Mars Materials joins the Shell GameChanger and has successfully advanced past the Program's first stage gate. The Program aims to validate bio-based sugar feedstock as an alternate raw material to CO2, regrading the company's proprietary acrylonitrile production pathway. As well as technical guidance, the Program will support Mars Materials with market discovery, commercial demonstration, and go-to-market planning.
Mars Materials
Mars Materials joins Shell Gamechanger Program
“We're beyond excited to participate in Shell GameChanger, a program that exemplifies how start-ups and corporations can innovate together to unlock commercial opportunity,” said Aaron Fitzgerald, CEO and Co-Founder of Mars Materials. “Shell's support has already accelerated our development by an estimated three years. Shell GameChanger will help expand our choice of raw material with a bio-based sugar option, giving us another edge over the incumbent acrylonitrile production process, which relies on a globally distributed supply chain.”
Mars Materials' acrylonitrile is a key chemical building block in a variety of applications, including:
- Carbon fibre.
- Water production polymers.
- Durable plastics.
- Textiles.
Acrylonitrile is also hydrogen cyanide-free and can be validated by the global industry. Produced at the company’s pilot plant, Cassini, the production process has been scaled from gram-scale to kilogram-scale.
Mars Materials has successfully passed the first stage gate of the Shell GameChanger and hopes to continue to demonstrate that its partner-first approach works. Looking ahead to the future, the company hopes to attract further investment, grant funding, and strategic industrial partners that align with the next phases of its scale-up and commercialisation.
