ClearFlame Engines, Inc.
Modified diesel engines that operate on low-carbon liquid fuels (ethanol, methanol) using high-efficiency combustion technology without petroleum diesel
- Sector
- Energy
- Headquarters
- Woodridge, IL
- Founded
- 2016
- Latest Form D
- $30M, Mar 2023
- Total capital
- $52.7M
- Federal grants
- $3M
- 5 awards · 2017–2020
- Rank in peer group#23 of 39
- Private capital raised
- $49.6M
- 3 Form D · last Mar 2023
- 44 months since last filing
- Federal contracts
- None on recordNo federal contract awards found.
- Granted patents
- 6
- 21 pending · first 2022
- Rank in peer group#4 of 39
Capital timeline
Latest events
- Private capital raisedForm D · SEC · 3rd filing$30M
- Private capital raisedForm D · SEC · 2nd filing$17M
- Federal grantEnergy · Phase II · Combustion Geometry Optimization to Increase Alcohol-Fueled MCCI Efficiency$1.1M
- Private capital raisedForm D · SEC · 1st filing$2.7M
- Federal grantEnergy · Phase I · Topic 13d: Combustion Geometry Optimization to Increase Alcohol-Fueled MCCI Efficiency$199K
- Federal grantNSF · Phase II · SBIR Phase II: Development of a Stoichiometric, Direct-Injected, Soot-Free Engine for Heavy-Duty Applications$1.4M
- Federal grantAgriculture · Ethanol Dual-fuel Engine Retrofits To Displace Diesel Usage In Farm Equipment$100K
Show 1 earlier federal award
- Federal grantNSF · Phase I · SBIR Phase I: Development of a Stoichiometric, Direct-Injected, Soot-Free Engine for Heavy-Duty Applications$225K
Node area is scaled to amount. Form D reports securities sold, which can differ from an announced round; filings are numbered in the order they were made.
Federal first
32months
from ClearFlame Engines, Inc.’s first federal award to its first private round.
- First federal award · Jul 2017
- NSF · $225K
- First Form D · Mar 2020
- $2.7M · 1st Form D
- Awards before first raise
- 4 awards
An association in public records, not a cause or a prediction.
Standing among 39 peers
Line = medianEnergy · Device
- Federal grantsBelow median
- Granted patents#4 · top 10%
Cumulative measures favor older companies. Rankings describe position today, not outcome. Below the median, ranks show as a band rather than a number.
Founders and team
Researcher links verified by same-company patents and grants- Julie BlumreiterResearcherDirectorLinked by 6 patents · $1.4M in grants as PI
- Bernard JohnsonResearcherExecutive Officer, DirectorLinked by $1.5M in grants as PI
- Bernard Henry Johnson IVExecutive Officer, DirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
- Boris Ann BystrovDirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
- Craig Ann BarnesExecutive OfficerNamed in SEC Form D filings
- Daniel Ann ButtonDirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
Show all 9 people
- John Ann BobrowichDirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
- Joshua BrowneDirectorNamed in SEC Form D filings
- Kirk Ann RollerExecutive OfficerNamed in SEC Form D filings
What it has protected
USPTO · 6 granted of 27- PendingFuel Agnostic Compression Ignition EngineUSPTOApplication 18587160
- GrantedFull Agnostic Compression Ignition EngineUSPTOUS 11,976,606
- GrantedFuel Agnostic Compression Ignition EngineUSPTOUS 11,959,434
Show all 27 patent records
- Fuel Agnostic Compression Ignition EngineJun 13, 2024 · Application 18587160Pending
- Full Agnostic Compression Ignition EngineMay 7, 2024 · US 11,976,606Granted
- Fuel Agnostic Compression Ignition EngineApr 16, 2024 · US 11,959,434Granted
- Systems and Methods for Combusting Unconventional Fuel Chemistries in a Diesel Engine ArchitectureApr 9, 2024 · US 11,952,936Granted
- Fuel Agnostic Compression Ignition EngineApr 9, 2024 · US 11,952,954Granted
- Systems And Methods Of Cylinder Deactivation In High-temperature Mixing-controlled EnginesJun 13, 2023 · US 11,674,462Granted
- Cold Start for High-Octane Fuels in a Diesel Engine ArchitectureApr 27, 2023 · Application 18088318Pending
- Fuel Agnostic Compression Ignition EngineAug 30, 2022 · US 11,428,186Granted
- Cold Start For High-octane Fuels In A Diesel Engine ArchitectureFeb 25, 2021 · Application 17092474Pending
- Fuel Agnostic Compression Ignition EngineApplication 63236965Pending
- Systems And Metods Of Cylinder Deactivation In High-temperature Mixing-controlled EnginesApplication PCTUS2021041109Pending
- Fuel Agnostic Compression Ignition EngineApplication PCTUS2021019930Pending
- Systems And Methods Of Cylinder Deactivation: Maintaining Stoichiometric Air-fuel Ratio In A Heavy-duty EngineApplication 63049763Pending
- Cold-start For High-octane Fuels In A Diesel Engine ArchitectureApplication PCTUS2020032961Pending
- Fuel Agnostic Compression Ignition EngineApplication 62981808Pending
- Cold Start For High-octane Fuels In A Diesel Engine ArchitectureApplication 62848087Pending
- Intake Temperature Management Systems For Compression Ignition Of Small Molecule FuelsApplication 19061604Pending
- Systems And Methods For Application Of Heat For Ignition Of Low Cetane FuelsApplication PCTUS2025017737Pending
- Fuel-based Heating To Enable Mixing Controlled Combustion Of Small- Molecule FuelsApplication 19061622Pending
- Systems And Methods For Controlling Intake Manifold Temperatures In Compression Ignition EnginesApplication PCTUS2025017739Pending
- Systems And Methods For Application Of Heat For Ignition Of Low Cetane FuelsApplication 63558268Pending
- Systems And Methods For Controlling Intake Manifold Temperatures In Compression Ignition EnginesApplication 63558271Pending
- Fuel-based Heating To Enable Mixing-controlled Combustion Of Small-molecule FuelsApplication PCTUS2023072843Pending
- Intake Temperature Management Systems For Compression Ignition Of Small Molecule FuelsApplication PCTUS2023072840Pending
- Fuel-based Heating To Enable Mixing-controlled Combustion Of Small-molecule FuelsApplication 63400702Pending
- Fuel Agnostic Compression Ignition EngineApplication PCTUS2022041391Pending
- Intake Temperature Management Systems For Compression Ignition of Small Molecule FuelsApplication 63400653Pending
Related companies, and why
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Regulatory activity · Energy
- Air Plan Approval; Michigan; Redesignation and Maintenance Plan for the Partial St. Clair 2010 1-Hour Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) NAAQS Nonattainment AreaEnvironmental Protection Agency
- Air Plan Approval; Delaware; 2006 24-Hour Fine Particulate Matter Limited Maintenance Plan for the Philadelphia Nonattainment AreaEnvironmental Protection Agency
- Air Plan Approval; Oklahoma; Updates to the State Implementation Plan for New Source Review Permitting and General SIP ProvisionsEnvironmental Protection Agency
- List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NAC International, Inc., MAGNASTOR® Storage System, Certificate of Compliance No. 1031, Amendment Nos. 16 and 17 and Revisions to Amendment Nos. 0 Through 16Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- Epyrifenacil; Pesticide TolerancesEnvironmental Protection Agency
- Fluoxapiprolin; Pesticide TolerancesEnvironmental Protection Agency
Rules are matched to sector, not to company. Recent activity in a sector is context rather than a signal about this business — until rules are matched to what a company actually builds, the section is shown as context and nothing more.
Sources
Federal grants from SBIR/STTR, NIH, NSF and DoD records. Federal contracts from USAspending.gov. Private capital from SEC Form D. Patents from USPTO. Publications from OpenAlex. Regulatory activity from the Federal Register. Press matched on company name.
How to read this page
Figures show associations in public records, not causes or predictions. Nothing here is investment advice. An em-dash means no record was found under this company's name, not that none exists.
Data freshness
SEC Form D filings through . SBIR and STTR awards through .