The Venture Center, Standard Lithium Advance Nation’s First Lithium Technology Accelerator with Second Cohort, Positioning Arkansas at the Forefront of U.S. Battery Innovation
Accelerator sprint connects top startups with Standard Lithium and other Southwest Arkansas producers; Demo Day set for Dec. 17 in Bentonville
El Dorado, Ark. [December 2, 2025] – Building on the success of its inaugural 2025 program, The Venture Center Monday kicked off the second cohort of the Arkansas Lithium Technology Accelerator (ALTA)—the nation’s first accelerator dedicated to lithium and battery-supply-chain innovation. Running December 1–17, the accelerator connects hand-picked energy-technology startups with Arkansas-based lithium producers, alongside academic, government, and economic-development partners. ALTA is designed to cement Arkansas as the epicenter of lithium technology innovation while advancing U.S. leadership in battery supply-chain solutions and accelerating commercial deployment of next-generation energy technologies.
The 2025 cohort companies include:
- Lithios – MIT-developed Advanced Lithium Extraction (ALE) uses clean, electric processing to extract lithium from U.S. brines at dramatically lower cost and scalable, sustainable volumes.
- Menen Group – Arkansas-based water treatment collective using patented MPVD tech to concentrate dilute lithium streams with 60% less energy, offering modular, zero-CAPEX solutions for low-cost battery-grade lithium carbonate.
- Tyfast Energy – Builds ultra-fast-charging, 10,000-cycle batteries using a patented LVO anode and U.S.-sourced materials, powering heavy-duty commercial and defense vehicles with a secure domestic supply chain.
“We’re excited to launch our second ALTA cohort with truly outstanding new technology companies,” said Arthur Orduña, executive director of The Venture Center. “Lithios, Menen Group and Tyfast Energy provide innovative solutions at different and complementary points of a new Lithium-ion battery supply chain for the U.S. and its partners, free of foreign dependence. They definitely meet the high bar set by the groundbreaking companies in our first ALTA cohort.”
As one of this year’s selected companies, Menen Group emphasized the value of ALTA’s industry-forward approach.
“We are thrilled to join the 2nd Cohort of the Arkansas Lithium Technology Accelerator, where Menen Group’s expertise in sustainable water solutions and novel concentration technologies will converge with cutting-edge lithium advancements to accelerate Arkansas’ role as a global clean-tech leader.”
ALTA programming spans El Dorado/Magnolia, Little Rock, and Northwest Arkansas, featuring curated producer meetings, research and lab visits, pilot-planning workshops, investor roundtables, and pitch opportunities with industry media and analysts. Participating companies gain: Pathways to pilots with Arkansas-based lithium producers; access to private and non-dilutive capital; market visibility with customers, media, and analysts; and support from economic-development leaders on establishing an Arkansas presence.
“The ALTA program continues to attract some of the highest caliber startups in our industry. The ultimate goal is to recruit and cultivate the top talent and technologies and as a result create additional value and opportunities for the state of Arkansas,” said Jesse Edmondson, director of government relations for Standard Lithium. “Arkansas is on the verge of not only becoming a major lithium producer, but also a research and innovation hub for lithium, ranging all the way from geology to next-generation battery technologies.”
ALTA is led by The Venture Center, with support from industry partners Standard Lithium and other producers; academic partners University of Arkansas, South Arkansas College, and Southern Arkansas University; and funding support from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and Walton Family Foundation.
In addition to its industry and academic partners, ALTA is supported this year by a coalition of statewide business and community sponsors, including Exxon, Tetra Technologies, Corzan, Rose Law Firm, Ghidotti Communications, Blue Flame Minerals, the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, and Terra Volta.
The program concludes with ALTA Demo Day on Tuesday, December 17, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. at the Record Downtown in Bentonville. To learn more about ALTA and the 2025 cohort, visit venturecenter.co.
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About The Venture Center
The Venture Center is a globally recognized Entrepreneurial Support Organization (ESO) based in Arkansas. It supports entrepreneurs in building successful, high-growth businesses through world-class mentorship, programming, and investor connections, fueling economic growth in Arkansas and beyond. Learn more at www.venturecenter.co.
About Standard Lithium Ltd.
Standard Lithium is a near-commercial lithium development company advancing high-grade lithium-brine projects in the U.S., with a focus on sustainability and scalable Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology. Its flagship operations are located in the Smackover Formation across Arkansas and Texas, including a greenfield project in partnership with Equinor. Standard Lithium trades on the TSX Venture Exchange and NYSE American under the symbol “SLI”; learn more at www.standardlithium.com.
About University of Arkansas
As Arkansas’ flagship institution, the University of Arkansas offers more than 200 academic programs and contributes over $3 billion annually to the state’s economy through education, research, and workforce development. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as having the highest level of research activity and is ranked among the nation’s top public universities by U.S. News & World Report. Learn more at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.
For more information, contact:
Viktoria Capek
viktoria.capek@venturecenter.co