Keronite

What Keronite does

Keronite is a UK-based materials science company and the world's only dedicated provider of Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) surface treatment technology for light alloys (aluminium, magnesium and titanium). The technology is an electrochemical process that forms ceramic oxide conversion layers from the substrate itself, delivering corrosion protection exceeding 2,000 hours in ASTM B117 salt spray testing, hardness up to 2,000HV, thermal performance from 0.8–10 W/m·K through 900°C barriers, and dielectric breakdown up to 20kV. Customers include NASA (JWST NIRSpec), Boeing (737NG landing gear MRO), ESA and JAXA (BepiColombo), and enterprises across aerospace, automotive, semiconductor, oil and gas, medical and defense.

The company monetises PEO through three routes: (1) direct contract manufacturing at ISO9001, AS9100 and Nadcap-accredited facilities in Haverhill, UK and Greenwood, Indiana, USA; (2) technology licensing and equipment leasing with consumable electrolyte supply; and (3) factory-gate deployment of dedicated coating lines adjacent to customer factories. Pricing is quote-based and tied to component complexity, with a five-stage New Product Introduction process (Engagement, Solution Development, Industrialisation, Production, Continuous Improvement) underpinning bespoke solutions. Approximately 120,000 customer parts are coated per year across roughly 45 employees, with 2022 revenue of approximately $9 million (or ~£7M) and 50%+ growth that year.

Keronite was founded in 2000, majority-owned by Azini Capital Partners from 2007, and acquired by Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) for $35 million in cash in November 2022. It now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary within Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies' Engineered Coatings Business Unit, maintaining Keronite International Ltd. in the UK and Keronite Inc. in the US.

Name

Keronite

Legal name

Keronite International Ltd.

Website

https://keronite.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Keronite is the world's only dedicated provider of Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) ceramic coatings for light alloys (aluminium, magnesium, titanium), serving aerospace, automotive, semiconductor, and defense customers via direct manufacturing, technology licensing, and factory-gate deployment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Surface Treatment Services

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551), Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring (332813), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (3328)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB), Industrial Protective Coatings (IMAEAHAB), Automotive & Transportation Coatings (IMAEAGAC)

Keywords

• Plasma electrolytic oxidation
• Surface treatment coatings
• Ceramic oxide coatings
• Light alloy protection
• Corrosion resistant coatings

Headquarters

HQ city

Haverhill

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coating Manufacturing Services: Direct manufacturing and deployment of PEO coatings at company-owned ISO9001 and AS9100 certified facilities in the UK and USA. Customers submit components for coating processing. Primary revenue stream.
2. Technology Licensing: Licensing of PEO technology, equipment lease, and factory build support to customers. Includes supply of electrolyte and other consumables. Enables customers to deploy PEO capabilities in-house.
3. Factory-Gate Solutions: Investment in factory-gate deployment creating coating facilities alongside customer factories to reduce physical supply chains and facilitate efficient knowledge sharing.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Keronite develops and applies Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) ceramic coatings to light alloy components (aluminium, magnesium, titanium) supplied by enterprise customers. The proprietary electrochemical process produces ceramic oxide conversion coatings from the substrate itself, delivering corrosion protection, wear resistance, thermal management, and electrical insulation properties. Services are delivered through three routes: direct coating at ISO9001/AS9100/Nadcap-accredited facilities, technology licensing with equipment leasing, and factory-gate deployment alongside customer operations.

Product overview

Keronite is a materials science company and the world leader in Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) surface coating technology. Their core offering centers on PEO coatings applied to light alloys (aluminium, magnesium, titanium) to enhance performance characteristics including corrosion protection, wear resistance, thermal management, and electrical insulation. The company operates a five-stage New Product Introduction (NPI) process: Engagement, Solution Development, Industrialization, Production, and Continuous Improvement. Their product portfolio includes the core PEO coating technology with various specialized variants (corrosion-resistant, wear-resistant, thermal management, electrical insulation), bespoke coating solutions tailored to customer applications, technology licensing and deployment services, and specific applications like Boeing 737NG landing gear repair (BAC5696), antiviral coatings, and aluminum brake rotor coatings developed through the RELIABLE project with InnovateUK and Alcon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) Coating Technology Keronite's proprietary electrochemical surface treatment that generates ceramic oxide layers on light metals to enhance corrosion protection, wear resistance, thermal management, and electrical insulation performance. Delivered as a coating application service to enterprise customers across aerospace, automotive, semiconductor, and industrial sectors.
• PEO Corrosion Protection Coatings Ceramic coatings providing corrosion resistance exceeding 2000 hours in salt spray testing (ASTM B117) for light alloy components in harsh chemical, marine, and aerospace environments.
• PEO Wear-Resistant Coatings Hard, dense ceramic coatings delivering up to 2000HV hardness through phase corundum structure, providing complete wear-resistant solutions for components experiencing dry-sliding wear and abrasive conditions.
• PEO Thermal Management Coatings Surface coatings with thermal transmission (0.8–10 W m⁻¹ k⁻¹) and thermal barrier capabilities (up to 900°C) for thermal management applications including EV battery systems, heat exchangers, and aerospace components.
• PEO Electrical Insulation Coatings Ceramic insulation coatings offering dielectric breakdown performance up to 20kV for electrical insulation applications in electronics, aerospace, and power systems.
• Boeing 737NG Landing Gear Repair Service (BAC5696) Aircraft landing gear repair and overhaul service for Boeing 737NG Bearing Carriers (Main and Nose Landing Gear, Upper and Lower Bearing Carriers) at Greenwood, IN facility in accordance with Boeing BAC5696 approval.
• PEO Technology Licensing & Equipment Leasing Licensing of PEO technology with equipment lease, facility build support, and ongoing supply of electrolyte and consumables. Enables enterprise customers to deploy in-house PEO capabilities for high-volume manufacturing.
• Bespoke Surface Coating Solutions Custom-developed surface coating solutions tailored to specific customer applications through Keronite's five-stage NPI process: Engagement, Solution Development, Industrialisation, Production, and Continuous Improvement.
• Aluminum Brake Rotor Coatings (RELIABLE Project) High-performance ceramic coatings for aluminum brake discs developed with InnovateUK and Alcon under the RELIABLE project, offering 50% weight reduction over iron equivalents with multiple performance improvements.
• Antiviral Surface Coatings Photocatalytic surface coatings using TiO2 in PEO-created porous surfaces to actively destroy airborne pathogens including SARS-CoV-2, developed under InnovateUK Covid-19 funding program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% revenue growth in 2020-21
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• NASAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Keronite developed life-increasing surface coating for James Webb Space Telescope by order of NASA. PEO technology protects NIRSpec instrument against cold welding, extreme temperatures, and fretting wear in space environment.
• UK Space AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Ocular project featured by UK Space Agency demonstrating PEO capability for thermo-optical coatings on large spacecraft components including space cargo modules and extra-large telescopes. Written by Keronite CTO Robin Francis.
• Cambridge UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Keronite maintains active research partnerships with Cambridge University's materials science and metallurgy department. Company CEO Matt Hamblin notes recruitment of top PhD talent enabled by proximity to Cambridge. Sam Troughton completed Keronite-sponsored PhD working with Professor Bill Clyne, member of Keronite's technology advisory board.
• European Space AgencyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Keronite's PEO technology used on BepiColombo satellite mission. Coated satellite flight parts to provide extreme temperature resistance maintaining optimal operating environment for onboard electronics.
• Japanese Aerospace Exploration AgencyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collaboration with JAXA on BepiColombo satellite mission, utilizing PEO technology for space applications.
• AlconcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018InnovateUK RELIABLE project partnership with Alcon developing high-performance, low-cost aluminium brake rotors with PEO ceramic coatings. Goal of 50% weight reduction over iron equivalents with multiple performance improvements.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies: Parent division of Keronite since November 2022. Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies provides a broad portfolio of engineered coatings and surface treatments for aerospace and defense, making it the most direct organizational peer — but it spans many coating chemistries beyond PEO.
• Bodycote: Global leader in heat treatment and surface treatments including anodizing, chromate conversion, and shot peening. Competes with Keronite for outsourced metal finishing work in aerospace and automotive, though PEO is not in Bodycote's portfolio.
• Aalberts Surface Technologies: Provides industrial surface treatments and metal finishing services across aerospace, automotive, and general industrial end-markets. Overlaps with Keronite's aerospace MRO and OEM coating services at scale.
• Oerlikon Balzers: Global PVD/CVD coating specialist serving automotive, aerospace, and tooling markets with wear-resistant and low-friction thin-film coatings. Competes for similar component-performance applications as PEO, though through different chemistry.

Direct peers

• Valence Surface Technologies: Largest independent aerospace surface treatment company in North America, providing anodizing, plating, painting, and non-destructive testing. Direct competitor for outsourced aerospace coatings business, especially after Keronite's Nadcap accreditation.
• Pioneer Metal Finishing: North American provider of anodizing, chromate conversion, passivation, and specialty coatings for aerospace, defense, and industrial customers. Direct competitor in the outsourced metal coating services category Keronite operates in.
• Anoplate Corporation: US-based metal finishing specialist offering anodizing (including hardcoat), chromate conversion, and a range of surface treatments serving aerospace, medical, and electronics customers. Closest direct comparator in anodizing-adjacent coatings.

Regional players

• Hohman Plating & Manufacturing: US-based metal finishing and coating services company offering anodizing, plating, and surface treatments primarily serving aerospace and defense customers. Geographic peer for Keronite's Greenwood, Indiana facility.
• MPC Plating: UK-based metal finishing and surface treatment provider serving aerospace and industrial customers. Geographic peer for Keronite's UK operations in Haverhill, competing for similar OEM/MRO coating work.

Emerging players

• Keronite competitor (e.g., Magoxid-Coat providers): AHC Oberflächentechnik (atec-group) and similar European players offer plasma electrolytic oxidation / micro-arc oxidation for magnesium and aluminum components. Closest direct technology peer in the PEO/MAGOXID space, though smaller scale than Keronite.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/keronite
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/keronite-international-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors4 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 Keronite