A

Antora Energy

Thermal energy storage for industrial heat

Head of Epitaxy Program

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/23/2026
$200k - $280k/yr+ Stock options
Expert
Master's, PhD
San Jose, CA, USA
In PersonOnsite in San Jose, California.
Hardware Engineering

About the job

Requirements
  • A Ph.D. or Master’s degree in materials science, electrical engineering, applied physics, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
  • At least 8 years of hands-on epitaxy experience, especially MOCVD, with arsenide/phosphide III-V materials grown on InP substrates.
  • Fluency in epitaxy characterization and interpretation, including XRD, PL, morphology analysis, ECV, and SIMS.
  • Demonstrated development of tunnel junctions in As/P material systems.
  • Strong device physics knowledge, especially for III-V optoelectronic devices such as photovoltaics, laser diodes, LEDs, or detectors.
  • Comfort with device physics modeling tools.
  • Understanding of commercial MOCVD reactor platforms and how their features affect growth science and device outcomes.
  • Familiarity with facilities and safety requirements for MOCVD installation and operation.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage external contract manufacturers to deliver on quality, speed, and cost.
  • Emotional intelligence, clear written and verbal communication, relationship-building, negotiation, and conflict-management skills.
  • Willingness to exercise initiative across a broad scope, tackle unfamiliar domains, find resources, and make progress through uncertainty.
Responsibilities
  • Lead the design and development of multijunction III-V TPV device epitaxy to meet electrical, optical, and cost targets, including tunnel junctions, quaternary absorbers, quantum wells, and fast growth rates.
  • Design and communicate experimental epitaxy campaigns; establish consistent calibration routines and repeatable processes; maintain data-driven specifications; negotiate supplier timelines and pricing; submit RFQs and POs; and manage campaign learning cycles with the device fabrication team, including data analysis and coordination of supplementary characterization such as SIMS, SEM, and TEM.
  • Drive the make-versus-buy decision for in-house epitaxy capability and develop a leadership-ready recommendation.
  • If the decision is to make, lead facility requirements and leasing, own reactor selection and acquisition, coordinate execution with facilities and supply chain teams, lead technical staffing, and maintain CapEx/Opex models.
  • If the decision is to buy, demonstrate that external partners can support a scalable learning-cycle rate.
  • Identify, engage, and qualify new epitaxy suppliers to access new capabilities, reduce supply-chain risk, and accelerate development.
  • Manage the InP substrate supply chain by owning supplier relationships and negotiating specifications and pricing so substrate supply does not bottleneck epitaxial development.
Desired Qualifications
  • Prior experience establishing or expanding epitaxy facilities, including facility selection, reactor selection and installation, facilitization, and permitting.
  • Experience building or managing epitaxy teams, including scientists, engineers, technicians, EH&S, and maintenance staff.
  • Experience with epitaxy equipment maintenance.
  • Technoeconomic modeling of epitaxy costs and capacity planning.
  • Experience negotiating long-term supply agreements in the compound semiconductor industry.

About the company

A

Antora Energy

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Antora Energy provides zero-carbon heat and power for heavy industry by storing renewable energy as heat using thermal energy storage with carbon blocks as a thermal battery. Excess solar and wind energy is converted into heat and stored, then delivered on demand as electricity or industrial process heat up to 1500°C. This approach targets industries that require large amounts of heat, offering a practical decarbonization option where traditional batteries can’t reach the necessary temperatures or durations. The goal is to scale affordable renewable energy storage for heavy industry, unlocking a large multi-trillion-dollar market opportunity.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

Series C

Total Funding

$770M

Headquarters

Sunnyvale, California

Founded

2018

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • October 1, 2026 Pratt Energy deal adds 5.8 GWh and third-party equity from CIP.
  • July 2026 Series C raised $550 million from G2, Eclipse, Breakthrough, and Salesforce Ventures.
  • May 2026 Big Stone City commissioning proved commercial operation, supporting repeat deployments and hiring.

What critics are saying

  • Antora depends on a few anchor customers; Pratt Energy and POET concentration raises churn risk.
  • Kansas and second-factory execution must stay on schedule; delays destroy credibility and financing momentum.
  • Gas boilers, electrification, and cheaper batteries challenge Antora; one failed flagship project threatens survival.

What makes Antora Energy unique

  • Antora stores electricity as heat in carbon blocks, then delivers 1,500°C industrial energy.
  • April 2026 San Jose expansion doubled manufacturing space and moved subcomponent production in-house.
  • Antora sells long-duration, factory-built thermal systems for biorefineries, factories, data centers, and grids.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
  • Unlimited Paid Time Off
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan
  • 401(k) Company Match
  • Paid Vacation
  • Paid Sick Leave
  • Paid Holidays

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

5%

2 year growth

3%
Carbon Credits Inc
Oct 5th, 2026
CIP, Grok Ventures back u.s.-based Antora Energy's massive thermal battery project in Kansas.

CIP, Grok Ventures back u.s.-based Antora Energy's massive thermal battery project in Kansas. October 5, 2026 Updated: October 5, 2026 US-based Antora Energy is planning a 5.8 gigawatt-hour (GWh) multi-day thermal energy storage project at Pratt Energy's biorefinery in Pratt, Kansas. The project will provide reliable, around-the-clock energy to the ethanol facility while supporting local jobs, workforce training, and new investment in Pratt County. The press release also highlighted that once completed, the project is expected to rank among the world's largest battery storage systems. Antora plans to begin delivering energy to Pratt Energy next year under a long-term heat offtake agreement. * The project is backed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), Australian investment firm Grok Ventures and University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP). CIP led the third-party equity financing through its credit platform investments. The deal comes as U.S. industries face rising electricity demand and growing pressure to secure reliable, affordable energy while reducing emissions. Antora's thermal battery targets industrial energy demand. Antora Energy is a U.S. energy storage company focused on thermal batteries that store electricity as heat and later deliver it as heat or power. Instead of relying on conventional lithium-ion battery chemistry, Antora stores energy in insulated blocks of solid carbon. The system can absorb low-cost electricity when it is available and release energy when industrial customers need it. This approach allows the company to target industrial facilities that require continuous heat and power. Antora says its technology does not rely on supply-constrained critical minerals. It also uses factory-built modules, which could help reduce construction timelines compared with some large energy infrastructure projects. "Antora's thermal energy storage is the new standard for powering always-on operations with low-cost energy" Expanding its U.S. Energy storage footprint. The Kansas project follows Antora's recent expansion in the U.S. energy storage market. Earlier this year, the company commissioned a 5 GWh thermal energy storage system in Big Stone City, South Dakota. The company also expects the project to create and support more than 100 construction and operations jobs. David Bierman, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Antora, said: "American industry runs on affordable, reliable energy. Our partnership with Pratt Energy delivers it, helping meet Kansas's rising energy demand without increasing power bills for homes or businesses. This biorefinery project is creating jobs and spurring local investment without straining the resources the community depends on." Pratt Energy could move toward lower-carbon ethanol. Pratt Energy operates an ethanol biorefinery that processes locally grown corn and sorghum into transportation fuel and co-products used in biodiesel and animal feed. The company has operated in Pratt since 2013 and works with farmers across the region. The new thermal storage system could help the facility improve energy efficiency while lowering the carbon intensity of its products. Antora said the project could help Pratt Energy move toward producing ethanol with a 100% zero-carbon-intensity profile. Lower-carbon ethanol could also open additional markets for Kansas agricultural products as fuel buyers place greater emphasis on emissions. Additionally, the project is expected to use little additional water beyond Pratt Energy's existing operations. It is also designed to operate without increasing noise levels for nearby properties. For the ethanol industry, access to lower-carbon energy can become increasingly important as producers seek to reduce emissions across their operations and improve the environmental profile of their fuels. The long-term heat offtake agreement also gives Antora a committed industrial customer for the project, creating a direct link between energy storage and industrial demand. Investors back large-scale thermal energy storage. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is one of the investors backing the Kansas project. CIP is a global energy infrastructure investment firm that invests across areas including renewable power, energy storage, transmission, low-carbon fuels, advanced bioenergy and carbon capture. The firm has raised about $49 billion to date and manages 15 funds, according to the company. CIP's involvement highlights the growing interest from infrastructure investors in energy storage technologies that can serve industrial customers and provide longer-duration energy. Grok Ventures is also participating in the financing. The Australian investment firm focuses on technology-driven solutions across major global challenges, including the energy transition. UPP, a Canadian pension fund, is the third financial participant in the project. The investment group gives Antora access to capital as it moves from individual demonstrations toward larger commercial deployments. The US battery storage market capacity. Utility-scale battery storage capacity reached nearly 52 gigawatts (GW) by June 2026, after operators added 8.3 GW during the first half of the year. The U.S. had 43.6 GW of operational utility-scale battery storage at the end of 2025, with capacity growing at an average annual rate of 70% over the past three years, according to EIA data. The growth is expected to continue. U.S. developers plan to add about 24 GW of utility-scale battery storage in 2026, up from a record 15 GW added in 2025. Battery storage accounts for about 28% of the 86 GW of new utility-scale generating capacity planned for the U.S. this year. Battery storage market moves beyond short-duration systems. The Kansas project also highlights how the battery storage market is expanding beyond conventional short-duration electricity storage. Most large battery projects deployed today use lithium-ion technology and typically provide power for a few hours. Thermal energy storage can address a different part of the market by storing energy for longer periods and delivering industrial heat directly. * That matters because many industrial facilities cannot simply replace fossil-fuel-based heat with electricity without changing how they operate. * Thermal batteries could provide another pathway by storing electricity during periods of lower prices and then supplying heat when needed. The approach could become particularly useful as renewable energy expands and power markets experience larger differences between periods of high and low electricity prices. Antora's system is designed to provide both heat and power, allowing the same basic technology to serve industrial facilities or potentially support the wider grid. The company says its thermal batteries can be deployed for industries including chemicals, food production and steel, as well as for grid applications. The bottom line. For Antora, the Kansas project represents another step toward commercial-scale deployment. For Pratt Energy, it could provide reliable energy while supporting efforts to lower the carbon intensity of ethanol production. The project also shows how energy storage investments can extend beyond batteries and grid services. By connecting storage directly with industrial heat demand, companies can use new energy technologies to improve operations, reduce emissions, and strengthen the economics of low-carbon products. As more U.S. industries look for reliable energy and lower-carbon production, projects like Pratt could help expand the role of thermal batteries in the country's energy transition.

pv magazine USA
Oct 2nd, 2026
Antora and Pratt Energy to build 5.8 GWh thermal battery in Kansas.

Antora and Pratt Energy to build 5.8 GWh thermal battery in Kansas. Multi-day energy storage project secures equity finance from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and others. The project will provide energy storage capacity to a biorefinery producing ethanol for transportation fuel. Oct 02 2026 ntora Energy has a deal to deliver a 5.8 GWh, multi-day thermal energy storage project for Pratt Energy in Kansas. It is the second major thermal battery project announced by Antora in 2026. The agreement will see Antora Energy's thermal energy storage deployed at Pratt Energy's biorefinery in Pratt, Kansas. Antora will deliver energy to Pratt Energy under a long-term heat offtake agreement. Pratt Energy said the project will support its decarbonization goals for the site, which produces ethanol for transportation fuel. The refiner is aiming to produce 100% zero-carbon-intensity (CI) ethanol in the future, potentially opening new markets for its products. Global fund manager Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) led third-party equity financing on the thermal battery project, while Australian investment firm Grok Ventures and University Pension Plan Ontario also participated. The announcement follows a successful Series C fundraising round for Antora which saw the US manufacturer raise $550 million. The company now plans to establish a second domestic manufacturing facility Antora's thermal batteries work by storing electricity as heat in insulated blocks of solid carbon. The manufacturer commissioned a 50 MW/5 GWh in South Dakota in May, supplied by batteries built at it factory in San Jose, California. Expansion work at the San Jose site in spring 2026 saw Antora add two new facilities, doubling manufacturing capacity. The project with Pratt Energy is expected to create more than 100 construction and operation jobs, and Antora Energy has said its thermal batteries will help meet Kansas's rising energy demand while using little additional water beyond the biorefinery's existing operations. David Bierman, co-founder and chief commercial officer at Antora, said the biorefinery project would spur local investment without straining local resources. Antora has partnered with Pratt Community College on a paid internship program offering local students hands-on experience of energy and electrical systems, and the company said it will prioritize local candidates as it hires for the plant's permanent operations roles. Reiner Boehning, Partner at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, commented: "Antora has demonstrated something rare: sound technology, compelling economic fundamentals, and a clear path to repeatable deployment at scale." This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with PV Magazine Group and would like to reuse some of its content, please contact: [email protected]. More about

The Topeka Capital-Journal
Oct 1st, 2026
What to know about huge thermal energy storage project coming to Kansas.

What to know about huge thermal energy storage project coming to Kansas. Topeka Capital-Journal Oct. 1, 2026, 6:31 a.m. CT Antora Energy, a leading U.S. energy storage company, on Oct. 1 announced 5.8-gigawatt-hour, multiday thermal energy storage project in Pratt. Upon completion, it will be one of the largest battery storage systems in the world. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, a global fund manager and investor in energy infrastructure, led the project's third-party equity financing. Australian investment firm Grok Ventures and University Pension Plan Ontario also participated in the deal.

The Energy Data
Sep 12th, 2026
GrafTech and Antora partner to power industry with carbon.

GrafTech and Antora partner to power industry with carbon. GrafTech International Ltd. and Antora Energy have announced a strategic collaboration to develop and supply carbon-based materials for Antora Energy's thermal battery systems, creating a new application for GrafTech's manufacturing capabilities in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. The partnership is intended to strengthen the domestic supply chain for emerging energy technologies while supporting industrial employment and manufacturing activity in the region. Under the collaboration, GrafTech and Antora will work together to develop carbon-based materials at GrafTech's St. Marys facility for incorporation into Antora's thermal battery modules. The systems are designed to store electricity as high-temperature heat and subsequently deliver that stored energy to industrial customers as heat or electricity. The companies say the technology can help reduce energy costs for American manufacturers and improve the competitiveness of energy-intensive industrial operations. The partnership also builds on GrafTech's long-standing manufacturing presence in Pennsylvania. GrafTech has operated the St. Marys facility since acquiring it in 2010, while the company brings nearly 140 years of experience in carbon and synthetic graphite-based solutions to the collaboration. A significant portion of the facility's existing bake furnace capacity is expected to be used as part of the partnership. GrafTech has already restarted eight bake furnaces at the St. Marys site, while both companies have hired additional workers in the community. The companies are also recruiting approximately a dozen more employees for positions spanning plant operations, machining, maintenance and other functions. GrafTech President and Chief Executive Officer Timothy Flanagan said the collaboration provides an opportunity to leverage the St. Marys facility and its experienced workforce while expanding the company's end-market exposure. According to Flanagan, the partnership is expected to utilize a significant amount of the facility's bake furnace capacity and establish an important new application for the site. The arrangement is also expected to diversify GrafTech's end markets and contribute to the development of a domestic supply chain for energy storage technologies. The collaboration gives particular importance to the skills and experience of the St. Marys workforce. By using existing industrial infrastructure and personnel capabilities, the companies can support a new energy-storage application while maintaining a connection to the region's established manufacturing base. Antora Co-Founder and CEO Andrew Ponec said sourcing carbon-based materials from GrafTech's Pennsylvania facility will help strengthen the company's domestic supply chain. He described the relationship as an investment in U.S. energy leadership and said the companies are working toward delivering affordable and reliable energy to customers across the country. Antora's thermal battery technology is based on a relatively abundant and established material: carbon. The company's systems store low-cost electricity as heat within insulated blocks of solid carbon. When energy is needed, the stored thermal energy can be supplied continuously as industrial heat or converted back into electricity. The approach is intended to address energy requirements across a wide range of applications. Factory-built thermal battery modules can potentially be deployed at chemical manufacturing facilities, food production plants, steelmaking operations and data centers, as well as in applications serving the broader electricity grid. Unlike many battery technologies that depend on supply-constrained critical minerals, Antora's thermal storage systems use carbon and insulation as core components. The company also emphasizes factory-based manufacturing, which can provide an alternative to energy infrastructure projects that require lengthy construction schedules. The use of carbon creates a connection between emerging thermal energy storage and existing U.S. industrial supply chains. Carbon-based materials are already produced and used domestically in industries including steelmaking and aluminum production, as well as in fireproofing and other industrial applications. For Antora's thermal batteries, carbon blocks and insulation are produced by processing lower-purity carbon feedstocks at high temperatures. Materials such as petroleum coke and coal tar pitch can be heated in specialized furnaces to produce the carbon components required for the thermal storage systems. The companies believe the expansion of thermal energy storage could create additional demand for U.S. petroleum and coal byproducts. As the market develops, materials that have traditionally served as industrial feedstocks could find new applications in large-scale energy storage. The collaboration is also being positioned as an investment in Pennsylvania's manufacturing and energy infrastructure. Representative Glenn "GT" Thompson of Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District said the project builds on the workforce, infrastructure and industrial expertise that have contributed to Pennsylvania's role in the U.S. energy sector. Thompson highlighted the employment opportunities associated with the partnership and its potential contribution to domestic energy security. He also emphasized the significance of the investment for Elk County, where the St. Marys facility is located. The announcement follows significant growth in Antora's financing and commercial activities. In late July, the company closed an oversubscribed $550 million Series C financing round. The funding is intended to support Antora's efforts to respond to rising energy demand and expand its thermal energy storage technology. Earlier in the year, Antora announced the commissioning of Project Big Stone in South Dakota. The project represents one of the company's largest deployments of thermal energy storage and is already supplying round-the-clock energy to POET at its facility in Big Stone City. POET is described as the world's largest producer of biofuels, making the project an example of how thermal energy storage can be applied to industrial operations with substantial and continuous energy requirements. Antora's technology is designed to provide customers with an alternative approach to managing electricity costs and securing reliable energy. By charging thermal batteries with electricity when power is inexpensive and dispatching stored energy when it is needed, industrial users can potentially reduce exposure to higher electricity costs while maintaining reliable thermal or electrical output. The partnership with GrafTech adds a domestic manufacturing component to Antora's technology strategy. Rather than relying exclusively on overseas sources for specialized materials, the collaboration is expected to use established U.S. industrial infrastructure and a skilled Pennsylvania workforce to supply carbon-based materials for thermal batteries. For GrafTech, the agreement represents an opportunity to apply existing manufacturing assets to the growing energy-storage sector. The St. Marys facility's restarted furnaces and additional hiring demonstrate the immediate operational impact of the collaboration, while future commercial activity could provide a longer-term application for the site. The parties have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding covering the strategic collaboration. GrafTech and Antora intend to negotiate and execute definitive agreements governing the relationship. Those final agreements remain subject to negotiated terms and conditions. If completed as planned, the collaboration could connect Pennsylvania's established carbon manufacturing capabilities with the emerging market for long-duration thermal energy storage. It also demonstrates how existing industrial facilities and materials can be incorporated into new energy technologies as manufacturers seek reliable, affordable and domestically sourced energy solutions. The partnership ultimately combines GrafTech's experience in carbon and synthetic graphite manufacturing with Antora's thermal battery technology. By developing carbon-based materials for thermal storage at the St. Marys facility, the companies aim to support domestic energy infrastructure, create manufacturing jobs and expand the role of established U.S. industrial supply chains in the transition toward new forms of energy storage.

Energy Monitor
Sep 11th, 2026
GrafTech and Antora to collaborate on carbon-based thermal batteries.

GrafTech and Antora to collaborate on carbon-based thermal batteries. The partnership is set to boost local jobs and expand US energy storage manufacturing at the St. Marys facility. GrafTech International and Antora Energy have announced a collaboration to develop and supply carbon-based materials for the latter's thermal batteries. Under the plans outlined, production will take place at GrafTech's St. Marys facility in Pennsylvania, US. The companies stated that the partnership aims to reinforce domestic manufacturing capabilities in energy technology. Both companies have resumed and expanded operations in St. Marys, with GrafTech restarting eight bake furnaces to meet demand for the project. The collaboration has already led to new hiring at the facility. At least a dozen additional positions are anticipated across several areas including operations, machining and maintenance. GrafTech International CEO and president Timothy Flanagan said: "This partnership is expected to utilise a significant portion of the bake furnace capacity at St. Marys, creating an important new application for the facility while diversifying its end markets and supporting the growth of the domestic energy storage supply chain. "We are particularly pleased that this opportunity builds on the skills and experience of the St. Marys workforce, and we look forward to growing our commercial relationship with Antora." Antora's batteries store electricity as heat using insulated blocks of solid carbon, before delivering this energy as heat or electricity as needed. The modules, manufactured at the factory, can be deployed in sectors such as chemicals, food production, steel, data centres, or the grid. Production of these batteries uses lower-purity carbon feedstocks including petroleum coke and coal tar pitch, processed in high-temperature furnaces. According to the companies, growing demand for thermal energy storage could open new uses for byproducts from the US petroleum and coal industries. Antora co-founder and CEO Andrew Ponec said: "By partnering with GrafTech to source carbon-based materials from their St. Marys facility, Antora is strengthening its domestic supply chain. "GrafTech is a leading Pennsylvania manufacturer, and we are excited to work with them to deliver affordable and reliable energy across the country. This is an investment in America's energy leadership." The collaboration between GrafTech and Antora is currently governed by a memorandum of understanding. Final agreements will depend on negotiation of definitive terms and conditions. In July 2026, Antora Energy completed a $550m Series C funding round to support the rollout of large-scale thermal battery storage systems in the US. Give your business an edge with its leading industry insights.