Synmatter

What Synmatter does

SynMatter LLC is a Florida-based materials science startup founded in March 2015 by Dr. Benny Pearman (CEO) and Dr. Jun Zhang (CTO), who co-invented the underlying Smart Particle technology while working at NASA Kennedy Space Center. The company develops porous silica microparticles loaded with corrosion inhibitors or antimicrobial agents that remain inert until triggered by the onset of corrosion or microbial activity, delivering on-demand release into protective coatings. The platform has been extended into three product variants: Anticorrosion Smart Particles (the first to reach commercialization), Superhydrophobic Smart Particles (combining water repellency with active inhibitor release at loading rates as low as 2.0 wt%), and Antimicrobial Smart Particles (heavy-metal-free, validated at 99.999% killing efficacy per JIS Z 2801 testing in solventborne aerospace-grade coatings).

SynMatter serves B2B customers across nine primary vertical markets — marine, defense, oil & gas, power, infrastructure, industrial, ports, chemicals, and rail — with emerging applications in aerospace and spacecraft (planetary protection, contamination control). Products are sold as powder additives designed for drop-in integration into existing solventborne, waterborne, and powder coating systems, formulated at low loading rates (typically ~5%) using industry-standard manufacturing equipment. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market relies on enterprise field sales augmented by accelerator-facilitated introductions — SynMatter has been admitted to Plug and Play (Sunnyvale, 2017) and AkzoNobel's Paint the Future Challenge (Amsterdam, 2019, one of 21 finalists from 160 submissions) — alongside content marketing, industry conferences, and earned media.

To date, SynMatter has been funded almost exclusively through non-dilutive U.S. federal grants and accelerator prizes totaling approximately $1.5M+, including NSF SBIR Phase I ($224,993, 2019) and Phase II ($1M, 2020), NASA SBIR Phase I (2023), the Florida-Israel Joint Innovation Partnership with Green-ICPS (2020), and awards from NSF I-Corps, Cade Museum, Space Florida, and the Florida Venture Forum. The company has not raised priced equity capital. Headcount is approximately 6–8 people (two founders, one coatings expert, one NSF I-PERF postdoctoral fellow, and three advisors in commercialization, business, and microbiology), with R&D conducted at the Space Life Sciences Lab adjacent to NASA Kennedy Space Center via a Space Florida lease. Anticorrosion Smart Particles were made available for purchase and testing in late 2024.

Name

Synmatter

Legal name

SynMatter LLC

Website

https://synmatter.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SynMatter LLC commercializes NASA-invented Smart Particles — porous silica microparticles that provide on-demand release of corrosion inhibitors and antimicrobials — as drop-in additives for protective coatings used by marine, defense, oil & gas, industrial, and aerospace B2B customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coatings Additives

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (33281), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (3328)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470), Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Protective Coatings (Steel/Concrete/Equipment) (IMAIAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Protective Coatings (IMAEAHAB), Industrial Protective Coatings (IMADAKAB), Concentrated Surface Disinfectants (Dilutable Liquids) (CRAJANAB)

Keywords

• Anticorrosive pigments
• Smart particle additives
• Protective coatings technology
• Corrosion inhibitor microparticles
• Heavy-metal-free coatings

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Anticorrosion Smart Particle sales: Sales of proprietary Smart Particle additives (powders/microparticles) for incorporation into customer protective coating systems. Commercialization confirmed - the company states SynMatter makes anticorrosion Smart Particles available for purchase and testing. Likely unit-based pricing for B2B coatings manufacturers and end users.
2. Antimicrobial Smart Particle sales (emerging): Antimicrobial variant of Smart Particle technology offered to customers for testing and integration into coating systems for healthcare, food production, high-traffic environments, and aerospace/spacecraft applications.
3. Non-dilutive grant funding (SBIR): Non-dilutive R&D funding received from NSF (SBIR Phase I $224,993 and Phase II $1M), NASA (SBIR Phase I), Florida-Israel Joint Innovation Partnership, and other government programs. While not revenue per se, this supports development and commercialization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SynMatter manufactures and sells "Smart Particles" — proprietary porous silica microparticles loaded with corrosion inhibitors (and antimicrobial or superhydrophobic variants) — as drop-in powder additives that enhance the protective performance of industrial coatings. Smart Particles remain inert until the onset of corrosion triggers on-demand release of inhibitors at the right place and time, delivering up to 2x coating life and up to 50% maintenance cost reduction without chrome or zinc. The company sells directly to enterprise coatings manufacturers and large industrial end users in marine, defense, oil & gas, power, infrastructure, and related heavy-industry markets, and has confirmed that anticorrosive Smart Particles are available for purchase and testing.

Product overview

SynMatter offers a unified Smart Particle platform technology built around a single underlying innovation: porous silica microparticles that can be loaded with various functional agents and integrated into existing protective coatings. The core offering, Smart Particles, provides on-demand corrosion inhibitor release for protective coatings used across marine, defense, oil & gas, power, infrastructure, industrial, ports, chemicals, and rail markets. Building on this platform, SynMatter has developed two specialized variants: Antimicrobial Smart Particles (heavy-metal-free antimicrobial additive delivering 99.999% killing efficacy) and Superhydrophobic Smart Particles (combining water repellency with active corrosion inhibitor release). All variants are formulated as powders compatible with solventborne, waterborne, and powder coating systems, enabling drop-in integration into existing coating manufacturing processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Smart Particles: NASA-invented high-performance corrosion inhibiting pigments (porous silica microparticles with on-demand release of corrosion inhibitors) that enhance the protective coating performance. Smart Particles is the company's flagship branded technology platform across both anticorrosion and antimicrobial applications.

Products and services

• Smart Particles (Anticorrosion) NASA-invented high-performance corrosion inhibiting pigments (porous silica microparticles with on-demand triggered release of corrosion inhibitors) that enhance protective coating performance. Delivered as a powder additive formulated into solventborne, waterborne, and powder coating systems at low loading rates, providing up to 2x coating life and up to 50% reduced maintenance cost without chrome or zinc. For coatings manufacturers and large industrial end users in marine, defense, oil & gas, power, infrastructure, industrial, ports, chemicals, and rail markets.
• Antimicrobial Smart Particles Heavy-metal-free antimicrobial variant of the Smart Particle platform, demonstrated to deliver consistent 5-log reductions (≥99.999% killing efficacy) in bacterial survival per JIS Z 2801 testing when embedded in solventborne aerospace-grade coatings, including against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Bacillus atrophaeus spores. Targeted at spacecraft coatings, food production, healthcare, and high-traffic environments.
• Superhydrophobic Smart Particles Dual-function Smart Particle variant that combines water repellency with active corrosion inhibitor release. When incorporated into coatings at loadings as low as 2.0 wt%, particles impart durable superhydrophobicity (retained even after sandpaper abrasion) and active inhibitor release as a secondary protection mechanism. For marine, offshore, and other moisture-exposed heavy-industry applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 2x coating life increase
• +4 more outcomes

Segments10 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• NASAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2023Multi-faceted relationship including: (1) NASA SBIR Phase I grant ($156K) to develop omniphobic, antimicrobial coatings for spacecraft; (2) Original Smart Particle technology invented at NASA Kennedy Space Center with founder Jun Zhang as lead inventor; (3) Patent license negotiated through Cade Prize services. SynMatter utilizes NASA-developed technology and continues R&D collaboration.
• NSF I-PERF (via ASEE)minorOthers · 1 October 2021SynMatter hired Mohammad Rostampour as Postdoctoral Fellow through the NSF-funded I-PERF program (administered by ASEE). I-PERF provides doctoral-level expertise to startups at reduced cost ($78,000/year stipend), with relocation assistance and conference travel allowance.
• Green-ICPScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2020Israeli partner selected jointly with SynMatter for the Seventh-Round Florida-Israel Joint Innovation Partnership funding. Co-developing one-layer corrosion protection coating systems with built-in surface treatment for innovative applications in military, aerospace and aviation industries. The $2M recurring joint fund supports research, development, and commercialization benefiting both Israel and Florida.
• AkzoNobelflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2019SynMatter was selected as one of 21 finalists from 160 submissions for AkzoNobel's "Paint the Future" Challenge and traveled to Amsterdam to participate in the accelerator program. The partnership involved meetings with AkzoNobel experts across coatings, sustainability, IP, and marketing, helping clarify SynMatter's value proposition with respect to AkzoNobel. Potential joint development partnership discussed.
• Plug and PlaycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 July 2017SynMatter accepted into Plug and Play New Materials & Packaging Startup Accelerator Program in Sunnyvale, CA. Plug and Play is a global innovation platform that provides workspace, workshops, mentoring and connects startups to corporations, investing in 100+ companies per year. SynMatter presented to over 15 larger corporations including several Fortune 500 companies.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PPG Industries: Global coatings and specialty materials leader serving aerospace, marine, automotive, and industrial markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent with significant R&D and global technical-sales coverage in the same protective and marine coatings end markets that SynMatter targets with its Smart Particle additives.
• Sherwin-Williams: Global paints and coatings company with protective and marine product lines serving oil & gas, infrastructure, and industrial customers. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same heavy-industrial coatings specification slots and able to formulate in or replicate next-generation anticorrosive pigments.
• AkzoNobel: Global paints and coatings leader and owner of the International Paint marine franchise. Comparable both as a potential OEM customer of SynMatter (AkzoNobel was a Paint the Future partner) and as a broad incumbent able to develop internal substitutes for Smart Particle technology at scale.
• RPM International: US-based specialty coatings and sealants holding company with multiple protective and industrial coatings subsidiaries (e.g., Carboline, Stonhard). Comparable as a broad incumbent that owns specialty protective coatings brands serving oil & gas, marine, and infrastructure — the same end customers SynMatter is approaching with Smart Particle additives.

Direct peers

• Hempel: Global protective and marine coatings manufacturer serving shipping, oil & gas, and infrastructure. Highly relevant peer because marine, oil & gas, and infrastructure are SynMatter's primary target segments, and Hempel is the type of OEM coatings customer that would formulate in or compete with SynMatter's Smart Particle additives.
• Jotun: Norwegian global coatings company with a leading marine and protective coatings franchise. Direct comparable as a marine and offshore coatings incumbent actively working on heavy-metal-free, long-life anticorrosion coatings that compete for the same design slots as SynMatter's Smart Particles.
• Ecology Coatings: US-based developer of proprietary clean-technology coatings and nanoparticle-enabled coating additives targeting automotive, industrial, and consumer applications. Direct comparable as a small-cap specialty coatings additive platform with a similar asset-light IP-and-formulation business model.

Emerging players

• Adaptive Surface Technologies: US-based startup commercializing SLIPS (Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces) functional coatings with omniphobic and antifouling performance. Comparable as a venture-backed emerging player in smart/functional surfaces with overlapping antimicrobial and omniphobic use cases, especially in marine and healthcare.
• BioInteractions: UK-based biomaterials company commercializing antimicrobial and biocompatible coatings for medical devices and healthcare surfaces. Comparable as a specialist developer of heavy-metal-free antimicrobial surface technologies with overlap in healthcare, food production, and high-traffic environment use cases for antimicrobial Smart Particles.
• Covalon Technologies: Public Canadian company commercializing antimicrobial and infection-prevention coating technologies for medical devices and healthcare surfaces. Comparable as a developer of heavy-metal-free antimicrobial coating additives addressing healthcare, food production, and high-traffic environments — overlapping with SynMatter's antimicrobial Smart Particle line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SynMatter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/synmatter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Synmatter