915 Labs

What 915 Labs does

915 Labs, LLC is a Denver-area food technology company founded in 2014 and acquired by India's Tata Group in 2019. The company commercializes two patented, FDA-accepted microwave food processing technologies — Microwave Assisted Thermal Sterilization (MATS) and Microwave Assisted Pasteurization (MAPS) — both operating at a frequency of 915 megahertz. These technologies simultaneously immerse packaged food in pressurized hot water while applying microwave energy, eliminating pathogens in minutes while preserving nutrients, color, texture, and flavor in ways that conventional retort processing cannot match. The company serves large food and beverage manufacturers seeking to produce clean-label, premium-quality packaged foods, ready-to-eat meals, and shelf-stable products with extended shelf life (up to 12 weeks for MAPS, one year for MATS).

915 Labs generates revenue through three channels: hardware sales of its MATS-42 commercial production system (up to 42 packages per minute) and MATS-B pilot-scale system (up to 60 packages per hour); professional services through three global Innovation Centers at Washington State University, University of Tasmania, and Tata Smartfoodz in India; and co-manufacturing services at the Tata Smartfoodz facility in Sri City, India. The company sells through a direct enterprise field sales motion and has a Preferred Packaging Supplier partnership with Printpack for certified MATS/MAPS-compatible packaging. Consumer products made with the technology, such as the Tata Q line of 12 ready-to-eat dishes, are already sold in Indian retail and convenience stores. With 1-10 employees, the company operates as a focused technology platform embedded within the larger Tata Group ecosystem rather than as an independent scaling enterprise.

Name

915 Labs

Legal name

915 Labs, LLC

Website

https://915labs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

915 Labs commercializes patented MATS and MAPS microwave food processing technologies at 915 MHz, selling commercial and pilot-scale systems, product development services, and co-manufacturing to food and beverage manufacturers producing clean-label, high-quality packaged foods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commercial Food Processing Systems: Sale of MATS-42 commercial production systems and MATS-B pilot-scale systems to food manufacturers. Systems are modular and built to order for integration into modern food production facilities.
2. Product Development Services: Product development services at Innovation Centers equipped with pilot-scale MATS-B systems, including recipe development, food safety validation, and commercial-scale testing at Tata Smartfoodz co-manufacturing facilities.
3. Co-manufacturing: Co-manufacturing of MATS and MAPS products available at Tata Smartfoodz in Sri City, India for companies seeking production capacity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

915 Labs designs, builds, and sells industrial microwave food processing systems (MATS-42 commercial production systems and MATS-B pilot-scale systems) that use 915 MHz microwave energy combined with pressurized hot water to sterilize or pasteurize packaged foods in minutes, preserving nutrients, flavor, texture, and color. The company also provides product development services through three global Innovation Centers and co-manufacturing capacity via its Tata Smartfoodz partner, enabling customers to develop, validate, and produce MATS/MAPS-made packaged foods.

Product overview

915 Labs offers a unified portfolio of microwave food processing technologies centered on two patented core technologies: MATS (Microwave Assisted Thermal Sterilization) and MAPS (Microwave Assisted Pasteurization). Both technologies operate at 915 megahertz and can be performed on the same system. The product lineup includes the MATS-B pilot-scale system for product development (60 packages/hour), the MATS-42 commercial production system (42 packages/minute), and a MAPS-only pasteurization system. These hardware systems process packaged foods using simultaneous microwave energy and pressurized hot water to rapidly sterilize or pasteurize foods, preserving nutritional content and flavor. The company also provides product development services through three innovation centers worldwide and co-manufacturing at Tata Smartfoodz. Commercial products made with MATS technology, such as the Tata Q line of ready meals, are already sold in the Indian market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tata Q: A line of 12 MATS-made dishes including pasta and noodles, biryanis, appetizers and combination meals sold in retailers and convenience stores throughout India.

Products and services

• MATS (Microwave Assisted Thermal Sterilization) Patented, FDA-accepted microwave sterilization process that combines pressurized hot water immersion with 915 MHz microwave energy to eliminate pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in packaged food in minutes, preserving nutrients, color, texture, and flavor while delivering shelf-stable products with up to one-year shelf life. Sold to food and beverage manufacturers as part of MATS processing systems.
• MAPS (Microwave Assisted Pasteurization) Patented microwave pasteurization process that heats foods and beverages at 915 MHz to 70-90°C for up to 10 minutes, eliminating viral and bacterial pathogens to produce restaurant-quality, ready-to-eat foods and beverages with up to 12 weeks of shelf life. Can be performed on the same MATS system. Sold to food manufacturers and beverage producers.
• MATS-42 Commercial Production System Commercial-scale food processing system capable of both pasteurization and sterilization using MATS and MAPS technology, processing up to 42 packages per minute (8.5 oz fill, standard square tray) with a universal carrier configurable to various packaging formats and sizes. Designed to integrate into modern food production facilities and scaled to produce up to 17 million single-serve trays annually. Sold to large food and beverage manufacturers.
• MATS-B Pilot Scale System Pilot-scale food processing system for product development labs, processing up to 60 packages per hour (8.5 oz fill, standard square tray) with a universal carrier configurable to various packaging formats. Enables recipe development, sample production, food safety validation, and packaging testing with recipes directly transferable to MATS commercial production. Sold to food companies' R&D labs and used at 915 Labs Innovation Centers.
• MAPS-Only Pasteurization System Pasteurization-only food processing system for MAPS processing without sterilization capability, offered as an alternative to combined MATS/MAPS systems. Designed for manufacturers whose product line only requires the 70-90°C pasteurization process.
• Product Development Services at Innovation Centers Service offering based at three Innovation Centers equipped with pilot-scale MATS-B systems and support personnel, providing recipe development, food safety validation, and packaging testing to food companies developing new MATS/MAPS-made products. Centers are located at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington (USA), the Centre for Food Innovation at University of Tasmania in Scottsdale, Tasmania (Australia), and Tata Smartfoodz in Sri City, India.
• Co-Manufacturing Services at Tata Smartfoodz Commercial-scale co-manufacturing service for MATS and MAPS products available on a case-by-case basis at the Tata Smartfoodz facility in Sri City, India. Allows food companies to launch MATS/MAPS-processed products using the partner's production capacity without first purchasing commercial equipment.
• Tata Q Food Line Commercial consumer product line of 12 MATS-made ready-to-eat dishes including pasta, noodles, biryanis, appetizers, and combination meals, sold through retailers and convenience stores throughout India under the Tata Q brand. Items include Butter Chicken, Cheesy Chicken Pasta, Cheesy Pasta, Chicken Biryani, Chicken Bites, Paneer, Red Curry, Schezwan Chicken, Schezwan, Tomato Pasta Chicken, Tomato Pasta, and Vegetable Biryani.

Quantifiable outcome

• More nutrients retained including Omega 3s, B vitamins, Vitamin C, and folate compared to conventional thermal sterilization
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and preferred.

• Tata SmartfoodzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTata Smartfoodz in Sri City, India provides product development services, commercial-scale testing, and co-manufacturing capabilities for MATS/MAPS products. Equipped with pilot-scale MATS-B system.
• Washington State UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct development center located at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, equipped with pilot-scale MATS-B system and support personnel for food companies to develop new MATS/MAPS-made products.
• Centre for Food Innovation, University of TasmaniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct development center located at the Centre for Food Innovation, University of Tasmania in Scottsdale, Tasmania, Australia. Equipped with pilot-scale MATS-B system for food product development.
• PrintpackpreferredTechnology or IntegrationPrintpack is 915 Labs' Preferred Packaging Supplier for rigid trays and pouches in various sizes. Certified MATS/MAPS packaging supplier providing standard and customized packaging solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/915labs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/915labs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 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 915 Labs