Rockville, Md., July 22, 2025 – Liatris Inc., a leader in cutting-edge thermal insulation solutions which enhance the affordability, comfort and safety of buildings, held a ribbon-cutting event today in collaboration with Governor Wes Moore and other state and local officials to announce a lab expansion funded in part by an $800K Build Our Future grant from the Maryland Department of Commerce.  The newly announced expansion will create 15 direct jobs and  over $20M in local economic impact through 2028.  

The Build Our Future Grant Pilot Program—part of the governor’s Innovation Economy Infrastructure Act of 2023—provides grants of up to $2 million to private companies, nonprofit entities, local governments, or colleges and universities.  This highly competitive funding is part of over $1M in state and local support for capital investments that will enable Liatris to double the size of its Rockville, MD headquarters to 10,000 sq ft and launch a pilot manufacturing facility to demonstrate high-performance and resilient building insulation products.

• $60,000 from the County’s MOVE Grant for lease expansion as well as a pending $150,000 grant from the Montgomery County Technology Innovation Grant program, newly enacted in 2024 to provide critical funding for early-stage high-tech companies, and
• $100,000 from the University of Maryland’s Energy Bridge Fund program which supports prior recipients of UMD’s Energy Seed Grant with cost sharing funds for federal grants

The expanded Rockville facility will allow Liatris to produce its first commercial scale insulation products and validate their cost and performance for larger scale mass production investment.  Successfully prototyped technologies which are in development and scale-up with corporate partners include the only fully non-combustible (ASTM E136) insulation board at R-5 / inch, and an R-10 / inch “super-insulation” mat which would be the highest performance building insulation product.

“Liatris is redefining what it means to build efficiently, affordably, and sustainably,” said Gov. Moore. “Today, we are joined by leaders at all levels of the state, who have proudly invested not just in the success of Liatris, but an ecosystem of innovators. Because when you invest in innovation, you invest in growth.”

“We are incredibly excited and honored to receive this strategic funding support from the Maryland Department of Commerce, which helps address the critical market need for advanced insulation while adding skilled jobs to a key strategic industry in Maryland,” said Frank Yang, Liatris’s President & CEO. “The comprehensive and robust support provided by the state and county made it an easy decision to expand locally in Rockville, and we are proud to continue our commercialization journey here.”

“Congratulations to Liatris on the grand opening of its Super Insulation Prototype Center,” said Elana Fine, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation Board Chair. “Liatris’ groundbreaking work in producing next-generation insulation materials reflects the kind of innovation that supports Montgomery County’s broader goal of eliminating 100 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. We’re proud to have worked with their team on securing a MOVE Grant to support this expansion and we are excited to see their continued success right here in Rockville.”

Liatris was represented in its facility search by Peter Rosan and Megan Williams of Cushman and Wakefield.  The building owner, GlenLine Investments, was represented by Danny Sheridan and Amanda Davis of JLL.

About Liatris

Founded in 2018 and based in Montgomery County, MD, near Washington, DC, Liatris is an advanced materials company which is making life more affordable, comfortable and safe through management of thermal energy. We aim to deliver the cleanest and fastest energy savings by mass-producing insulation that is easy to install, economical, efficient, and environmentally friendly. Learn more at www.liatris.biz