Blue Whale Materials has named Jack Johnson as CEO.
The leadership change comes as the Bartlesville, Oklahoma-based lithium-ion battery recycler is backed by a newly expanded capital base as it enters its commercial scale-up phase.
Johnson replaces co-founder Robert Kang, who has led BWM since its founding and will now focus on commercial partnerships.
“Blue Whale Materials has done the hard part, proving the commercial value of its differentiated process,” Johnson said in a statement. “My focus is execution: scaling the Bartlesville facility, deepening customer relationships, and strengthening the domestic battery supply chain.”
The new CEO has spent two decades in advanced manufacturing, including a decade running battery and energy-storage companies. He led design, construction and commissioning of one of the first large-scale lithium-ion battery plants in the US and has founded multiple advanced materials companies.
A capital growth package pairs with the CEO change: a senior secured credit facility from Breakwall Capital and an upsized equity commitment from Ara Partners, which first invested in BWM in 2022. That financing adds to a $55 million Department of Energy grant awarded in January 2025.
“Our next phase of growth is focused on unlocking our full commercial potential, deepening our industry partnerships, and scaling our advanced manufacturing capabilities,” said Cory Steffek, partner at Ara Partners, in a statement.
BWM’s baseline operations came online in August 2025. An initial capacity expansion is expected online this month, bringing total annual processing capacity to 20,000 metric tons of battery feedstock.
The company uses a proprietary process to recover high-purity nickel, cobalt, copper and lithium from end-of-life batteries and production scrap, producing a product called Blacksand that re-enters the domestic battery supply chain.
“The market demand for domestic critical minerals has never been higher,” Steffek said.
