Key facts
- 6K said it won conditional approval for a $250 million Department of Defense loan to build a Tennessee factory.
- The plant would make battery materials without relying on Chinese suppliers, per the company's account.
- The company said microwaves heat metals into a plasma to cut steps in making cathode material.
- A $50 million Department of Energy grant awarded to 6K in 2023 was later canceled by the Trump administration.
6K, a 12-year-old startup based in North Andover, Massachusetts, said on Thursday, November 5, 2026, that it received conditional approval for a $250 million loan from the Department of Defense to build a factory in Tennessee, according to a TechCrunch report published November 6, 2026. The plant would produce battery materials without relying on Chinese suppliers.
The company said its process uses microwaves to heat metals into a plasma and deposit them onto a surface, cutting the number of steps needed to make cathode material, a key battery component. 6K said the method can work with several battery types, including lithium iron phosphate.
6K previously received a $50 million grant from the Department of Energy under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. That 2023 grant was canceled by the Trump administration, forcing the company to reapply. The factory had originally been slated to open in 2024, but the grant cancellation and uncertainty in the EV market led the company to rework its plans. The report did not give a revised opening date.