What Albotherm does

Albotherm is a Bristol-based materials technology company founded in 2020 as a spinout from the University of Bristol by CEO Molly Allington and CTO Dr Sian Fussell. The company develops temperature-responsive polymer additives using microcapsule chemistry that reversibly transition from transparent to reflective white as ambient temperatures rise, providing passive cooling without electrical or mechanical input. Transition temperatures are engineerable between 0°C and 45°C, enabling the technology to be tuned for different climates and applications. The company holds UK patent GB2624332 (granted March 2026) protecting its core microcapsule additive technology.

The company's product portfolio spans three primary applications: (1) retrofit coatings for commercial glasshouses, (2) additives embedded in plastic films for polytunnels (a vertical addressing 90% of global greenhouse structures), and (3) smart coatings for the built environment including homes, skyscrapers, and glass facades. Albotherm has demonstrated 34% crop yield improvement, 59% higher light levels, and peak temperatures up to 6°C cooler than leading agricultural coatings in commercial deployments. Strategic partnerships with Pilkington (NSG Group) for glass manufacturing, Lumiforte for removable coatings (distribution to 70+ countries), and LettUs Grow for software integration provide pathways to scale.

Albotherm operates a B2B enterprise sales motion targeting commercial greenhouse operators, polytunnel growers, and building developers. The revenue model is described as one-time licensing of the additive technology. Named pilot partners include R&L Holt, Flavourfresh, Vitacress, and Billington Farm in UK horticulture. Total funding is approximately £4.6M+ (£1.6M seed equity in June 2023 plus over £3M in Innovate UK and Defra grants), with headcount of 1-10 employees. The company is an alumnus of Sustainable Ventures and is based at Future Space innovation centre in Bristol.

Name

Albotherm

Legal name

Albotherm Ltd

Website

https://albotherm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Albotherm is a Bristol-based materials technology company developing temperature-responsive polymer coatings that passively transition from transparent to reflective white to cool greenhouses and buildings without energy input. It sells B2B to commercial horticulture operators and building developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smart Coating Materials

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Functional Coatings (Anti-microbial/Anti-slip/Insulating) (IMAIAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB), Polymer Additives & Modifiers (Stabilizers, Plasticizers, Impact Modifiers, FRs) (IMAEANAK)

Keywords

• Smart coating materials
• Temperature-responsive polymers
• Greenhouse climate control
• Passive cooling technology
• Microcapsule additives

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

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. Smart coating technology licensing and sales: Revenue generated from licensing temperature-responsive coating technology and selling smart additive products to greenhouse operators and building developers. Initial focus on commercial greenhouses with plans to expand into building sector.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Albotherm develops and licenses microcapsule-based, temperature-responsive polymer additives that can be incorporated into paints, coatings, plastic films, window films, and glass. The smart additives reversibly transition from transparent to reflective white as temperatures rise, providing passive cooling for commercial greenhouses, polytunnels, and buildings without any electrical input. The company sells these additives directly to commercial growers and through OEM/manufacturing partnerships with glass and coatings industry leaders.

Product overview

Albotherm offers a portfolio of temperature-responsive additive technologies based on polymer chemistry that transition from transparent to reflective white as temperatures rise. The core product line includes: (1) Retrofit coatings for commercial glasshouses with temperature-responsive additives, (2) Additives for polytunnel plastic films, and (3) Smart additives for the built environment (homes, skyscrapers, commercial facades). The technology provides passive temperature regulation without energy input, with transition temperatures tunable between 0°C and 45°C. The company also develops specialized sub-products in partnership with industry leaders like Pilkington (glass coatings) and Lumiforte (seasonal removable coatings).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Temperature-Responsive Additives for Greenhouse Retrofit Coatings Microcapsule-based additives for commercial glasshouse retrofit coatings that reversibly transition from transparent to reflective white as temperatures rise, providing passive temperature regulation without energy input. Targeted at commercial greenhouse operators seeking to reduce heat stress and energy costs.
• Temperature-Responsive Additives for Polytunnel Plastic Films Temperature-sensitive additives embedded within plastic films for polytunnel applications, transitioning from transparent to reflective white when heated to provide crop protection and reduce heat stress. Designed for commercial polytunnel operators producing food and flowers, particularly in hotter regions.
• Smart Additives for Built Environment Temperature-responsive additives for incorporation into paints, window films, and glass in homes, skyscrapers, and glass-heavy commercial buildings, enabling passive temperature control to reduce reliance on air conditioning. Transition temperature tunable between 0°C and 45°C for diverse climates.
• Smart Shade Glass Coating (Pilkington collaboration) Glass coating product developed with Pilkington (NSG Group) for new greenhouse construction, integrating Albotherm's smart shade additive technology with Pilkington's large-area glass manufacturing processes and the Pilkington Botanical glass range, intended for industrial glazing applications.
• Seasonal Heat-Activated Shade Coating (Lumiforte collaboration) Seasonal, heat-activated shade coating developed in collaboration with Lumiforte, integrating Lumiforte's removable greenhouse coatings system with Albotherm's temperature-sensitive additive technology for the commercial horticulture market. Distributed via Lumiforte's network of 70+ countries.

Quantifiable outcome

• 34% increase in crop yield
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• CPI (Centre for Process Innovation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Leading UK innovation centre with extensive expertise in scaling advanced materials and manufacturing processes. Partnering with Albotherm to optimize and scale up production of temperature-responsive coating technology for commercial deployment. Part of the £2M Defra collaborative project.
• James Hutton InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Internationally recognized research organization specializing in environmental sustainability and agri-food systems. Leading comprehensive lifecycle assessment to quantify carbon savings and evaluate wider environmental impacts of Albotherm's technology. Part of the £2M Defra collaborative project.
• R&L HoltcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026One of the UK's largest and most established tomato producers. Providing robust real-world commercial testing environment to ensure Albotherm's solution performs reliably under commercial growing conditions. Part of the £2M Defra collaborative project.
• Billington FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2024Prominent UK berry producer within Berry Gardens group. Trial partner for polytunnel applications of Albotherm's temperature-responsive materials in form of retrofit coating, supported by Lumiforte. Part of £500k Innovate UK grant for polytunnel adaptation.
• LumifortecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2024Leading Dutch horticultural coatings manufacturer (created 2021 from merger of Sudlac SAS and Mardenkro BV). Collaboration to integrate Albotherm's temperature-sensitive technology with Lumiforte's removable coatings system to develop first-of-its-kind heat-activated seasonal shade coating. Lumiforte distributes to 70+ countries worldwide.
• LettUs GrowcoreTechnology or Integration · 8 February 2024Leading agricultural technology innovator with farm management software (Ostara). Partnership to integrate Albotherm's responsive glass coating technology with LettUs Grow's Ostara software for monitoring real-time performance data and gaining insights into shading solution effectiveness. Joint trials to validate performance.
• Pilkington (NSG Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 August 2023World-leading glass manufacturer through Pilkington Technology Management Limited (PTML). Partnership to develop glass coating for new greenhouse construction using Pilkington's large area manufacturing processes. Product will have longer lifetime and maximize environmental benefit while accessing wider market in industrial glazing.
• FlavourfreshsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023UK's leading soft fruit grower (tomatoes and strawberries), committed to innovative growing techniques and sustainable practices. Initial commercial scale crop trials for Albotherm's smart shade coating technology, commencing Spring 2024.
• VitacresssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023UK's leading culinary herb producer, emphasizing sustainability and responsible farming. Commercial scale crop trials for Albotherm's smart shade coating technology as part of £500k Innovate UK grant project.
• Sustainable VenturessupportingOthersSustainable accelerator programme. Albotherm is an alumni of the Sustainable accelerator programme and portfolio company. Also supported by Future Space innovation centre run by Oxford Innovation.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lumiforte: Dutch horticultural coatings specialist (formed from Sudlac/Mardenkro merger) producing removable greenhouse shade coatings. Direct commercial partner and the most directly comparable operator in greenhouse shading, with distribution across 70+ countries.
• Mardenkro: Specialist in removable greenhouse coatings including ReduSystems line. Highly comparable in end-application (greenhouse light/temperature management) and one of the incumbents Albotherm's technology is benchmarked against.
• Sudlac: French maker of removable greenhouse shading paints now operating under Lumiforte. Directly comparable in chemistry type (coating-based shading for greenhouses) and competitive set referenced in Albotherm's trial benchmarks.

Broad incumbents

• Pilkington (NSG Group): Global glass manufacturer with horticultural glazing products. Partner for embedded Albotherm coatings in new-build greenhouses and a broader incumbent in coated glass with the manufacturing scale Albotherm lacks.
• 3M Window Films: Major player in architectural window films for thermal and solar control. Directly comparable in the built-environment application of Albotherm's smart films, though 3M's portfolio is broader and not temperature-responsive.
• AkzoNobel: Global coatings major with industrial and specialty coating lines. Adjacent as a broad incumbent with the R&D, manufacturing and distribution scale that Albotherm would compete against in the built-environment segment.
• Eastman Chemical: Specialty chemicals and advanced materials company producing polymer additives and coatings inputs. Comparable as a materials platform competitor that could enter the smart-coatings additive space.
• Croda International: UK-listed specialty additives and coatings ingredients supplier. Comparable as a UK-based specialty materials business with adjacencies in polymer additives for coatings and sustainability-driven product portfolios.
• Solvay: Specialty chemicals and polymers producer with broad presence in coatings raw materials and advanced materials. Comparable as a potential incumbent competitor or partner in temperature-responsive polymer chemistry.

Emerging players

• LettUs Grow: UK agritech with Ostara farm management software, integrated with Albotherm's coatings for performance monitoring. Adjacent player in controlled-environment agriculture with overlapping customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/albotherm
• Xx.com/albotherm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

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 Albotherm