15 NEST, a 1.2 million-square-foot constructing, helps to anchor the sprawling Northeast Science and Technology Center in Kenilworth. — Courtesy: NEST
By Joshua Burd
Another startup is coming to the Northeast Science and Technology Center in Kenilworth, the place it should lease 15,000 sq. toes of laboratory house to assist carry its expertise to market.
The enterprise, Still Bright Inc., is transferring to the positioning from Newark’s HAX Accelerator after proving out a expertise that focuses on growing a cleaner, low-cost various to conventional copper extraction as demand for the metallic surges. Its new house at the 15 NEST, a 1.2 million-square-foot constructing, will function its world headquarters whereas permitting it to start pilot manufacturing for a patented course of often known as RACER.
Still Bright is leasing the house from an possession crew led by Onyx Equities, Machine Investment Group and Pivot Real Estate Partners, which acquired the two million-square-foot former Merck & Co. complicated in 2023 and have repositioned it as a multitenant campus.
“We’re entering a decisive period for Still Bright and for the copper industry,” mentioned Randy Allen, co-founder and CEO of Still Bright. “We’ve spent the previous few years proving that fashionable electrochemistry can produce copper with higher economics than the established order. The geological copper is there and the demand is plain. What’s been lacking is a method to produce copper that communities can really welcome.
“That’s what we built RACER to be, a process that avoids toxic pollutants and converts typical waste streams into valuable co-products to benefit the local economy. Our move to NEST lets us advance our pilot and prepare for global on-site demonstrations, right here in New Jersey.”
Still Bright famous that copper demand is skyrocketing as a consequence of synthetic intelligence knowledge facilities, grid growth and electrical autos, however new provide retains stalling as a result of communities have misplaced belief in how copper is made, based on a information launch. Its RACER course of is constructed to alter that, recovering as much as 99 % of the copper from sulfide ore at ambient temperature and strain, at a fraction of the price of smelting and with no dangerous waste.
Founded in 2022, the corporate continues to collect momentum towards bringing the expertise to market, the information launch mentioned. It raised $18.7 million in seed funding in 2025 and is now advancing to pilot-scale manufacturing, with plans for an indication unit able to producing roughly 500 tonnes of copper per yr.
The house at 15 NEST will assist a variety of Still Bright’s efforts, together with:
- Research and improvement
- Technical testing
- Process development
- Corporate operations
- Pilot-scale manufacturing associated to its copper extraction expertise
“Still Bright’s move to NEST is exactly the type of growth story this campus was built to support,” mentioned Matt Flath, senior vp of asset administration at Onyx Equities. “They are graduating from New Jersey’s startup ecosystem into a headquarters and pilot-scale manufacturing environment that allows them to keep advancing their technology here in the state. That is a powerful example of how NEST can help retain and scale innovative companies in New Jersey.”
Due to the turnkey nature of the house at NEST, Still Bright will take occupancy inside 60 days.
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