SorbiForce has developed the world’s first non-metal, biochar-based, water-electrolyte battery architecture — replacing mined materials with renewable ones like carbon derived from agricultural waste, salt and water. “The result is an ultra-safe, high-performance storage system designed for the rapid energy fluctuations of the AI era,” says CEO Serhii Kaminsky. This enables SorbiForce to deliver reliability that helps critical systems — from data centers and utilities to advanced manufacturing — operate efficiently, safely and responsibly.
Founding the company in 2022 with the aim of enabling the freedom to create energy that isn’t dependent on mined metals, fragile supply chains or unsafe chemistry, Serhii Kaminsky says, “My team and I wanted to build a solution that could give people and industries real control over their power. That vision began in Ukraine, where I saw how quickly energy systems collapse when resources are scarce and infrastructure is under threat.” Amid that backdrop of war on Ukraine, their drive, Kaminsky says, was more than just scientific. “It was a search for freedom, resilience and a better path forward.”
Acting as a Volatility Absorber™, SorbiForce’s battery instantly responds to millisecond-level power spikes common in data centers, protecting equipment and maintaining stable operations. And Kaminsky notes that, with no risk of thermal runaway or explosion, it remains safe even when cut in half or fully submerged in water. “It’s a fact we’ve proven live at Arizona State University’s LEAPS Lab before an audience of industry and academic observers. Furthermore, after seven to ten years of operation, simply adding water restores performance, extending life and minimizing waste,” he says.
“One of the most powerful pieces of advice I ever received was from a mentor who said, ‘If you want to change the system, don’t just improve what’s broken. Reimagine what it could be.’ That mentality reshaped my thinking as I founded SorbiForce,” Kaminsky relates. “Instead of trying to optimize existing battery technology, we started with a blank slate. We asked, ‘What if energy storage didn’t depend on metals at all? What if it could be made from organic, safe and affordable materials available almost anywhere? And what if it could be produced locally, rather than shipped halfway around the world?’”
SorbiForce’s solution uses materials that are abundant almost anywhere, enabling the company to produce its batteries almost anywhere, without relying on mined metals or fragile global supply chains and resource competition. “Our modular micro-factories bring clean energy manufacturing close to demand, turning agricultural byproducts, salt, and water into safe, high-performance storage that is easy to scale.
That modular micro-factory concept SorbiForce created enables production almost anywhere energy storage is needed. “Each facility can be deployed in weeks rather than years, using regional materials to reduce logistics, emissions and cost,” says Kaminsky about SorbiForce’s model that is now in its pilot phase. “Also, with its modular design and micro-factory model, our technology achieves one of the lowest CAPEX footprints in the energy storage sector, making it not only sustainable, but highly competitive at scale.”
In fact, Kaminsky points to its unmatched cost efficiency as “another exciting aspect of our technology.” He shares, “For example, the cost of storing one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy is significantly lower than that of a comparable lithium-ion battery system. Because SorbiForce uses renewable, low-cost materials like biochar, salt and water, we avoid the high expenses tied to mining, global shipping and resource scarcity.”
Seeing Arizona as “the epicenter of energy growth, with population growth, extreme heat and rapid data center development,” Kaminsky chose to headquarter his company here. It’s been fertile ground for the company’s development.
“Backed by over $20 million in non-binding Letters of Intent and active collaborations with Arizona State University, we’re demonstrating both the commercial and technical readiness of safe, scalable, locally made energy storage,” Kaminsky says. “What began as a vision for the future is now moving rapidly toward market reality.”
Did You Know: Recognized as a “Rising Star Company” finalist by S&P Global Platts, SorbiForce has also been approved as a vendor on Duke Energy’s AVL and raised an oversubscribed $1.4-million seed round from more than 1,000 investors across 39 countries.
