The Northeast Science and Technology (NEST) Center announced Thursday that Still Bright, Inc., a pioneering copper-extraction firm, has selected the 100-acre Kenilworth life science campus as its new global headquarters.
The company will occupy 15,000 square feet of laboratory and manufacturing space at 15 NEST, marking a significant graduation from its former home at the HAX Accelerator in Newark. The move provides Still Bright with the necessary infrastructure to transition its proprietary technology from the bench to pilot-scale production.
Still Bright is addressing a critical bottleneck in the energy transition. As global demand for copper surges due to the rapid growth of AI data centers, electric vehicles, and grid expansion, traditional smelting methods have faced increasing community and environmental scrutiny.
Still Bright’s patented “RACER” process offers a cleaner, more economical alternative. The technology can recover up to 99% of copper from sulfide ore at ambient temperature and pressure. Unlike conventional methods, the process eliminates harmful waste and converts typical waste streams into valuable co-products.
“We’ve spent the past few years proving that modern electrochemistry can produce copper with better economics than the status quo,” Randy Allen, co-founder and CEO of Still Bright said. “Our move to NEST lets us advance our pilot and prepare for global on-site demonstrations, right here in New Jersey.”
Founded in 2022 and backed by $18.7 million in seed funding raised in 2025, Still Bright is now preparing to build a demonstration unit capable of producing approximately 500 tonnes of copper per year. The turnkey nature of the NEST facility will allow the company to become operational within 60 days.
For the NEST campus, the arrival of Still Bright serves as a case study for retaining high-growth startups within the state.
“Still Bright’s move to NEST is exactly the type of growth story this campus was built to support,” Matt Flath, senior vice president of Asset Management at Onyx Equities, a joint owner of the campus. “They are graduating from New Jersey’s startup ecosystem into a headquarters and pilot-scale manufacturing environment that allows them to keep advancing their technology here in the state.”
The Northeast Science and Technology (NEST) Center is a purpose-built, 100-acre life science campus located in Kenilworth, N.J. The site provides customizable, turn-key laboratory and bio-manufacturing space designed to support the tri-state area’s growing innovation economy.
