There’s big momentum for climate-tech innovation in the Pure Pitch Rally community: Icorium Engineering Company has landed a $1.2 million NSF Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant to accelerate commercialization of its refrigerant reclaim technology. The funding supports Icorium’s transition from pilot validation to full commercial deployment, targeting reduced climate impact from refrigerants used in cooling systems.
The company recently achieved greater than 99.5% purity, the standard required for refrigerant resale, in its pilot separation tower using proprietary ionic liquids, validating the platform’s commercial viability and readiness to scale.
2025 has also been a year of major recognition. Icorium was named a Startup to Watch by Startland News and a Startup on Our Radar by Chemical & Engineering News, while co-founder and CEO Kalin Baca earned the 2025 Enterprising Innovator honor at the STEMMy Awards and the Under 30 Entrepreneur Merit Award from the Kansas Department of Commerce.
With federal backing, proven technology and growing national recognition, Icorium is positioning itself to transform refrigerant recovery at scale.
