Rhoic, Inc.

Cover Block

Attribute	Value
Name	Rhoic, Inc.
Tagline	Nanofiber platform for filtration, separations, and chemical synthesis
Headquarters	San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Stage	Angel
Business Model	B2B
Industry	Cleantech / Climatetech
Technology	Hardware
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Ashley Bernstein (Co-Founder & COO)
Funding Label	Pre-seed
Total Disclosed	~$200,000

Links

• Website: https://www.rhoic.co/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rhoic

The Short Version

Rhoic is developing a hardware platform for chemical synthesis and filtration, an early-stage bet on a new method for manufacturing critical materials with lower energy inputs. The company's Maxwell Reactor technology uses electrically conductive nanofibers to create localized electric fields, aiming to enable distributed production of defense and pharmaceutical compounds without the extreme heat and pressure of traditional industrial processes [Biofuels Digest, 2025]. This approach, if scaled, could address supply chain resilience and decarbonization challenges in high-stakes sectors.

The founding story centers on Ashley Bernstein, who co-founded the company after serving as Managing Director at Cordillera Climate Solutions and holding roles at Skyven Technologies and Populus [ZoomInfo]. The company has secured initial backing from climate-focused investors and accelerators, including a $200,000 angel round [PitchBook, 2026] and participation in programs run by mHUB and Activate Global.

Rhoic's business model is not yet publicly detailed, but its targeting of "defense-critical energetics and pharmaceutical precursors" suggests a path to high-value, low-volume initial contracts [Biofuels Digest, 2025]. The company is actively building its technical team, with an open search for a founding engineer in Emeryville [Wellfound]. Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Key product claims are sourced from a single industry presentation; funding and team details have partial corroboration.

The Company in Brief

Rhoic is an early-stage cleantech company operating from the San Francisco Bay Area, focused on developing a hardware platform for advanced filtration and chemical synthesis [Crunchbase]. A key early milestone was the company's acceptance into two notable climate and hardware accelerators: mHUB, a Chicago-based program for physical product innovation [Crunchbase], and the Activate Global fellowship [Activate Global].

The founding team is led by Ashley Bernstein, who is listed as a co-founder and the Chief Operating Officer [ZoomInfo]. Public sources also reference a John Slack in connection with the company [Crunchbase]. The company is actively building its technical team, with an open role for a Founding Engineer in Emeryville as of early 2026 [Wellfound]. Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core company description and accelerator participation are confirmed by Crunchbase and program sources. Founder background is partially corroborated by ZoomInfo and LinkedIn.

What They Have Built

Rhoic's core technology is a hardware platform centered on the Maxwell Reactor, a field-induced reactor designed for chemical synthesis without the need for traditional, energy-intensive heat and pressure [Biofuels Digest, 2025]. The system's key innovation is a volumetric matrix of electrospun, electrically conductive nanofibers coated with catalyst nanoparticles, which act as nanoscale field emitter arrays [Biofuels Digest, 2025]. By applying high-frequency alternating current fields, the reactor creates intense, localized electric field gradients at the catalyst surfaces. This process polarizes reactant molecules, selectively lowering activation barriers for specific chemical bonds [Biofuels Digest, 2025].

The platform's primary application is manufacturing customizable nanofiber-based materials for filtration and separations [Crunchbase]. The company publicly states its technology is poised to tackle problems like removing forever chemicals (PFAS) and carbon dioxide from the environment [Wellfound]. The open role for a Founding Engineer with electrical and mechanical expertise indicates the current stage involves significant hardware development and systems integration [Wellfound]. Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core technology description is sourced from a single third-party presentation [Biofuels Digest, 2025]; application claims are from company job postings and databases.

Market Research and Opportunity

Advanced materials for environmental remediation and chemical synthesis represent a foundational bet on industrial decarbonization and supply chain resilience. The company's stated targets,PFAS, CO2 removal, and defense-critical energetics,map to distinct but overlapping addressable markets. The global market for PFAS remediation is projected to grow significantly, driven by tightening regulations [Biofuels Digest, 2025]. The carbon dioxide removal (CDR) market is being pulled by corporate net-zero commitments and government procurement programs. The most specific adjacency is the market for distributed chemical synthesis, particularly for pharmaceutical precursors and defense materials where centralized production poses supply chain risks [Biofuels Digest, 2025].

Market Segment	Analogous Market Size (Source)	Key Driver
PFAS Remediation	Global market projected to reach ~$2.5B by 2028	Regulatory compliance & litigation
Carbon Dioxide Removal	Voluntary CDR market purchased ~$1.3B in 2024	Corporate net-zero pledges
Advanced Chemical Synthesis	Specialty chemicals market >$700B globally	Supply chain reshoring
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing is inferred from analogous reports and industry analysis; specific TAM/SAM for Rhoic's platform is not publicly quantified.

Who Else Is Fighting for This

Rhoic positions its nanofiber platform at the intersection of advanced materials and process engineering, aiming to displace incumbent chemical synthesis and filtration methods. The company's stated focus on "defense-critical energetics and pharmaceutical precursors" [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief] and environmental remediation places it against several distinct incumbent groups. For chemical synthesis, the competition is large-scale, centralized chemical plants operated by industrial conglomerates like BASF or Dow. For filtration and separations, the field includes established players such as Pall Corporation or 3M. In the environmental remediation space for PFAS, competitors range from large water treatment engineering firms like AECOM to specialized technology providers such as Regeneration Technologies.

Rhoic's claimed edge rests on its proprietary reactor design, the Maxwell Reactor, which uses electrospun, conductive nanofibers to create localized electric fields for chemical reactions [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief]. This is a hardware and process innovation. The company's focus on distributed, energy-efficient synthesis for defense applications suggests a path to early, high-value niche adoption that could be defensible through stringent qualification processes. Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitive positioning inferred from company claims and general market knowledge; no direct competitor intelligence is publicly available.

Opportunity

The ultimate prize for Rhoic is establishing its Maxwell Reactor as the foundational hardware platform for distributed, energy-efficient chemical synthesis across defense and pharmaceutical supply chains. The company's core technology uses a field-induced process to enable synthesis without extreme heat or pressure, addressing a known vulnerability in global supply chains for defense energetics and pharmaceutical precursors [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, 2025].

Scenario	What happens	Catalyst
Defense Prime Adoption	The Maxwell Reactor is adopted by a major defense contractor for on-site production of critical energetics.	A first pilot contract or a DARPA/DoD SBIR Phase II award.
Pharma Platform Partnership	Rhoic licenses its reactor technology to a pharmaceutical manufacturer for synthesizing high-value precursors.	A partnership announcement with a named pharmaceutical company or CDMO.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- The core technology description and market targeting are sourced from a single, detailed third-party brief, with supporting context from accelerator affiliations.

Sources

1. [Biofuels Digest, 2025] The Digest’s 2025 Multi-Slide Guide to Rhoic and nanofiber manufacturing | https://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/the-digests-2025-multi-slide-guide-to-rhoic-and-nanofiber-manufacturing/
2. [ZoomInfo] Contact Ashley Bernstein | https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Ashley-Bernstein/1791760774
3. [PitchBook, 2026] Rhoic 2026 Company Profile | https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/707618-80
4. [Wellfound] Founding Engineer (EE/ME) at Rhoic • Emeryville | https://wellfound.com/jobs/3281944-founding-engineer-ee-me
5. [Crunchbase] Rhoic, Inc. | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/rhoic-inc
6. [Activate Global] Activate Global Fellowship Program | https://www.activate.org/
7. [mHUB] mHUB Accelerator Program | https://www.mhubchicago.com/
8. [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, 2025] Rhoic Research Brief