XBM USA names Dr. Jon Shan chief technology officer

XBM USA on August 19, 2026 named battery materials veteran Dr. Jon Shan as chief technology officer as the company pushes to commercialize its lithium-sulfur and carbon-chemistry battery platform. The hire is aimed at scaling U.S.-made materials from industrial byproducts and reducing reliance on foreign battery supply chains.

Why it matters: - XBM USA is trying to move from battery materials development to commercial production. - The company’s platform is built on domestic feedstocks, which could reduce exposure to foreign-controlled supply chains. - The new CTO hire adds commercialization experience at a time when next-generation battery chemistries are nearing market entry.

What happened: - Xponential Battery Materials, or XBM USA, appointed Jon Shan, PhD, as chief technology officer on August 19, 2026. - XBM USA said the hire strengthens its leadership team as it works to commercialize its lithium-sulfur cathode and carbon-chemistry battery technology platform. - Phil Roberts, XBM USA’s CEO, said the company is moving from technology development to commercialization.

The details: - XBM USA develops U.S.-made battery materials from domestically sourced industrial byproducts. - The company’s cathode and anode materials use sulfur, lignin and tannin as inputs. - XBM says the approach is designed to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign-controlled battery supply chains. - Shan brings more than 20 years of experience in battery materials scientific work, product development and commercialization. - Shan has worked with Navitas Systems, Lyten, Amprius and QuantumScape. - His background includes work for the U.S. Department of Energy, the Department of War and NASA. - Shan said he had previously collaborated with XBM while serving as a senior R&D manager at Navitas Systems. - Shan said the CarbonX platform has potential to support lithium-sulfur cathodes and silicon-based anodes. - Shan said his focus will be on commercially scalable lithium-sulfur cathode materials, silicon-graphite anode materials and hard carbon anode materials. - XBM says its CarbonX platform converts low-value byproducts from the petroleum and paper and pulp industries into battery cathode and anode materials. - The company says the materials are sourced and manufactured entirely in the Americas. - XBM is working with academic institutions and domestic suppliers to build the raw feedstock supply chain for CarbonX. - XBM’s flagship battery cell products are being developed first for electric aviation uses, including eVTOL aircraft and drones. - The company says those applications need high energy density and low weight. - XBM says its high-capacity, lightweight sulfur cathode and silicon anode cell system combines proprietary electrolytes, binders and other technologies into a complete battery cell chemistry package.

Between the lines: - The appointment signals that XBM is shifting from research toward manufacturing and market execution. - The company is betting that domestic industrial byproducts can become a lower-cost alternative to imported critical battery materials. - The focus on eVTOLs and drones suggests XBM is targeting early markets where performance matters more than cost alone. - Roberts said XBM is building a different domestic supply chain around abundant, low-cost feedstocks rather than imported critical materials.

What’s next: - XBM is expected to ramp production of the CarbonX platform under Shan’s leadership. - The company will continue building supply-chain partnerships with academic institutions and domestic suppliers. - XBM’s commercialization push will likely center on lithium-sulfur cathodes and carbon-based anodes for next-generation batteries.

The bottom line: - XBM USA is adding a seasoned battery executive to help turn its domestic materials platform into a commercial product line.