From Brine to Batteries Arkansas Tests Its Lithium Future

The second round of a multiweek lithium accelerator concluded Wednesday, December 17, with a Demo Day in Bentonville. The event, hosted by The Venture Center in collaboration with Standard Lithium, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and the University of Arkansas, with support from the Walton Family Foundation, highlighted Arkansas’ growing role in the lithium industry. It showcased the investments and innovations shaping the state’s emerging lithium supply chain. The program’s second cohort included three companies, Springdale-based Menen Group, Boston-based Lithios, and San Diego-based Tyfast Energy, each presenting technologies aimed at different parts of the lithium value chain.

New Technologies on Display

During Wednesday’s Demo Day presentations, Menen Group unveiled a multiphase vacuum desalination water treatment system designed to recover lithium and other minerals from the dilute brines of the Smackover Formation. The company said the low-energy process requires roughly one seventh of the energy used by conventional methods and also addresses challenges associated with brine wastewater.

Menen Group Engineering Director Chris Milligan told attendees that the company identified an opportunity to apply its existing water and wastewater expertise to lithium extraction. He noted that the process uses 60 percent less energy than traditional methods.

The system operates by creating a vacuum that allows water to evaporate at lower temperatures before freezing, concentrating lithium in the remaining liquid and ice and lowering overall energy costs.

Menen Group is seeking partners and capital to expand deployment of the technology both within Arkansas and nationwide. Technical Director Daniel Whalen said participation in the Arkansas Lithium Technology Accelerator has helped the company better understand the needs of lithium producers while also connecting it with financial and economic development organizations.

Battery Innovation and Manufacturing Plans

Tyfast Energy showcased a lithium vanadium oxide battery technology designed for heavy-duty electric platforms. The company said its batteries deliver diesel-grade performance, can recharge in 10 minutes or less, last more than 10 years, and remain reliable in all weather conditions. Tyfast is seeking $10 million to scale Arkansas-based manufacturing and bring the technology to market.

CEO GJ la O’ said the company is developing a lithium vanadium oxide anode material for battery manufacturers serving construction, mining, trucking, and defense industries. He noted that existing battery technologies struggle to match diesel engines due to long charging times, performance degradation, and poor reliability in cold weather.

Instead of graphite, Tyfast uses lithium and vanadium in the anode, sourcing the vanadium from Hot Springs-based U.S. Vanadium. La O’ said this approach improves durability, performance, and cold-weather capability. He also envisioned a future where electric vehicles recharge while driving on electrified sections of roadway, eliminating the need to stop.

More than a dozen companies across commercial trucking, mining, construction, and defense sectors have expressed interest in the technology. La O’ also noted that the U.S. Army is exploring hybridizing ground vehicles to enable silent operation and longer run times than diesel-fueled platforms.

Currently in prototype mode, Tyfast plans to build a pilot-scale plant, with the goal of establishing a gigafactory in Arkansas by the end of the decade. La O’ said the state offers space to expand, a workforce that can be trained to meet industry needs, and proximity to battery manufacturers in neighboring states.

“Arkansas for Tyfast is our strategic advantage,” La O’ said. “We already source our major raw material here. We want to source lithium in Arkansas in the future. We want to co-locate raw materials and active battery materials manufacturing in the state.”

Lithium Extraction at Lower Cost

Lithios presented an advanced lithium extraction platform designed to reduce both the cost and complexity of producing lithium from U.S. brines. The company’s scalable electrochemical lithium capture technology offers high selectivity and low energy use, with projected cost savings ranging from 25 to 40 percent. Lithios is raising $25 million to support the commercial launch of the technology, expand manufacturing, and advance an ongoing pilot program with a south Arkansas lithium producer.

Director of Operations Anna Scheidt said the company is offering what it describes as the market’s first scalable electrochemical lithium extraction system. The platform relies on stacks of electrode plates set at specific voltages that selectively attract lithium ions.

In operation, brine flows into the system and lithium ions are captured while the remaining brine exits. A rinse solution is then applied, and when the current is reversed, the lithium ions are released into a highly purified concentrate solution.

Scheidt said the technology could cut lithium production costs by up to 40 percent compared with current direct lithium extraction methods, a reduction she said would strengthen Arkansas’ position in the global market. The company has already secured $15 million in seed funding and is now seeking additional investment to advance its work.

For the past month and a half, Lithios has been piloting a third generation version of its technology in Arkansas. The next phase, beginning in 2026, will involve construction of a demonstration facility using a fourth generation system.

Scheidt described The Venture Center as an “amazing connection point” that has helped the Boston-based company meet industry players, access available resources, and build relationships across Arkansas.

She highlighted the state as offering “the perfect ecosystem for future growth,” citing a favorable regulatory environment, tax exemptions, royalty structures, and the accelerator program itself.

“The brine is here,” Scheidt said. “The positive environment is here. We’re piloting here. Arkansas feels like home in the U.S.”

A Growing Lithium Economy in South Arkansas

Innovation, investment, and a supportive environment are driving growth in Arkansas’ lithium industry. Unlike some rapidly expanding sectors, such as data centers, which have raised public concerns, lithium development in the state has largely been met with optimism. That confidence is reinforced by government backing and a growing belief in the industry’s long-term potential.

In south Arkansas, companies are preparing to extract lithium from the Smackover Formation. Standard Lithium plans to begin construction of the region’s first direct lithium extraction facility in 2026. Other major players in the state’s lithium sector include ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Equinor, which is collaborating with Standard Lithium on its extraction plant.

To foster this growth, The Venture Center in Little Rock launched the nation’s first accelerator program focused on building a domestic lithium supply chain. The initiative is increasingly viewed as critical to national security, as rising global tensions prompt the United States to reduce its reliance on China, which currently processes the majority of the world’s lithium.

The Arkansas Lithium Technology Accelerator, or ALTA, is the nation’s first program with this focus. It connects companies looking to establish themselves within Arkansas’ lithium battery supply chain with state and local officials, as well as lithium producers already operating in south Arkansas, including Exxon, Chevron, and Standard Lithium. Orduna said the program aims to encourage investment and foster commercial partnerships.

“We’re curating. We’re identifying and bringing in some of the best and brightest technology companies that can provide solutions at different points of the lithium ion battery supply chain,” Orduna said.

The 2025 program also included visits to El Dorado, Magnolia, Little Rock, and Bentonville, giving participants a firsthand look at the region’s growing lithium industry and its expanding role in the national energy landscape. The schedule for the accelerator’s third cohort has not yet been announced, though recruitment is expected to begin in late first quarter or early second quarter of 2026.