Battery material recycling and critical mineral refining for EV supply chains
Ascend Elements recycles spent lithium-ion batteries into cathode precursor materials through a proprietary hydrometallurgical process, competing for dominance in North America's emerging domestic battery supply chain. The tech stack is heavily operational—SCADA, PLC, DCS, MES, CMMS, SAP—reflecting a manufacturing-first company managing physical assets at scale. Active hiring skews engineering and senior roles while chasing aggressive project velocity: process scale-up, OT connectivity, control system upgrades, and equipment rebuilds signal a facility moving from pilot to production, with reliability and cost reduction as top pain points.
Notable leadership hires: Finance Director
Ascend Elements manufactures battery cathode precursor materials by extracting and refining critical minerals from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and manufacturing scrap. The company operates production facilities in North America and Europe, using its proprietary pCAM synthesis process to convert battery waste into high-performance engineered materials for EV battery makers. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, Ascend occupies a strategic position in the domestic critical minerals supply chain—a regulatory and geopolitical priority for governments and OEMs seeking to reduce reliance on overseas sources. The organization is scaling operations across manufacturing, engineering, and operational technology teams.
Ascend recycles spent lithium-ion batteries to extract and refine critical minerals (nickel, cobalt, lithium) into cathode precursor materials for EV battery manufacturers using its proprietary hydrometallurgical process.
Manufacturing operations leverage SCADA, PLC, DCS, MES, CMMS for real-time control and maintenance, plus SAP, Primavera P6, and LIMS for planning, cost tracking, and lab analysis.
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