BNNT Materials
BNNT Materials is a Newport News, Virginia-based specialty manufacturer of boron nitride nanotubes produced via its proprietary HTP plasma synthesis method, serving aerospace, defense, and academic research customers including NASA, the US Navy, and leading US universities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersNewport News, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What BNNT Materials does
BNNT Materials, operating as BNNT, LLC, is a privately held specialty materials manufacturer founded in 2010 and headquartered in Newport News, Virginia. The company produces boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) using a proprietary High Temperature-Pressure (HTP) synthesis method based on an atmospheric pressure DC thermal plasma reactor, achieving reported throughput of approximately 22 grams per hour. Its flagship SP10 product line is offered in natural boron, 10B-enriched, and 11B-enriched isotope compositions, with technical specifications including greater than 99% BN content, a 5.7 eV band gap, surface area up to 400 m²/g, lengths up to 200 µm, aspect ratios up to 1,200:1, and survivability to 1,800°C.
The company's customer base is concentrated among US defense and research institutions, including NASA, the US Navy, the US Air Force, Rice University, MIT, and FAMU-FSU, with Sekisui Chemical representing the primary named industrial customer. Products are classified under EAR99 export controls. The IP portfolio comprises 20+ US patents with corresponding international filings in Japan and Australia, and the company holds an exclusive license to boron nitride nanotube synthesis technology from the National Institute of Aerospace.
BNNT Materials operates with 1-10 employees and generates revenue through sale of research-grade and potentially commercial-grade BNNT material into aerospace, defense, electronics, energy, and biotechnology applications. The company has raised approximately $5.765M across five funding rounds from 2014 to 2025, with a December 2025 SEC Form D filing representing the most recent capital raise. Leadership is anchored by CEO Tom Henneberg, whose background spans Navy SEAL, McKinsey, Boeing, and TerraForm Global.
BNNT Materials firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BNNT Materials
- Legal name
- BNNT, LLC
- Website
- https://bnnt.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- BNNT Materials is a Newport News, Virginia-based specialty manufacturer of boron nitride nanotubes produced via its proprietary HTP plasma synthesis method, serving aerospace, defense, and academic research customers including NASA, the US Navy, and leading US universities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BNNT Materials industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advanced Nanomaterials
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Thin-Film Deposition Materials (PVD/CVD/ALD Targets & Precursors) (HDAHAGAH)
Keywords
Where BNNT Materials is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newport News
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
BNNT Materials business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- BNNT Material Sales: Direct sales of boron nitride nanotube raw materials including SP10 line products in various form factors (as-grown and refined). Products sold by weight with pricing varying by specifications and isotope composition.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BNNT SP10 Refined Mat - natB isotope |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BNNT SP10 Refined Mat - 10B-enriched isotope |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BNNT SP10 Refined Mat - 11B-enriched isotope |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sample Request |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
BNNT Materials product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BNNT Materials manufactures and sells high-quality boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) produced via a proprietary High Temperature-Pressure (HTP) synthesis method. The company's SP10 product line is offered in as-grown raw material form and as refined mats (bucky paper) in multiple isotope compositions (natB, 10B-enriched, 11B-enriched) for research institutions, aerospace/defense agencies, and industrial customers.
Product overview
BNNT Materials offers a portfolio of boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) products centered on their SP10 line. The core offering consists of high-quality BNNTs produced via their proprietary high temperature/pressure (HTP) synthesis method, which yields highly flexible, large aspect ratio nanotubes with high crystallinity. Products are available in multiple form factors including as-grown raw materials and refined formats. The primary refined product is the SP10-R-M Refined Mat (bucky paper), which can be custom-manufactured in various thicknesses, aerial densities, sizes (15mm to 25cm diameters), and isotope compositions (natural boron, 10B-enriched, 11B-enriched) with BN content exceeding 99%.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SP10: Product line designation for BNNT materials including raw materials and refined mats.
Products and services
- BNNT Materials SP10 Boron Nitride Nanotubes BNNT Materials' flagship SP10 product line of boron nitride nanotubes produced via the proprietary High Temperature-Pressure (HTP) synthesis method, featuring highly flexible, large aspect ratio tubes with high crystallinity. Available in as-grown and refined form factors for research institutions and industrial customers.
- BNNT SP10-R-M Refined Mat (bucky paper) Custom-made refined boron nitride nanotube mats (buckypaper) with densities ≥1 mg/cm² and diameters ranging from 15mm to 25cm in circular and square configurations. Available in three isotope compositions (natB, 10B-enriched, 11B-enriched) with >99% BN content, supplied for aerospace thermal protection (validated at NASA Ames Arc Jet Facility), biomedical, and composite research applications.
- BNNT Raw Materials (custom form factors) As-grown and refined BNNT raw materials offered in various form factors for research and industrial applications, with customized materials production solutions available for unique R&D project challenges.
Companies that use BNNT Materials
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
BNNT Materials technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
BNNT Materials partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- NASAcoreNASA Langley collaboration on BNNT applications for space exploration including radiation shielding, thermal protection materials. NASA testing at Ames Arc Jet Facility demonstrated superior thermal protection performance. Catharine Fay from NASA presents BNNTs' potential for Mars 2030 and deep space exploration materials.
- US NavycoreFeatured collaboration partner for advanced nanomaterials research and development.
- US Air ForcecoreFeatured collaboration partner for advanced materials research.
- Rice UniversitycoreResearch collaboration on BNNT dispersion, purification, and applications. Rice University researchers produce images of single BNNT molecules undergoing Brownian motion and study surfactant-assisted individualization.
- MITcoreFeatured collaboration partner for BNNT research and applications.
- Sekisui ChemicalcoreFeatured collaboration partner in materials research.
- FAMU-FSU College of EngineeringcoreResearch collaboration at the High-Performance Materials Institute studying thermal limits of advanced BNNT nanomaterials in extreme temperatures.
- National Institute of AerospacecoreBNNT products licensed from National Institute of Aerospace under US Patent no. 8,206,674. Virtual patent marking arrangement.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BNNT Materials competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- OCSiAl: OCSiAl is the world's largest producer of single-wall carbon nanotubes, targeting advanced composites, batteries, and electronics — not a BNNT competitor but a parallel advanced 1D-nanomaterial emerging player competing for the same downstream applications and customer specs.
- Haydale Graphene Industries: Haydale is a UK-listed emerging player commercializing functionalized graphene, CNTs and other nanomaterials for composites, energy storage, and biomedical markets — an emerging 1D/2D advanced materials peer rather than a direct BNNT competitor.
- US Research Nanomaterials: US Research Nanomaterials is a US distributor/manufacturer of specialty nanomaterials including boron nitride nanopowders and nanotubes, overlapping with BNNT Materials' research-grade supply business but at lower technical specification depth.
Broad incumbents
- Momentive Performance Materials: Momentive (now part of Merck Electronics) produces specialty boron nitride powders, coatings, and thermal management materials used in electronics and industrial applications, overlapping with BNNT Materials' electronics cooling and composites use cases as a much larger established supplier.
- 3M: 3M supplies a broad portfolio of specialty ceramic powders, tapes, and thermal management materials (including boron nitride-containing products) to industrial customers, representing a much larger diversified incumbent whose thermal management and composites lines overlap with BNNT Materials' target applications.
- Denka: Denka is a Japanese specialty chemicals incumbent producing boron nitride powders, conductive fillers, and advanced inorganic materials used in electronics, automotive and industrial markets — directly comparable to BNNT Materials' BN-based specialty chemical positioning at scale.
- Resonac (Showa Denko): Resonac (formerly Showa Denko) is a large Japanese specialty materials producer with portfolios in fine ceramics, rare metals, and advanced inorganic chemicals including boron nitride grades, making it a relevant broad incumbent in the same advanced materials space.
- Saint-Gobain: Saint-Gobain is a major producer of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) powders and engineered boron nitride components across industrial, electronics, and refractory markets, making it a broad incumbent supplying overlapping BN material chemistries into the same customer categories BNNT serves.
Direct peers
- Tekna: Tekna operates induction-coupled plasma systems used to produce high-quality BNNTs and other spherical/elongated nanomaterials, making it a direct technology and product peer to BNNT Materials' HTP and DC thermal plasma synthesis routes.
- BNNano: BNNano is a US-based direct producer of boron nitride nanotubes, making it the closest head-to-head competitor to BNNT Materials in the pure BNNT supply market serving research, defense, and advanced composites customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
BNNT Materials social profiles
Digital presenceBNNT Materials compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
BNNT Materials financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BNNT Materials leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
BNNT Materials funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BNNT Materials M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BNNT Materials
What does BNNT Materials do?
BNNT Materials manufactures and sells high-quality boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) produced via a proprietary High Temperature-Pressure (HTP) synthesis method. The company's SP10 product line is offered in as-grown raw material form and as refined mats (bucky paper) in multiple isotope compositions (natB, 10B-enriched, 11B-enriched) for research institutions, aerospace/defense agencies, and industrial customers.
Is BNNT Materials a public or private company?
BNNT Materials is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BNNT Materials founded?
BNNT Materials was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is BNNT Materials based?
BNNT Materials is headquartered in Newport News, United States, in the North America region.
How does BNNT Materials make money?
One revenue line is on record: BNNT Material Sales.
Who are BNNT Materials's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are OCSiAl, Haydale Graphene Industries and US Research Nanomaterials. Broad incumbents are Momentive Performance Materials, 3M, Denka, Resonac (Showa Denko) and Saint-Gobain. Direct peers are Tekna and BNNano.
Does BNNT Materials have an API?
No public API is recorded for BNNT Materials.
What industry is BNNT Materials in?
BNNT Materials's product category is Advanced Nanomaterials. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAGAH, Thin-Film Deposition Materials (PVD/CVD/ALD Targets & Precursors). Its SIC code is 2890.