What Hydromer does

Hydromer, Inc. is a specialty coatings manufacturer founded in 1980 and headquartered in Concord, North Carolina. The company develops and applies hydrophilic, lubricious, and anti-thrombogenic coatings for the medical device industry, and is publicly traded on OTC markets under the ticker HYDI. Hydromer's core platform comprises UV-curable and thermal-curable hydrophilic coating formulations, anti-thrombogenic coatings (including Hygea heparin-based and jHemo PC phosphorylcholine-based chemistries), a portfolio of PTFE liners and tubing, and — since a February 2026 expansion — automated high-speed coating and UV curing equipment. The company sells proprietary coating formulations as products and also delivers services including contract coating, contract R&D, specialized analytical testing, and technology transfer to customer manufacturing facilities.

Hydromer serves medical device manufacturers across cardiovascular, gastroenterology, neurovascular, ophthalmology, peripheral vascular, and urology device categories, with secondary offerings in industrial surface modifiers, anti-fog coatings, hydrogels, and antimicrobial formulations. The company reports it has served more than 1,000 medical device customers worldwide with a 98% repeat customer rate, maintaining a globally mirrored support network with production and service hubs across the Americas and Asia, plus distribution reach into Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Certifications include ISO 9001:2015 (TUV Rheinland), ISO 13485:2016 (BSI), and FDA facility registration, and Hydromer explicitly positions itself as providing regulatory support for FDA Quality System Regulation (21 CFR Part 820) compliance.

Hydromer earns revenue through a mix of professional services (contract coating, R&D, analytical testing, technology transfer), one-time product sales (coating formulations, PTFE tubing components), hardware sales (automated coating and UV curing equipment), and licensing-style sales of industrial specialty formulations. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct, supplemented by technical content (downloadable product sheets, white papers) and a LinkedIn presence. In October 2025 Hydromer received a strategic investment from jMedtech alongside formation of a new Board of Directors, and in February 2026 the company announced expansion into coating equipment manufacturing — moves intended to broaden the platform beyond coatings chemistry into integrated coatings-plus-equipment offerings.

Name

Hydromer

Legal name

Hydromer, Inc.

Website

https://hydromer.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hydromer, Inc. is a Concord, NC-based specialty manufacturer of hydrophilic and anti-thrombogenic coatings for medical devices, serving 1,000+ cardiovascular, GI, neurovascular, ophthalmology, peripheral vascular, and urology OEMs with formulations, contract coating, R&D, and automated coating equipment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Device Coatings

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial & Commercial Painting/Coatings/Surface Treatment (IMAIAAAK)

Keywords

• Hydrophilic coatings
• Medical device coatings
• Anti-thrombogenic coatings
• Coating equipment
• Contract coating services

Headquarters

HQ city

Concord

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Contract Coating Services: Provides coating application services for medical device manufacturers on a contract basis, including mass production validation.
2. Coating Products Sales: Sale of proprietary hydrophilic coatings, thromboresistant coatings, and coating equipment to medical device companies.
3. R&D Services: Customer-driven R&D projects including product evaluation, testing, formulation development, and technology transfer services.
4. Coating Equipment: Manufacturing and supplying automated high-speed coating and UV curing equipment for medical device manufacturers.
5. Industrial Coatings: Industrial surface modifier products for non-medical applications including marine, automotive, and consumer products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hydromer manufactures and sells proprietary hydrophilic coating formulations (UV-curable and thermal-curable) and anti-thrombogenic coatings for the medical device industry, alongside automated coating/curing equipment, PTFE liners and tubing, and friction testing systems. The company also delivers contract coating, R&D, analytical testing, and technology transfer services to medical device OEMs, and offers specialty industrial surface modifiers, hydrogels, and anti-fog coatings for non-medical applications.

Product overview

Hydromer is a platform of hydrophilic coating technologies, equipment, and services for the medical device industry. The core offerings include UV-Curable and Thermal-Curable Hydrophilic Coatings, anti-thrombogenic coatings (Hydromer® Thromboresistant, Hygea® Heparin, and jHemo PC® Phosphorylcholine), and PTFE tubing products. These are complemented by automated coating equipment, friction testing systems, and contract services including R&D, analytical testing, and technology transfer. The company also produces specialty surface modifiers, hydrogels, and industrial coatings such as Brillianz® and Luxere® anti-fog products, and Sea-Slide® testing equipment. The portfolio is delivered as both products and services, combining proprietary formulations with manufacturing equipment and validation support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hygea®: Heparin Antithrombogenic Coating - Heparin-based anti-thrombogenic coating technology
• jHemo PC®
• Sea-Slide®
• Brillianz®
• Luxere®
• ABRATE-X518™
• CarvaTech®

Products and services

• UV-Curable Hydrophilic Coatings Advanced hydrophilic coating formulations that cure under UV light, enabling rapid processing for medical device manufacturers. Used on catheters, guidewires, and other invasive medical devices to deliver lubricious, low-friction surfaces.
• Thermal-Curable Hydrophilic Coatings Hydrophilic coating systems that cure via thermal energy, designed for substrates requiring heat-based processing. Used on medical devices for lubricity and improved navigability.
• Hydromer® Thromboresistant Coatings Surface coatings engineered to reduce thrombogenesis (blood clot formation) on medical devices contacting blood, enhancing hemocompatibility for cardiovascular and neurovascular implants and instruments.
• Hygea® Heparin Antithrombogenic Coating Heparin-based coating technology providing antithrombogenic properties for medical devices in contact with blood, developed as a sub-brand within Hydromer's anti-thrombogenic platform.
• jHemo PC® Phosphorylcholine Hemocompatible Coating Phosphorylcholine-based coating that mimics natural cell membrane properties for superior hemocompatibility. Developed in partnership with jMedtech.
• Automated High-Speed Coating and UV Curing Equipment Manufacturing and supply of automated, high-throughput hydrophilic coating systems and UV curing systems for medical device manufacturers requiring high-volume production.
• Hydrophilic Coating Equipment Coating application equipment ranging from fully automated high-throughput systems to lower capacity systems for applying hydrophilic coatings.
• Friction Testing Equipment (Sea-Slide®) Testing equipment and systems used to evaluate lubricity and friction characteristics of coated surfaces, including the Sea-Slide® friction testing system.
• PTFE Liners and Tubing Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) liner tubing, mini tubing, multi-lumen tubing, and heat-shrink tubing products for medical device applications requiring low friction and chemical resistance.
• Brillianz® UV Stable Anti-Fog Coating UV-stable anti-fog and condensation control coating for various applications including eyewear and optical devices.
• Luxere® Anti-Fog Coating Temporary anti-fog coating with antimicrobial properties for various substrates.
• ABRATE-X518™ Industrial Coating Industrial surface modifier coating for marine and surface modification applications.
• Hydrogels Polymer-based hydrogel formulations for healthcare, personal care, and industrial applications.
• Surface Modifiers Customized coating formulations providing special surface properties including friction reduction, protein adhesion resistance, and bio-fouling prevention for marine and industrial applications (e.g., boats, sea planes, surfboards).
• Contract Coating Services Outsourced hydrophilic and thromboresistant coating application services for medical device manufacturers, including mass production validation.
• Contract R&D Services Research and development services for coating formulation development and device optimization, including product evaluation, testing, formulation development, and technology transfer.
• Specialized Analytical Testing Services Testing services for coating performance evaluation including lubricity, thromboresistance, and biocompatibility.
• Technology Transfer Services Services to transfer Hydromer's coating technologies and processes to customer manufacturing facilities, enabling in-house coated device production.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% repeat customer rate
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Precision Coating: Precision Coating provides coating application services and surface treatment solutions for medical devices and industrial applications, including fluoropolymer and hydrophilic coatings. Comparable to Hydromer's contract coating services business targeting medical device OEMs.
• Medicoat AG: Medicoat AG provides medical device coating services and biocompatible surface treatments, particularly for orthopedic and cardiovascular implants. Directly comparable to Hydromer's contract coating and R&D service offerings to medical device OEMs.
• Harland Medical Systems: Harland Medical Systems provides contract coating services, coating equipment, and surface treatment solutions to medical device manufacturers. Comparable to Hydromer in offering both contract services and coating application equipment to the same medical device OEM customer base.
• Surmodics: Surmodics is a direct competitor in medical device hydrophilic and thromboresistant coatings, offering proprietary coating chemistries, coating application services, and surface modification technologies to medical device OEMs globally. Highly comparable business model and target customer base to Hydromer.
• Covalon Technologies: Covalon Technologies develops antimicrobial and advanced wound care coatings with medical-grade surface modification technologies. Comparable to Hydromer in medical coatings focus, including antimicrobial coating offerings that overlap with Hydromer's CarvaTech product line.
• Specialty Coating Systems (SCS): Specialty Coating Systems provides Parylene and other conformal coating services and equipment for medical, electronics, and industrial applications. Comparable to Hydromer in offering contract coating services and application equipment, though SCS focuses more on Parylene and electronics.
• Biocoat: Biocoat specializes in hydrophilic coatings for medical devices, particularly for guidewires, catheters, and similar interventional products. Directly comparable to Hydromer's core UV-curable and thermal-curable hydrophilic coating offerings to medical device manufacturers.

Broad incumbents

• Lubrizol Life Sciences: Lubrizol Life Sciences (part of Berkshire Hathaway) develops specialty polymers and coatings for medical devices, including hydrophilic and lubricious coating chemistries. Comparable as a larger, broader incumbent supplying specialty coating materials to medical device manufacturers.
• DSM Biomedical (dsm-firmenich): DSM Biomedical, part of dsm-firmenich, is a large materials company supplying biomedical coatings, polymers, and surface modification solutions to medical device manufacturers. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the medical device coatings space, though DSM operates across a much wider portfolio.

Emerging players

• AST Products: AST Products develops surface modification and coating technologies for medical devices and industrial applications. Comparable to Hydromer in specialty hydrophilic and lubricious coatings, though smaller in scale and with narrower market presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hydromer-inc.

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Hydromer