Rock Zero

Spun out of MIT professor Yet-Ming Chiang's lab in 2024, Rock Zero has developed a low-temperature hardrock refining process for producing battery-grade lithium chemicals. Rather than roasting spodumene rock above 1,000°C and leaching it with aggressive chemistry as conventional refining does, Rock Zero dissolves the rock using a mild acid at temperatures as low as 200°F, cutting the cost and environmental footprint of turning hardrock lithium ore into usable chemicals.

Co-founded by CEO Camden Hunt and Chief Scientific Officer Yet-Ming Chiang, Rock Zero is working to unlock North America's abundant hardrock lithium resources as global lithium production needs to grow substantially by 2035 to meet battery demand. The company has since entered a collaboration with IRIS Metals to advance domestic lithium refining capacity using IRIS's permitted hard-rock resources in South Dakota.