Exceptional talent,
cutting-edge infrastructure
With our rapidly growing team of dedicated scientists and innovators, we have continued to break barriers on the research and development of disruptive materials and engineering systems to fundamentally transform the energy industry.
As a company, Marko Lithium Energy has a mission to power the future. Founded by serial entrepreneur, Mark M. Bertrand, and a team of the world’s leading scientists and sustainable energy veterans, Marko Lithium Energy is creating revolutionary technology to support the shift to clean energy and enable lithium-powered batteries, products, and applications.
Primarily focused on lithium, the main component of rechargeable Li-ion batteries, Marko Lithium Energy’s LiTAS® exponentially decreases the price of lithium production through optimized extraction methods, while our SoLiS™ technology enables lithium metal integration into next generation cell architectures.
Learn More about Our Technology
Lithium is sometimes referred to as “white petroleum” because it has the potential to replace fossil fuels. Batteries are the driving force in the revolution of electric vehicles, and are critical for supporting the storage of growing demand for clean energies like wind and solar. Marko Lithium Energy is developing solid state electrolyte battery solutions to increase energy density in battery chemistries. Learn more about lithium
HOW IT STARTED
Marko Lithium Energy was conceived when Mark M. Bertrand was on a sabbatical exploring South America. As he ventured across the Salar de Uyuni, in the mountains of Bolivia, he came to learn this area was not only the world’s largest salt flat at 4000 square miles, but also the world’s single largest lithium reserve held in the salt brines below. Part of a larger area known as the “Lithium Triangle”, up to 60% of the entire world’s lithium is captured in this small area between Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. Primarily untapped, and with the biggest opportunity derick had ever set his eyes on, Marko Lithium Energy was born.
OUR VALUES
Innovative
Curiosity is at the core of all our endeavors. Forging our path through revolutionary technology research, Marko Lithium Energy encourages fearless curiosity, innovation and continuous experimentation.
Creative
Fueled by passion, we promote creativity and the idea of disrupting age-old infrastructures with new research, technologies, and systems. As Thomas Edison would always say, use your head and your hands.
Sustainable
Everything our team does starts with one goal in mind: Sustainability. We strive to make the world a cleaner place with efficient products and protocols that minimize atmospheric impact on biodiversity, toxic emissions, and material waste.
LEADERSHIP
Our Marko Lithium Energy team is comprised of dedicated and skilled professionals with a passion for saving our planet and empowering others.
Mark M. Bertrand
Lithium demand is already high and is growing year over year. Over the next 10-20 years, lithium will be the most important natural resource in the world. As our society transitions to a fully sustainable future, Marko Lithium Energy will tackle the hardest problems for the production of lithium and many aspects of energy storage.
Mark M. Bertrand founded Marko Lithium Energy in 2001 and is the acting Chairman and CEO. He is responsible for all aspects of building the company into a world leader in clean energy technologies, and specifically lithium production. Under his leadership, Marko Lithium Energy has developed cutting-edge technologies aimed at improving lithium extraction and refinery. The company has secured over 120 patents and embarked on major projects like Project Black Giant™ in Chile, a large-scale lithium mining operation, and Project Lonestar™ Lithium in the Smackover region, aimed at building the largest lithium production plant in the United States.
Mark’s background is one of serial entrepreneurship, innovation, investing, and philanthropy. He has been investing in public sector energy assets and sustainable technologies since 2013 with a flagship investment in Tesla. Prior to Marko Lithium Energy, in 2010 he started an entertainment business highlighted by a #1 iTunes artist release. In 2012, derick founded Innovation Factory, a venture capital fund focused on tech, life sciences, real estate, and consumer products. derick has been featured both personally and professionally in esteemed outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and CNBC. He is widely recognized as a leading expert in lithium, the clean energy transition, and the development of disruptive technologies.
Mark is an alumnus of University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business receiving his BA in Entrepreneurship, and went on to complete the Executive Program in exponential technology including artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology at Singularity University.
Fun Fact: Mark invested in Tesla in 2013, beginning his passion for the transition to renewable energy.
GLOBAL LOCATION
Doha, Qatar
Miami is home to Marko Lithium Energy’s Corporate Headquarters, and extends the state’s legacy of technological innovation.
OUR FACILITIES
Innovation Laboratory
The Innovation Labs is where all the magic happens. Within these walls, Marko Lithium Energy’s team of scientist are hard at work developing lithium separation, extraction, refinery, and processing technology. The labs contain state-of-the-art machines and analytic equipment.
Marko Lithium Energy is pioneering advanced research at the intersection of chemistry, materials science, and process engineering to better understand lithium-containing solutions and materials. This work drives the development of novel surfaces, highly selective solute–fluid interactions, and next-generation membranes for energy applications, forming the foundation of the LiTAS® platform. By integrating multiple methodologies—such as absorption, solvent extraction, and membrane technologies—LiTAS® enables Marko Lithium Energy to (i) process virtually any brine composition, (ii) deliver a comprehensive solution that produces battery-grade lithium, and (iii) achieve industry-leading recovery rates with ultra-low impurities and some of the lowest capital and operating costs in the industry.
TOUR THE LAB
Pilot Facility
With a critical roadmap towards commercialization, Marko Lithium Energy has developed its own LiTAS® pilot plant in its Miami and Chile based facilities. The company has completed all engineering and internally built the systems required for pilot scale processing.
Marko Lithium Energy’s engineering and scale up team completed and shipped Pilot 001 to the field in 2021. The second and third pilot units containing upgraded lithium extraction technology suites were built and deployed in 2022. Marko Lithium Energy continued to develop its technology and re-engineered its pilot systems for deployment in Miami in 2023 and Chile in 2024. The roadmap towards commercialization includes deploying a demonstration scale plant, and then a commercial scale plant. The pilot facility will also house commercial manufacturing systems for large scale production of LiTAS® membranes and ancillary technology systems.
MARKO LITHIUM ENERGY 10 YEAR MASTER PLAN
A long term plan and vision is critical for any company. At Marko Lithium Energy we have taken after Elon Musk and created a 10-Year Master Plan.
Our mission is to be the leader in the transition to sustainable energy. We first look towards natural resources, the raw materials to make energy storage systems. Second we look at making the energy storage systems themselves more efficient.
In short, the master plan is this:
1) Build lithium production technology
2) Use that money to build longer lasting battery technology
3) Use that money to open a large R&D facility focused on the renewable energy transition
4) While doing the above, start strategizing vertical integration and manufacturing optimization of batteries and battery materials.