What Synteris does

Synteris is an advanced materials and manufacturing company that has developed Selective Laser Reaction Sintering (SLRS), described as the world's first reactive-gas Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) platform for ceramics. The process synthesizes carbide and nitride ceramics directly during the printing step by combining commodity precursor powders (Hf, Zr, Ti, Si, V) with laser heating in the presence of reactive gases (methane for carbides, ammonia for nitrides), eliminating the separate synthesis and sintering steps required by traditional ceramic manufacturing. SLRS supports 21+ ceramic materials, achieves zero volume change during printing, enables internal cooling features down to 100 µm, and integrates as a feature upgrade into existing commercial L-PBF systems from Velo3D and Renishaw AM400.

The company targets four primary use-case segments: defense and hypersonics (leading edges, ramjets requiring survival above 2,000°C), power electronics thermal management (monolithic ceramic cooling targeting 100 kW/L power density for EVs, AI data centers, and avionics), nuclear fusion (corrosion- and radiation-resistant heat exchangers), and space systems (high-temperature components for atmospheric re-entry and orbital operations). Synteris operates as a portfolio company of Materic LLC, headquartered at 1300 Bayard Street in Baltimore, MD, with a leadership team that includes SLRS inventor Dr. Adam Peters (JHU) and commercialization lead Dr. Colin Harmer.

The business model combines custom manufacturing of high-performance ceramic components for defense, space, and energy customers with technology licensing to existing L-PBF OEMs and non-dilutive government funding. To date, the company has disclosed roughly $4.68 million in cumulative non-dilutive grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy ($2.7M, June 2022), ARPA-E (~$1.83M), DARPA, and the Maryland Innovation Initiative ($150K, November 2021). GTM motion is enterprise field sales directed at defense contractors, government agencies, and research institutions, with the ARPA-E 'Breaking the Board' partnership alongside the National Laboratory of the Rockies and PacketDigital serving as the most advanced disclosed commercial collaboration.

Name

Synteris

Legal name

Synteris LLC

Website

https://synteris.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Synteris develops Selective Laser Reaction Sintering (SLRS), a patented reactive-gas L-PBF additive manufacturing platform for carbide and nitride ceramics, serving defense, power electronics, nuclear fusion, and space customers as a Materic LLC portfolio company.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ceramic Additive Manufacturing

NAICS

Powder Metallurgy Part Manufacturing (332117)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Ceramic & Glass 3D Printers (IMAAAAAC)

Keywords

• Ceramic additive manufacturing
• Reactive laser sintering
• High temperature ceramics
• Carbide nitride printing
• Advanced materials manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Advanced Materials Manufacturing: Custom manufacturing of high-performance ceramic components for defense, space, and energy applications using the SLRS platform. Revenue derived from production contracts and part manufacturing services.
2. Technology Licensing: Integration of SLRS technology into existing commercial L-PBF systems (Velo3D, Renishaw AM400) as feature upgrades.
3. Government Contracts and Grants: Non-dilutive funding from ARPA-E and DARPA for development programs. Received $2.7M DOE grant and $4MM total in government funding for power electronics and hypersonics development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Synteris develops and operates the Selective Laser Reaction Sintering (SLRS) platform, a reactive-gas Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing process that synthesizes carbide and nitride ceramics directly during printing at temperatures exceeding 3,000°C. The company custom manufactures high-performance ceramic components for defense, space, and energy customers, and licenses the SLRS process as a feature upgrade for commercial L-PBF systems such as Velo3D and Renishaw AM400.

Product overview

Synteris is an advanced materials and manufacturing company offering the SLRS (Selective Laser Reaction Sintering) platform as its core technology—a zero volume change 3D printing process for ceramics that synthesizes carbides and nitrides in a single step using reactive gases and laser heating. The platform enables applications including Monolithic Ceramic Cooling for power electronics thermal management. The company operates as a Materic LLC portfolio company and is backed by $4 million in non-dilutive funding from ARPA-E and DARPA, targeting extreme-temperature applications for Defense, Space, and Energy sectors including hypersonics, nuclear fusion, and power electronics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Selective Laser Reaction Sintering (SLRS) Platform The world's first reactive-gas Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) platform that synthesizes carbide and nitride ceramics directly during the printing step using laser heating in the presence of methane (for carbides) or ammonia (for nitrides). Operates at temperatures exceeding 3,000°C and supports 21+ material chemistries from commodity precursor powders.
• Custom Ceramic Component Manufacturing Custom manufacturing service that produces net-shape ceramic parts for defense, space, and energy applications using the SLRS platform, eliminating post-print machining and enabling 100 µm internal cooling features.
• Monolithic Ceramic Cooling 3D-printed ceramic heat exchangers that function simultaneously as electrical insulator and heat sink, eliminating multi-layer thermal bottlenecks in power module packaging. Demonstrated 60% volume reduction and 50% thermal performance improvement over traditional liquid-cooled configurations, targeting EVs, AI data centers, avionics, and defense systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% volume reduction in power module assemblies compared to traditional liquid-cooled configurations
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Laboratory of the RockiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Synteris on the ARPA-E funded 'Breaking the Board' project to develop monolithic ceramic heat exchangers using SLRS technology for power electronics cooling applications.
• PacketDigitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Synteris on the ARPA-E funded 'Breaking the Board' project focused on developing 3D packaging and thermal management solutions for power electronics.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lithoz: Lithoz is a leading manufacturer of ceramic 3D printing systems (LCM/SLA-based technology) serving technical ceramics markets including medical, aerospace, and electronics. Directly comparable as both companies develop commercial ceramic additive manufacturing platforms for high-performance applications.
• Tethon 3D: Tethon 3D develops ceramic 3D printing materials and operates a ceramic printing service bureau. Comparable to Synteris in the ceramic AM materials and services space, although Tethon uses different process technologies (SLA, binder jetting).
• Admatec: Admatec (a Formatec company) manufactures ceramic and metal 3D printing systems using DLP technology. Comparable to Synteris as a competitor in ceramic additive manufacturing hardware for industrial and technical applications.
• XJet: XJet develops nanoparticle jetting technology for ceramic and metal 3D printing, targeting aerospace, medical, and industrial markets. Directly comparable to Synteris in providing commercial ceramic AM solutions for high-performance applications.

Broad incumbents

• 3D Systems: 3D Systems is a major 3D printing hardware and services company with broad offerings including ceramic printing capabilities. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the 3D printing industry with ceramic AM capabilities, though their portfolio is much wider than Synteris's specialty focus.
• Velo3D: Velo3D manufactures metal L-PBF 3D printing systems for aerospace and industrial customers. Synteris' SLRS technology integrates with Velo3D systems as a feature upgrade, making them a hardware partner and channel, but Velo3D's broad installed base also represents a comparable AM platform provider.
• Renishaw: Renishaw is an established manufacturer of metal additive manufacturing systems (including the AM400) and precision engineering technologies. Comparable as a hardware partner (SLRS integrates with Renishaw AM400) and as a broader AM industry player.
• Stratasys: Stratasys is a major 3D printing solutions provider with broad polymer and industrial printing offerings. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the additive manufacturing industry, though their primary focus is polymer-based rather than ceramic AM.
• Markforged: Markforged manufactures industrial 3D printers for metal and composite printing, serving aerospace, automotive, and defense markets. Comparable as a broader industrial AM player with aerospace and defense customer overlap.
• EOS: EOS is a leading global supplier of industrial 3D printing solutions for metal and polymer, with strong presence in aerospace and automotive industries. Comparable as a broad incumbent in industrial additive manufacturing with technology licensing and service bureau models.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 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 Synteris