CoalTek company co-founder Dr. Jerry Weinberg set up a laboratory in January 1998 to study coal. With input from key colleagues, he developed a proprietary solution that uses microwave technology to control multiple properties of coal. The result was "designer coal" that is cleaner than the raw materials found in nature.

Weinberg, an astrophysicist with achievement awards from NASA, used independent laboratories to confirm his findings. CoalTek, Inc. owns and has patent-protected all the intellectual property for its technology.

In 2003, Chris Poirier joined the company as president and CEO to commercialize CoalTek's clean coal technology and develop key strategic relationships. CoalTek incoporated in January 2004.

CoalTek received $8M in Series A preferred equity financing from an investment group led by Braemar Energy Ventures in 2005. The company commissioned its first large-scale commercial coal processing facility in 2006 in Calvert City, Kentucky in conjunction with Southern Coal Handling Services (LLC). The facility began shipping clean coal to electric utilities and other companies in the Midwest the same year.

By year's end, CoalTek had received $10M in Series B preferred equity financing with full participation by the original institutional investors from the Series A financing round.

In response to the growing demand for its clean fuels, CoalTek plans to build multiple facilities over the next few years.