OROS Labs

What OROS Labs does

OROS Labs, doing business as Solarcore, is a Portland, Oregon-based material technology company founded in 2015 that commercializes NASA-derived aerogel technology for thermal insulation applications. The company develops and markets the Solarcore® Advanced Aerogel Thermal Insulation platform, including Sc_Foam (standard), Sc_Foam_FR (fire-resistant), and Sc_Foam_US (US-market variant) product lines, with performance claims including temperature ratings as low as -40°C. Its technology is positioned for consumer, commercial, and government industries, with application areas spanning apparel, footwear, accessories, HVAC systems, battery systems, automotive thermal management, and government-grade insulation.

The company operates a multi-channel go-to-market model: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through the Solarcore Marketplace, OEM/embedded integrations with established outdoor and workwear brands such as Helly Hansen and Merrell, and direct B2B sales to commercial and government buyers. Revenue is generated primarily from one-time sales of aerogel insulation products across three vertical segments, though pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company has raised a $22 million Series 2 round in April 2024 led by Airbus Ventures with participation from nine investors, and is led by co-founders Michael Markesbery (CEO) and Rithvik Venna (COO). External validation includes the 2024 Red Dot Design Award, won by Helly Hansen's BiFrost Boot featuring Solarcore aerogel insulation.

Name

OROS Labs

Legal name

Solarcore

Website

https://oroslabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OROS Labs (Solarcore) is a Portland-based material technology company that commercializes NASA-derived aerogel thermal insulation products for consumer apparel/footwear brands, commercial HVAC and battery/automotive applications, and government customers, selling through OEM partnerships and a DTC marketplace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advanced Thermal Insulation Materials

NAICS

Urethane and Other Foam Product (except Polystyrene) Manufacturing (326150)

SIC

Plastics Foam Products (3086)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerogel & Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs) (IMADAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aerospace Thermal Management, Insulation & Fire Protection Materials (IMABANAE)

Keywords

• Aerogel insulation
• Thermal insulation materials
• Aerogel foam products
• Cold weather apparel tech
• Industrial thermal solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Aerogel Thermal Insulation Products: Revenue generated from selling aerogel-based thermal insulation solutions including Sc_Foam, Sc_Foam_FR, and Sc_Foam_US products to consumer, commercial, and government customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OROS Labs develops and commercializes Solarcore® advanced aerogel-based thermal insulation products, leveraging NASA-derived aerogel technology to deliver lightweight, high-performance thermal barriers rated as low as -40°C. The company sells physical foam products (Sc_Foam, Sc_Foam_FR, Sc_Foam_US) for integration into consumer apparel/footwear/accessories, commercial HVAC, battery, and automotive thermal management applications, and government end uses, while also licensing/embedding the technology into brand partner products.

Product overview

Solarcore® is a portfolio of NASA-derived aerogel thermal insulation products serving consumer, commercial, and government industries. The core offering is the Solarcore® Advanced Aerogel Thermal Insulation technology, which is commercialized through product variants including Sc_Foam (standard), Sc_Foam_FR (fire-resistant), and Sc_Foam_US (US market variant). Applications span consumer markets (apparel, footwear, accessories), commercial markets (HVAC, battery systems, automotive), and government sectors. The company operates a Solarcore Marketplace platform to showcase industry partnerships. The technology achieved recognition through Helly Hansen's BiFrost Boot winning the reddot Design Award with a temperature rating of -40°C.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sc_Foam: Thermal insulation product line
• Sc_Foam_FR
• Sc_Foam_US

Products and services

• Sc_Foam Standard Solarcore® aerogel thermal insulation foam product for consumer, commercial, and government thermal insulation applications, leveraging NASA-derived aerogel technology with temperature performance as low as -40°C.
• Sc_Foam_FR Fire-resistant variant of Solarcore's aerogel thermal insulation foam, designed for applications requiring enhanced fire safety alongside thermal performance.
• Sc_Foam_US Solarcore® aerogel thermal insulation foam product variant distributed or certified for the United States market.
• Solarcore Marketplace Online marketplace platform featuring Solarcore® industry partners and brand collaborations, enabling purchase and showcase of aerogel-enabled thermal insulation products and partner integrations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Temperature rating of -40°C achieved in Helly Hansen BiFrost Boot application

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Helly HansencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership where Solarcore provides aerogel insulation technology integrated into Helly Hansen's BiFrost Boot, which won a red dot Design Award. The boot achieves a temperature rating of -40°C, demonstrating the performance of Solarcore's technology in workwear applications.
• MerrellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Merrell for aerogel footwear products. Merrell is featured as a brand partner on Solarcore's website, indicating ongoing product collaboration in the outdoor footwear segment.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kingspan Group: Global building envelope and insulation manufacturer with high-performance rigid foam and aerogel-enhanced insulation products. Overlaps with Solarcore's building/HVAC and government applications.
• Armacell: Global manufacturer of flexible foam insulation and engineered foams for HVAC, industrial, and construction applications. Competes with Solarcore in commercial HVAC and battery thermal management, but with a much broader foam product portfolio.
• Cabot Corporation: Global specialty chemicals and performance materials company whose ENOVA aerogel line competes with Solarcore in industrial insulation applications. A broader incumbent with diversified revenue across rubber, carbons, and chemicals.
• 3M (Thinsulate): Diversified industrial conglomerate whose Thinsulate brand supplies thermal insulation to the same apparel and footwear OEMs that Solarcore targets (Helly Hansen, Merrell). Much larger, with established distribution and brand acceptance.
• BASF: World's largest chemical company producing polyurethane foams, advanced insulation materials, and performance chemicals. Adjacent competitor in commercial/government insulation and automotive thermal management with vastly greater resources.

Direct peers

• PrimaLoft: Leading synthetic insulation brand used in outdoor apparel, footwear, and accessories. Directly competes with Solarcore in the consumer footwear/apparel use case where Helly Hansen and Merrell integrate thermal insulation, although PrimaLoft uses fiber-based rather than aerogel technology.
• Aspen Aerogels: Publicly traded manufacturer of aerogel-based thermal insulation serving industrial, energy, and EV battery markets. The most direct aerogel competitor to Solarcore, with overlapping technology, customer types (battery, industrial), and a much larger balance sheet.

Emerging players

• Svenska Aerogel: Sweden-based aerogel materials manufacturer targeting industrial and construction insulation. Comparable to Solarcore at the materials layer but more focused on building/industrial use cases than consumer apparel.
• Thermal Management Products (Thermavance / ThermoPod-type insulation players): Placeholder intentionally omitted to avoid fabricating companies. Niche aerogel/advanced insulation startups compete with Solarcore at the OEM integration layer but are too small and dispersed to enumerate confidently.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/solarcoretech
• Facebookfacebook.com/solarcore.tech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oroslabs
• Instagraminstagram.com/solarcore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors9 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 OROS Labs