An advanced adsorption platform, built for complex separation challenges.
A modular adsorption system using precision-engineered metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), grounded in materials science, quantum chemistry, and AI.
See our first focus100,000+
of existing porous materials our platform screens, not speculative new molecules
5+
demanding separation applications the platform has been demonstrated on
Our First Focus
Rare earth separation, rebuilt from the chemistry up.
We are applying the platform first to rare earth separation. China controls roughly 90% of global rare earth refining and separation capacity, and separation is the hardest step to displace, which makes it the clearest place for an adsorption platform to prove itself.
Why rare earth separation ↓~90%
of global rare earth refining controlled by China
100s
of separation stages needed by conventional solvent extraction
10–100×
higher selectivity reported for MOFs in peer-reviewed studies
The Problem
Solvent extraction is the wall.
100+
cascade stages of solvent extraction are needed to reach magnet-grade purity, making separation the dominant share of cost and time in any western REE project.
China dominates global rare earth refining and separation capacity, controlling roughly 90% of refining. Building a western supply chain means clearing several barriers, but separation is the hardest and most decisive one.
Because rare earths are chemically almost identical, each solvent-extraction stage achieves only a small separation factor. Reaching magnet-grade purity therefore requires hundreds of stages, with substantial capital cost, lengthy permitting, and large volumes of organic solvents. MOFs have demonstrated far higher selectivity in peer-reviewed studies; what has been missing is a material that is scalable and validated under real-world operating conditions, and a proven path from that material to a deployable system. That is the gap iTeron closes.
The iTeron System
Engineered sorbents. Modular cartridges.
We combine materials science, quantum chemistry, and AI to find high-performing sorbents, then validate them on real feedstock all the way from sorbent qualification to a deployable, modular cartridge system.
Rare Earth Feedstock
Materials Science + AI Screening
⬡
Sorbent Synthesis
Experimental Validation
▤
Modular Cartridge
✦
Pure REE Output
↻ Experimental data continuously refines the materials-science + AI models.
We start with the hundreds of thousands of porous materials that already exist. Computational models shortlist the best candidates, quantify their separation performance, and feed that to AI that learns each round and proposes improvements for the next. We are not gambling on inventing a material from scratch; we begin with proven, makeable structures and refine from there.
Our modules retrofit onto existing plants, starting with the highest-value rare earth separations.
A platform, not a single product. The same engine extends beyond rare earths toward the broader critical materials and minerals challenge, including early work on lithium, nickel, and cobalt.
Why Choose Our Technology
A structural advantage over solvent extraction.
*Based on preliminary techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life-cycle analysis (LCA).
Traction & Validation
Built on defensible IP and a team with proven scale-up experience.
UCL-Licensed Platform
Exclusive licence to UCL’s computational MOF screening platform, a discovery engine already demonstrated across demanding separations including CO2 capture, atmospheric water harvesting, gas storage, and specialty gas capture.
Supply-Chain Partnerships
Spanning feedstock, material scale-up, cartridge manufacturing, and hardware.
First-of-a-Kind Track Record
Concept to commercial scale, with U.S. national-lab and academic partnerships.
Founding Team
Hard-tech builders and frontier materials scientists.
Dr. Saeb Besarati
Chief Executive Officer
Saeb builds first-of-a-kind hard-tech systems from concept to commercial scale, across concentrated solar power, supercritical CO₂, water desalination, and carbon capture. Most recently, as CTO at CarbonCapture Inc., he scaled the technology from early concept to North America’s largest operational direct-air-capture facility, built its engineering and science teams, and secured a strong patent portfolio plus partnerships with the world’s largest materials-science companies and corporate strategic partners. He is a named inventor on multiple issued U.S. and international patents in sorbent materials, structured adsorbers, and modular adsorption-system architecture.
Dr. Peyman Moghadam
Chief Scientific Officer · Associate Professor, UCL
Dr. Peyman Moghadam is a leading expert in the computational discovery of MOFs, using atomistic simulations and AI/ML methods to identify record-setting materials for adsorption applications. Associate Professor at UCL and Chief Scientific Officer of iTeron Labs, he is the developer of the Cambridge Structural Database MOF subset and the DigiMOF platform. He is a Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellow, and his research is regularly featured in top-tier journals including Nature Energy, Nature Materials, JACS, and Nature Communications. At iTeron he directs candidate evaluation and operates the company’s licensed AI/ML MOF screening platform.
Contact
Open to conversations with investors and industry partners.
iTeron is engaging rare-earth processors, magnet recyclers, strategic partners, and investors interested in domestic critical-minerals infrastructure. Reach out below or by email.
Los Angeles, CA · London, UK