Technically’s 2023 Delaware Tech Company of the Year has come a long way in 2024 so far, and it’s gotten even bigger by cutting back on its lows.
Today, 30 years later, the company has a new name and brand. Ardent Process Technologies, or simply Ardent for short.
Over the past few years, the company has transformed from a small company that uses federal grants for research and development projects to a fast-growing commercial green tech company working to develop products that capture and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ta. These changes led the company to change its identity to one that better represents its current state.
“This is a culmination of a lot of things,” Charlie Swartz, the company’s director of special projects, said of the changes. “Compact membrane systems are no longer as reflective of the product as they were 30 years ago.”
New Castle’s current line of commercial carbon capture systems is one such change that is accelerating the company into new territory.
new name, new location
The new name comes just in time for another major milestone: the opening of Ardent’s larger New Castle facility in late April. The $3.1 million expansion to more than 15,000 square feet of space to accommodate 38 new full-time employees was supported by the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, which helped secure state funding for the project.
In 2023, the company raised $16.5 million in Series A funding to complete the Verbund X accelerator in Austria. During that program, Compact Membrane Systems connected with Austrian petrochemical company OMV. OMV is currently launching a carbon capture pilot rig for its Optiperm decarbonization platform in preparation for full commercialization.
Chemical engineer Max Roberts remotely accesses the rig. (Courtesy of Ardent)
“We have been delivering small commercial modules to test with a number of partners over the past two years. We are still pre-commercial in terms of carbon capture, but we are actively working with our customers to move towards commercialization.” said Swartz.
The technology OMV is piloting uses membranes to separate carbon dioxide and nitrogen to achieve cost-effective decarbonization. Swartz said companies are unlikely to invest in decarbonized products if they don’t fall within certain cost parameters.
“Many companies are researching and trying to figure out which technology is best for them. There’s not going to be a one-size-fits-all solution,” Swartz said. “Therefore, there will be a market for multiple carbon capture technologies.”
In contrast to chimneys and their visible smoke and steam, Ardent’s method captures the exhaust gases emitted invisibly, and stores or refines the carbon dioxide to turn it into products or hardens it into cement. concentrate it into a material that can be turned into fuel or even sustainable jet fuel. .
“Expands exponentially”
While VC funding is down overall as investors hold back in case another recession hits, funding for green tech, especially decarbonization technologies, remains strong. . This is coming not only from investors, but also from federal and state entities investing in the fight against climate change.
So far, Delaware has leveraged incentive programs to help, reinforcing our commitment to stay in the state and grow while looking to further expansion in the future.
“We have space and a pilot machine that we need to build to expand exponentially,” Swartz says. “Support is essential to our growth.”
Disclosure: This article references Delaware Prosperity Partnership, a Technical.ly client. That relationship does not affect this report.
Company: Compact Membrane Systems / Delaware Prosperity Partnership
