PyroGenesis takes 50% of fumed silica venture, pairs up with HPQ Silicon
What's the deal? PyroGenesisDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired a 50% stake in HPQ Silica PolvereDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the company commercialising a plasma-based process for making fumed silica. PyroGenesis and HPQ Silicon now each own half. The deal value was not disclosed.
Why now? PyroGenesis obtained the stake by exercising a pre-existing purchase option, converting a 10% gross-sales royalty into equity. The move was completed in October 2026.
What's the endgame? The venture's core asset is the Fumed Silica Reactor, built by PyroGenesis, which converts quartz directly into fumed silica in a single step. The companies pitch it as an alternative to conventional methods that use chlorosilane feedstocks and produce hydrogen chloride as a byproduct.
Pilot runs have yielded what the companies describe as commercial-grade "150" fumed silica. PyroGenesis stays on as the exclusive equipment supplier for the reactor.
Fumed silica is widely used in coatings for rheology control and anti-sag and anti-settling performance, giving the technology a direct line to additive makers if it scales.
What could go wrong? No commercial deal has been signed and no manufacturing facility has been committed. The companies said they are "discussing potential commercialization opportunities with several parties" — talks, not contracts.
The signal: Owning half the venture, rather than collecting a royalty, ties PyroGenesis more tightly to the technology's commercial fate. For coatings manufacturers watching rheology modifiers, the reactor offers a potential chlorine-free route to a staple additive — but only once pilot success turns into production.
Read more: pcimag.com
Image credit: jurvetson
