Trillium secures $13M, advances bio-based acrylonitrile plant

Trillium Renewable Chemicals, a bio-based chemical manufacturer headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, has raised $13 million to fund operations of its acrylonitrile demonstration plant and advance engineering design for a first commercial-scale facility.

The round was led by HS Hyosung Advanced Materials with participation from Capricorn Partners. The funding follows a $10.6 million Series A round and a $2.5 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Trillium selected INEOS Nitriles' Green Lake facility in 2024 to host the demonstration plant, referred to as Project Falcon, which the company describes as the first industrial-scale deployment of its glycerol-to-acrylonitrile technology. According to Trillium, construction is complete and commissioning is scheduled for the second quarter of 2026, with product shipments to follow later in the year.

"Our pilot program validated the chemistry. Falcon validates scale and manufacturability," said Corey Tyree, CEO of Trillium Renewable Chemicals in a press statement. "We are now moving from technical proof to commercial proof. This funding allows us to demonstrate that bio-based acrylonitrile will meet industrial performance standards at meaningful production volumes."

According to the company, global acrylonitrile production exceeds 6 million metric tons annually and is derived almost entirely from fossil feedstocks.

Trillium's process uses glycerol as a feedstock to produce a drop-in alternative compatible with existing downstream supply chains. Acrylonitrile is used in the production of carbon fiber, plastics, textiles, synthetic rubber and specialty polymers for applications including lightweight composites in aerospace and automotive manufacturing.

Following commissioning, Trillium said it will advance engineering and development of a first commercial-scale manufacturing plant and is engaging potential strategic partners and customers in preparation for commercial deployment.