Inside Liatris’ Mission to Build Safer, Fire-Resistant Properties from Montgomery County

In scaling up high-performance building materials that have significant implications for energy efficiency and resilience, Liatris is proving that innovation in Montgomery County extends far beyond traditional industries. Headquartered in Rockville, the company is developing next-generation insulation products designed to improve affordability, comfort, and safety in buildings, all while helping address the growing energy demands of the future.

Behind the company’s growth is Founder and CEO Frank Yang, an entrepreneur whose career has centered on scaling transformative technologies in the building and energy sectors. Before launching Liatris, Yang helped co-found the U.S. solar manufacturing company Stion, where he served as a top commercial executive and helped raise more than $400 million from leading venture capital firms and strategic investors. Working in a high-growth environment alongside major industry partners gave him firsthand experience navigating the complexities of bringing advanced technologies into the marketplace in a way that properly addresses customer and end-user needs.

That experience ultimately led him to found Liatris alongside co-founder Dr. Arthur Yang. At the time, building codes were beginning to demand higher-performing and more resilient insulation materials, while rising energy consumption was creating new urgency around energy efficiency.

“The opportunity was clear, but it required a high level of conviction and risk tolerance to move into a sector that has traditionally been slow to innovate,” Yang said.

Since its founding, Liatris has steadily evolved from an early-stage research and development company into a fast-growing innovator entering pilot manufacturing. The company has developed industry-leading insulation prototypes reaching R-11 per inch—double the performance of many existing insulation products—and has secured more than $6 million in grants and corporate partner investment to support its growth.

The company’s momentum has also translated into physical facilities expansion. Recently, Liatris doubled its Rockville lab and prototyping footprint to 10,000 square feet as it launches a pilot manufacturing facility that will support its first field demonstration projects while validating key processes for larger scale mass production partnerships.

Despite only being founded in 2018, Liatris is already gaining recognition both locally and globally. In 2025, the company was recognized at the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce Business Awards for its innovation leadership. Internationally, the company earned the “Global Insulation Product of the Year” award at the Global Insulation Conference in Baveno, Italy—an honor awarded over several established global manufacturers.

Built in Montgomery County

For Yang, Montgomery County was the natural place to build the company.

“As Montgomery County residents, we chose to keep Liatris close to home because it offers a unique combination of strong workforce talent alongside a highly supportive innovation ecosystem,” he explained. “Specifically, the County has begun to demonstrate a broader commitment to supporting a more diverse range of early-stage companies in strategic industries that contribute to key mission priorities such as energy and housing. We are highly invested in this work because it will ultimately help delivery infrastructure and quality of life improvements to all County residents.”

Today, all 12 of Liatris’ full-time employees are based in Rockville, and the company expects that footprint to continue growing as operations scale. Looking ahead, Yang says Montgomery County will remain the company’s long-term headquarters and research and development hub, with plans to potentially double local employment in the years ahead.

According to Yang, partnerships and support from the County have also played an important role in the company’s growth. Liatris has benefited from programs including Maryland’s Build Our Future grant, Montgomery County’s MOVE and Innovation grants, Maryland Project RESTORE, and the Maryland Technology Internship Program.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Founders

Beyond advancing building technologies, Yang is passionate about creating opportunities for the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders. He hopes Liatris can serve as an example that Asian American founders can lead not only in technical innovation, but also in commercial growth and execution.

“It’s often talked about that building a start-up requires foresight and vision, but even more you need an unwavering willingness to operate in uncertain environments and uncover new opportunities,” Yang said. “Ultimately, I hope my path can help expand what feels possible for others.”

As Liatris continues scaling its technology and expanding manufacturing capabilities in Rockville, the company represents exactly the kind of innovation shaping Montgomery County’s forward-looking economic future.