The Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) announced today a $250 million conditional loan commitment with 6K, Inc., to scale the company's domestic production of Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) cathode active material (CAM) in Jackson, TN.
6K is a leading advanced materials company focused on critical energy and aerospace technologies. OSC's investment, which would catalyze an additional $250 million in private capital, is intended to expand 6K's domestic manufacturing, which would help secure American advanced battery supply chains.
OSC's conditional loan commitment to 6K directly advances President Donald J. Trump's national security priorities to revitalize the American defense industrial base, counter malign foreign trade practices, and ensure critical technologies are made domestically. In accordance with President Trump's Executive Order 14154, Unleashing American Energy, this commitment delivers on the President's direction to onshore critical battery materials to strengthen American national security.
6K specializes in using its proprietary UniMelt microwave plasma technology to synthesize finished, single-crystal NMC cathode powders in a single step. This novel direct-to-CAM approach fundamentally disrupts legacy multi-day chemical processes by bypassing the foreign-dominated precursor (pCAM) processing stage entirely, reducing production cycle times by up to tenfold, and driving down capital intensity and environmental impact.
The company's U.S. manufacturing operations at its PlusCAM facility in Jackson, Tennessee would help onshore production of these essential battery components, which are vital for next-gen defense platforms, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), tactical communications, and critical energy infrastructure. Leveraging the company's proprietary advanced microwave plasma technology, invented in the U.S., 6K provides a differentiated, U.S.-focused approach to producing critical battery materials that is not reliant on vulnerable foreign sources.
"OSC champions the domestic production of critical battery materials. 6K's microwave plasma technology represents a ground-breaking approach to establish a cost-effective domestic supply chain and break our reliance on foreign adversaries. We're pleased to support 6K's domestic expansion, which would represent an important step in strengthening the advanced battery industrial base in the United States," said David A. Lorch, Director of the Office of Strategic Capital and Senior Advisor to Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg.
Due to price flooding from foreign countries, the U.S. produces less than 1% of its NMC cathode needs domestically. OSC's conditional financing would enable 6K to expand its U.S. manufacturing operations, achieve cost-parity with foreign competitors, and ultimately deliver a secure, NDAA-compliant supply chain for the Department of War and commercial markets.
"OSC is focused on investments that can bridge the commercialization gap for homegrown technology," said James R. Shanahan, Senior Managing Director (Investments) with OSC. "By providing long-term, patient capital, OSC helps innovative companies like 6K achieve scale and compete globally, ensuring the U.S. defense industrial base remains at the forefront of critical technology."
The conditional loan commitment between OSC and 6K specifies customary additional steps the company must take to proceed toward financial close, including satisfying financial, investment, legal, technical, diligence, and other requirements.
"I applaud the Office of Strategic Capital on this important investment. We cannot dominate the modern battlefield if we rely on foreign supply chains. Securing advanced materials is critical, and this OSC financing secures the trusted, domestic battery supply needed to protect our national security," said Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering.
