni625, titanium Ti6Al4V, stainless steel SS316L, copper C18150, refractory metals like tungsten, niobium C103, rhenium, molybdenum, tantalum, and high-entropy alloys like HEA1000), while 6K Energy produces cathode active materials (NMC811, NMC721, LFP) for lithium-ion batteries. The Ty-Gem titanium compacts sub-brand serves the global aluminum industry, with the company claiming the largest North American Ti compact producer position at over 1M pounds annually. UniMelt operates at 6,000 degrees with 99% microwave-to-plasma efficiency, producing materials in under 2 seconds versus traditional multi-day batch processes, achieving 74-91% energy reduction and 78-92% carbon reduction versus traditional methods while supporting 100% recycled feedstock inputs.

The company operates three primary locations: North Andover, MA (corporate headquarters and 6K Energy Battery Center of Excellence), Burgettstown, PA (6K Additive production facility with UniMelt systems), and Jackson, TN (full-scale PlusCAM battery material plant under construction for mid-2025 production start). 6K serves aerospace & defense (Lockheed Martin, NASA, Firefly Aerospace, RTX/Raytheon, TRUMPF, Morf3D, Incodema3D), automotive & EV battery (major OEMs via 30+ Li-ion ecosystem partners), aluminum industry, and industrial/medical segments. The company is ISO 9001-2015 certified, holds IRA compliance for both LFP and NMC cathode materials, and has secured significant DoD funding including a $23.4M DPA Title III grant. Revenue is generated through direct enterprise sales with quote-based pricing on multi-year contracts, supplemented by government grants and an international channel partner network spanning UK, Ireland, India, Turkey, Israel, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

Since founding, 6K has raised approximately $107M in disclosed equity across Series B, B-2, and E rounds, with additional non-dilutive funding from DoD, DOE, and America Makes grants. Key strategic milestones include the May 2019 acquisition of AL Solutions (rebranded as 6K Additive), the March 2020 launch of 6K Energy, September 2024 Series E close and CEO transition to Dr. Saurabh Ullal, and April 2026 7-year CRG Defense battery supply partnership. The company is venture-backed with investors including Anzu Partners, Energy Impact Partners, LaunchCapital, Material Impact, and Volta Energy Technologies, and has been recognized by Forbes (America's Best Startup Employers 2024), Time Magazine (Americas Top GreenTech Companies 2024), Fast Company (World's Most Innovative Companies 2024), and the Silicon Valley Defense Group NATSEC100.

Name

TY GEM

Legal name

6K Inc.

Website

https://6kinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

6K Inc. commercializes proprietary UniMelt microwave plasma technology to produce sustainable advanced materials, operating 6K Additive (premium metal powders for additive manufacturing) and 6K Energy (IRA-compliant cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries), serving aerospace, defense, and automotive customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

North Andover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Revenue model

1. 6K Additive Metal Powders: Sale of premium spherical metal powders for additive manufacturing including nickel (Ni718, Ni625), titanium (Ti64), copper (C18150), stainless steel (SS316L), tungsten, niobium C103, rhenium, molybdenum, tantalum, and high-entropy alloys. Also includes angular powders for thermal spray, MIM, and other applications.
2. Ty-Gem Titanium Compacts: Sale of titanium alloying additions (compacts) to primary and secondary aluminum producers worldwide. 6K Additive is the largest Ti compact producer in North America, producing over 1 million pounds annually.
3. 6K Energy Battery Materials: Production and sale of cathode active materials (CAM) including NMC811, NMC721, and LFP for lithium-ion batteries. Materials are IRA compliant and actively being sampled by major OEMs and battery cell producers.
4. Government Grants and Contracts: Funded by Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency, Department of Energy, and America Makes grants for specific development programs in critical materials and defense applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TY GEM is referenced as operating an online Go (board game) server, providing a digital environment where players can play Go online. The input supplied no further detail on features, matchmaking, tournaments, monetization, or supporting technology.

Product overview

6K Inc. is a sustainable advanced materials company powered by its proprietary UniMelt microwave plasma technology platform. The company operates two primary business divisions: 6K Additive produces premium metal powders for additive manufacturing from sustainable sources (including nickel superalloys Ni718 and Ni625, titanium Ti6Al4V, stainless steel SS316L, copper C18150, refractory metals like tungsten, niobium C103, and high-entropy alloys like HEA1000), while 6K Energy produces battery cathode active materials (including IRA-compliant NMC811, NMC721, and LFP) for lithium-ion batteries. The UniMelt platform enables production in under 2 seconds at 6,000 degrees with 91-92% energy and carbon reduction versus traditional methods. The company's Ty-Gem titanium compacts division serves the aluminum industry, and the PlusCAM manufacturing plant (Jackson, TN) represents its flagship battery material production facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Go Server

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% energy reduction and 92% carbon emissions reduction for nickel powder production
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• CRG DefensecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026Seven-year strategic collaboration for domestic battery supply chain for mission-critical defense systems. 6K Energy supplying single crystal NMC811 cathode material with additional capacity from PlusCAM facility in Jackson, TN coming online in 2028. Supports NDAA compliance requirements.
• TRUMPFcoreTechnology or Integration · 2 April 2025TRUMPF qualified 6K Additive's titanium metal powder for use in TruPrint additive manufacturing systems. Supports aerospace customers with premium titanium powder and environmental footprint metrics.
• EOScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2025America Makes sustainability and environmental benefits project for additive manufacturing. Part of $2.1M project including Texas A&M University, 3Degrees, Wichita State University/NIAR. Focus on sustainable production practices and material reutilization.
• America Makes / CastheoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2024PADAM project for powder alloy development of niobium C-103 for laser powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition. Part of $6M PADAM project funded by Air Force Research Laboratory. Partners include Castheon (project lead), NASA Glenn Research Center, NSL Analytical, Lockheed Martin, and Firefly Aerospace.
• RTX Technology Research Center / University of ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2024America Makes EARTH project for sustainable aerospace and defense additive manufacturing. Total project value $1.2M funded by OSD(R&E). Goal to increase deposition rate by 2X and reduce feedstock production energy by 75%.
• Broder Metals GroupsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 June 2024Distribution partner for UK and Ireland covering 6K Additive's full suite of additive manufacturing metal powders.
• Advance Metal PowdersecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 June 2024Distribution partner for India covering 6K Additive's full suite of additive manufacturing metal powders.
• Infotron/PlastoselsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 June 2024Distribution partner for Turkey covering 6K Additive's full suite of additive manufacturing metal powders.
• Intelligent AMsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 June 2024Agent partner for Israel, UAE, and Saudi Arabia covering 6K Additive's full suite of additive manufacturing metal powders.
• Seurat TechnologiessecondaryTechnology or Integration · 11 March 2024Seurat qualified 6K Additive's 316L stainless steel powder for metal 3D printing. Enables low-carbon stainless steel for additive manufacturing applications.
• Morf3DsecondaryTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2023Qualification of 6K Additive's Nickel 718 powder for aerospace and defense applications. Achieved 2X reduction in powder porosity compared to legacy data.
• Incodema3DsecondaryTechnology or Integration · 1 December 2022Strategic supplier relationship for sustainable nickel 625 powders for aerospace and defense applications. Annual usage of 30,000 kgs of nickel 625. Includes powder supply and recycling services.
• Relativity SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2020Partnership to develop AM rocket parts for space applications using sustainable materials. Focus on producing rocket propulsion components with reduced environmental impact.
• Aqua MetalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2020Strategic supply agreement to establish North America's first sustainable lithium battery supply chain. Combines Aqua Metals' sustainable lithium recycling with 6K Energy's plasma production technology.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Höganäs AB: Höganäs is the world's largest producer of metal powders, supplying iron and stainless-steel powders for sintering and additive manufacturing. It competes with 6K Additive across multiple powder chemistries and has decades of customer qualifications across automotive and industrial segments.
• Sandvik AB (Sandvik Additive Manufacturing): Sandvik offers a broad portfolio of metal powders for additive manufacturing including Osprey® titanium, nickel, and stainless-steel grades, with integrated printing and post-processing capabilities. It directly overlaps with 6K Additive's AM powder portfolio but adds printer and post-processing equipment.
• Materion Corporation: Materion is a diversified specialty materials producer serving aerospace, defense, automotive, and energy markets with high-performance alloys including beryllium, noble metals, and engineered metal powders. It is comparable to 6K Additive as a long-qualified specialty-alloy supplier to aerospace and defense customers.
• Umicore SA: Umicore is a global materials technology company and one of the largest producers of battery cathode materials, recycling services, and automotive catalysts. It is a broad incumbent competitor to 6K Energy in NMC and LFP CAM at much larger scale and with a global manufacturing footprint.
• Carpenter Technology Corporation: Carpenter Technology is a large, established producer of specialty alloys and metal powders for aerospace, defense, medical, and energy markets. It competes directly with 6K Additive in premium nickel and titanium powders via its Carpenter Additive business, but operates at much larger scale across a broader alloy portfolio.
• Oerlikon AM (Oerlikon Balzers / Metco): Oerlikon's surface solutions and additive manufacturing division produces metal powders for AM, thermal spray, and other applications. It is one of the largest global suppliers of metal powders for aerospace and industrial applications and competes with 6K Additive in titanium, nickel, and refractory metal powders.

Emerging players

• Forge Nano: Forge Nano applies Atomic Layer Deposition coating technology to battery materials, catalysts, and additive manufacturing powders. It intersects with 6K Energy in advanced battery-material engineering and shares a similar focus on US-domestic, defense-supported clean-tech materials.
• Pyrogenesis Canada Inc. Pyrogenesis offers plasma-based processes for metal powder production, additive manufacturing powders, and waste-to-energy applications. Its NexGen™ plasma atomization competes with 6K's UniMelt® microwave plasma in producing premium spherical metal powders for AM, though at smaller commercial scale.

Direct peers

• Ascend Elements: Ascend Elements is a direct competitor to 6K Energy in sustainable, domestically produced lithium-ion battery cathode active materials. It uses a Hydro-to-Cathode™ direct precursor synthesis process to produce recycled-content NMC and is positioned similarly to 6K Energy as an IRA-compliant domestic CAM supplier.
• Nano One Materials Corp. Nano One is a Canadian clean-tech company developing patented processes for low-cost, low-environmental-impact production of lithium-ion battery cathode materials including NMC and LFP. It overlaps with 6K Energy's mission of producing domestic, sustainable CAM and is similarly focused on displacing Chinese supply.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrbehtjiy2-W_d70CzX6sHA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/6kinc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 TY GEM