What Nano-C does

Nano-C, Inc. is a privately held specialty chemicals company founded in 2001 and headquartered in Westwood, Massachusetts, that develops and manufactures nanostructured carbon materials—primarily fullerenes and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)—for high-value energy and electronics applications. The company is the only fully integrated manufacturer of fullerene and SWCNT materials worldwide, controlling every production step from synthesis through purification, separation, and final derivatization, with process technology originally licensed from MIT based on founder Jack Howard's 1991 breakthrough in industrial-scale fullerene synthesis. Its product portfolio spans four categories: (1) fullerene core materials and derivatives (C60, C70, C60PCBM, C70PCBM, proprietary FD-series functionalized fullerenes), (2) interlayer materials for perovskite solar cells (MonoFAPA, BisFAPA ETLs; 0PATPA, Ph4PACz HTLs), (3) LiquidCarbon™ spin-on-carbon hardmasks (LC13, LC18) for advanced semiconductor lithography targeting sub-7nm and high-NA EUV applications, and (4) Invisicon™ transparent conductive inks (SWCNT, silver nanowire, and hybrid formulations) and SWCNT conductive battery additives for next-generation EV battery chemistries.

The company serves three primary end markets: solar/photovoltaics (perovskite and thin-film solar cells), semiconductor manufacturing (advanced lithography hardmasks), and battery/EV (conductive additives for silicon anodes and high-nickel cathodes). Nano-C operates a direct sales-led go-to-market model, engaging closely with customer R&D and production teams from early development through commercial scale, supplemented by an online product portal for R&D quantities. The company has accumulated approximately $101M in disclosed funding across multiple rounds, including a $50M round led by Cote Capital in January 2023. Recent strategic moves include ISO 9001:2015 certification in May 2026 and the acquisition of the LiquidCarbon™ patent portfolio from Irresistible Materials, Ltd. in June 2026, signaling an offensive expansion into semiconductor lithography materials. The company also operates a subsidiary, Clenesys, focused on hydrogen-related applications including anti-corrosive PEM fuel cell coatings.

Name

Nano-C

Legal name

Nano-C, Inc.

Website

https://nano-c.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nano-C is a Westwood, Massachusetts-based specialty chemicals company founded in 2001 that is the only fully integrated manufacturer of fullerenes and single-walled carbon nanotubes worldwide. It serves solar, semiconductor, and battery manufacturers with nanostructured carbon materials including perovskite interlayers, spin-on-carbon hardmasks, and conductive additives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Specialty Materials

NAICS

Carbon and Graphite Product Manufacturing (335991), Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Functional Carbon Fillers (Carbon Black, Graphite) (IMAEAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Thin-Film Deposition Materials (PVD/CVD/ALD Targets & Precursors) (HDAHAGAH)

Keywords

• Fullerene electronic materials
• Carbon nanotube additives
• Semiconductor lithography materials
• Conductive ink formulations
• Specialty electronic chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Westwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electronic Materials Sales: Sale of engineered carbon-based materials including fullerenes, SWCNTs, specialty chemicals, and formulated products. Products available in R&D quantities through website and commercial scale through direct engagement.
2. Custom Formulation Development: Collaborative development and customization of materials for specific customer applications, working directly with R&D and production teams to optimize formulations for their device architectures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nano-C develops and manufactures nanostructured carbon materials including fullerenes (C60, C70) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) used in solar cell, semiconductor lithography, EV battery, and transparent conductive electrode applications. The company controls the full production process from synthesis through purification, separation, and final derivatization, offering standard R&D quantities through an online product portal and commercial-scale volumes via direct sales engagement with R&D and production teams.

Product overview

Nano-C is an engineered materials company offering a comprehensive portfolio of carbon-based electronic materials for solar, semiconductor, and battery applications. The product portfolio consists of: (1) Fullerene Core Materials including C60 and C70 fullerenes in standard and high-purity sublimed grades; (2) Fullerene Derivatives including C60PCBM, C70PCBM, PCBC6, ICBA, and proprietary FD-series functionalized fullerenes (FD19-III, FD23, FD36, FD44); (3) Interlayer Materials including electron transport layers (MonoFAPA, BisFAPA) and hole transport layers (0PATPA, Ph4PACz) for perovskite solar cells; (4) LiquidCarbon™ spin-on-carbon hardmasks (LC13, LC18) for advanced semiconductor lithography; (5) Invisicon™ conductive inks including SWCNT-based (3000 series), silver nanowire-based (5000 series), and hybrid SWCNT/AgNW formulations (9000 series) for transparent conductive electrodes; and (6) SWCNT battery additives for EV battery applications. Nano-C is the only fully integrated manufacturer of fullerenes and single-walled carbon nanotubes worldwide, controlling synthesis through purification and final formulation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LiquidCarbon: High-carbon content spin-on-carbon hardmask formulations for advanced semiconductor lithography. Includes LC13 and LC18 product lines.
• Invisicon
• MTR

Products and services

• C60 Fullerene 60-carbon fullerene serving as the primary starting material for synthesis of organic semiconductors used in solar cells and perovskites, and used in thermal evaporation systems as electron acceptors, n-type semiconductors, or interface layers. Available in standard grade from $100.
• C60 Fullerene Sublimed Grade High-purity sublimed C60 fullerene (≥99.95% purity) used in thermal evaporation systems as electron acceptors, n-type semiconductors, or interface layers in perovskite tandem cells as electron transport layer. Pricing from $200.
• C70 Fullerene 70-carbon fullerene serving as n-type semiconductor and electron acceptor in solar cells, deposited via thermal evaporation as electron transport layer in organic and perovskite photovoltaic devices.
• C70 Fullerene High Purity High-purity C70 fullerene (≥99.5% purity) with superior visible-spectrum absorption versus C60, enhanced charge transport through π-π interactions, and efficient omnidirectional electron transfer via its three-dimensional LUMO structure. Pricing from $250 for high-purity grade.
• C60PCBM [6,6]-Phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester, the most widely used fullerene derivative and primary electron transport layer (ETL) in inverted (p-i-n) perovskite solar cells and perovskite-silicon tandem devices, enabling 20%+ efficiencies.
• C70PCBM C70 fullerene derivative with phenyl-butyric acid methyl ester side chain offering superior visible light absorption (400-600 nm range) compared to C60PCBM, improving power conversion efficiency in organic solar cells.
• PCBC6 [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid hexyl ester, a C60 fullerene derivative with enhanced solubility in non-polar organic solvents due to longer alkyl chain modification compared to standard C60PCBM.
• ICBA (Indene-C60 Bisadduct) C60 fullerene cage functionalized with two indene units, designed to raise LUMO energy level compared to C60PCBM for higher open-circuit voltages in organic photovoltaic devices with wide-bandgap polymer donors like P3HT.
• FD19-III Functionalized Fullerene Proprietary functionalized fullerene developed to enhance thermal stability in organic solar devices, increasing device lifetime and improving power conversion efficiency under light-soaking.
• FD23 Functionalized Fullerene Proprietary functionalized fullerene developed to enhance thermal stability in organic solar devices, increasing device lifetime and improving power conversion efficiency under light-soaking.
• FD36 Functionalized Fullerene Proprietary functionalized fullerene developed to enhance thermal stability in organic solar devices, increasing device lifetime and improving power conversion efficiency under light-soaking.
• FD44 Functionalized Fullerene Proprietary functionalized fullerene developed to enhance thermal stability in organic solar devices, increasing device lifetime and improving power conversion efficiency under light-soaking.
• MonoFAPA (C60-C6-PA) Electron transport layer material for perovskite solar cells that improves energy level alignment between perovskite materials and conductive metal oxide cathode materials, reduces interface recombination, and suppresses ion migration.
• BisFAPA (Bis-C60-C6-PA) Electron transport layer material for perovskite solar cells with improved interaction with metal oxide ETLs compared to MonoFAPA, providing better energy level alignment and reduced interface recombination.
• 0PATPA Hole Transport Layer p-[4-(diphenylamino)phenyl]phosphonic acid hole transport layer material for perovskite solar cells that creates superior energy level alignment, enables improved hole extraction, and enhances perovskite crystallization.
• Ph4PACz Hole Transport Layer

Quantifiable outcome

• Carbon content exceeding 90% achievable in LiquidCarbon™ formulations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Irresistible Materials, Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026Nano-C and Irresistible Materials have been long-term partners in developing leading-edge lithography materials. Nano-C acquired IM's LiquidCarbon™ patent portfolio enabling development of high-carbon mask solutions for semiconductor manufacturers, while IM focuses on its Multi-Trigger Resist (MTR™) platform for EUV lithography. Both companies aim to accelerate development and commercialization of novel materials for high-performance lithography.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• OCSiAl: OCSiAl is the world's largest producer of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), making it the most direct peer to Nano-C's SWCNT business for batteries, conductive inks, and composites. Both companies compete on SWCNT purity, industrial scale, and application-specific grades.
• BuckyUSA: BuckyUSA manufactures and supplies fullerenes (C60, C70) and fullerene derivatives, directly overlapping with Nano-C's fullerene core materials and derivative portfolio serving research and industrial customers in OPV, perovskite, and electronics.
• Frontier Carbon Corporation: Frontier Carbon Corporation (a Sumitomo group company) is one of the largest industrial fullerene producers globally, supplying C60, C70, and fullerene derivatives for electronics and materials applications — directly comparable to Nano-C's fullerene business.
• SES Research: SES Research produces fullerenes and fullerene derivatives (including PCBM-type acceptors) for organic electronics and photovoltaics research, directly competing with Nano-C's fullerene portfolio in solar and electronic materials.
• Solenne BV: Solenne specializes in fullerene derivatives (including PCBM variants) optimized for organic and perovskite photovoltaics, making it a focused peer to Nano-C's fullerene derivative business serving the OPV/perovskite solar segment.

Broad incumbents

• JSR Corporation: JSR is a global leader in semiconductor lithography materials (photoresists, spin-on materials) and a broad electronic materials incumbent. Nano-C's LiquidCarbon spin-on-carbon hardmasks directly compete with JSR's advanced lithography portfolio serving the same fab customers.
• Tokyo Ohka Kogyo (TOK): TOK is one of the top three global suppliers of photoresists and spin-on hardmask materials for advanced semiconductor nodes. Its spin-on carbon and hardmask products compete directly with Nano-C's LiquidCarbon LC13/LC18 product line.
• Shin-Etsu Chemical: Shin-Etsu Chemical is a diversified semiconductor materials incumbent with leading positions in photoresists, EUV materials, and silicon wafers. Its electronic materials division overlaps with Nano-C's lithography and electronics materials ambitions.
• DuPont Electronics & Industrial: DuPont supplies a broad portfolio of electronic materials including advanced lithography chemicals and specialty materials for semiconductor and display manufacturing, overlapping with Nano-C's LiquidCarbon and conductive inks businesses as a diversified incumbent.
• Cabot Corporation: Cabot Corporation is a global performance chemicals leader producing carbon blacks and specialty carbons for batteries, inks, and electronics. It is a broad incumbent competing indirectly with Nano-C's SWCNT and fullerene conductive additives in battery and ink applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nano-c-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nano-C