W.L. Gore & Associates

What W.L. Gore & Associates does

W.L. Gore & Associates is a privately held, founder-family-owned materials science company founded in 1958 and headquartered in Newark, Delaware. The company's commercial foundation is expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), discovered by Bob Gore in 1969, which serves as the basis for a diversified portfolio spanning aerospace cables and sealants, implantable medical devices, waterproof breathable fabrics, industrial filtration, and emerging energy and battery applications. Gore operates with approximately 13,000 Associates across manufacturing and engineering sites in the United States, Germany, China, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, and Brazil.

Gore generates revenue through two primary streams: direct enterprise sales of engineered components and devices to aerospace manufacturers (Airbus, Boeing, COMAC, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin), medical providers, and industrial customers, and brand-and-technology licensing of GORE-TEX to outdoor apparel manufacturers including Patagonia, The North Face, L.L. Bean, and Levi's. Pricing is quote-based on custom specifications with multi-year enterprise contracts, and the company invests heavily in regulatory approvals (FDA, CE Mark under MDR) and quality certifications (ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, IATF 16949) that underpin qualification cycles in aerospace and medical end markets. Recent strategic activity includes the acquisition of Conformal Medical, FDA and CE Mark approvals for the GORE VIABAHN FORTEGRA Venous Stent, the launch of a battery laboratory in Shanghai, and strategic investments in adjacent membrane and battery technologies.

In November 2025, Gore announced the wind-down of its Gorewear direct-to-consumer apparel business to refocus on higher-margin B2B materials, and in early 2026 acquired Conformal Medical to expand its endovascular portfolio into left atrial appendage occlusion. The company holds brand franchises including GORE-TEX, VIABAHN, SKYFLEX, VIATORR, SYNTECOR, IMPROJECT, and ELIXIR Strings, and has received recognition such as the 2024 Frost & Sullivan Enabling Technology Leadership Award and the 2025 BAE Systems Partner 2 Win Supplier of the Year Award.

Name

W.L. Gore & Associates

Legal name

W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

Website

https://gore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

W.L. Gore & Associates is a privately held materials science company founded in 1958 that designs and manufactures engineered ePTFE-based products for aerospace and defense, medical, industrial filtration, and apparel licensing customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advanced Materials Manufacturing

NAICS

Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252), Adhesive Manufacturing (32552), Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510), Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113)

SIC

Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821), Adhesives & Sealants (2891), Unsupported Plastics Film & Sheet (3081)

akta.pro primary industry

Fluoropolymers (PTFE, PVDF, FEP, ETFE) (IMAEANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adhesives (Structural & Assembly) (IMAEAGAH), Medical & Hygiene Film/Sheet Extrusion (Cleanroom, Sterile Barrier, Diaper Backsheets) (IMANACAF)

Keywords

• Fluoropolymer materials
• EPTFE membranes
• Medical implant devices
• Aerospace cables assemblies
• Technical textiles

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advanced Materials and Products Manufacturing: Design, development, and manufacturing of high-performance materials and products across multiple categories including cables, fabrics, filtration, medical devices, vents, and sealants. Revenue generated from direct product sales to enterprise customers with customization and specification requirements.
2. Technology Licensing and Brand Licensing: Licensing of Gore-Tex brand and technology to apparel manufacturers. Partners including Patagonia, L.L. Bean, The North Face pay for use of Gore-Tex branding and technology in their products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

W.L. Gore & Associates designs, manufactures and sells advanced materials and engineered products based on its proprietary expanded PTFE (ePTFE) technology. Its portfolio spans aerospace cables, sealants and assemblies; medical implants such as venous stents, endoprostheses and surgical meshes; GORE-TEX branded breathable waterproof fabrics and fibers; industrial and bioprocessing filtration media; battery vents and thermal management components; and PEM electrolyser membranes for green hydrogen production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GORE-TEX: Waterproof breathable fabric technology brand for consumer and professional apparel
• Gore Medical
• ELIXIR Strings
• SITKA Gear

Products and services

• GORE VIABAHN FORTEGRA Venous Stent Self-expanding nitinol venous stent for treatment of deep venous disease in the inferior vena cava, iliac and iliofemoral veins; sold to interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons and hospitals.
• GORE VIATORR TIPS Endoprosthesis with Controlled Expansion (6-10mm range) Endoprosthesis with controlled expansion for Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) procedures to treat portal hypertension; used by interventional radiologists.
• GORE SYNECOR Preperitoneal Biomaterial Composite surgical mesh biomaterial for tension-free, minimally invasive hernia repair procedures; sold to hospitals and surgeons.
• GORE IMPROJECT Silicone-Free Plunger (0.5mL) Silicone-free pre-filled syringe plunger for ophthalmic and injectable applications; sold to pharmaceutical manufacturers and ophthalmic drug developers.
• Membrane Chromatography Affinity Devices Affinity membrane devices that improve downstream purification in biotherapeutic manufacturing, increasing productivity, scalability and cost efficiency for cell and gene therapies and antibody-based treatments; sold to biopharmaceutical manufacturers.
• GORE SKYFLEX Aerospace Materials PX1 Series Ready-to-use dry aerospace sealant for permanent aircraft structures that eliminates mixing, curing and clean-up steps, reducing labor hours, rework and material waste; sold to aerospace OEMs and tier suppliers.
• GORE-TEX Membrane Technology Breathable waterproof fabric technology using expanded PTFE for outdoor apparel, professional protective clothing and specialty applications, now offered in PFAS-free alternatives; licensed to apparel manufacturers and supplied as fabric to brand partners.
• Aerospace Cables and Cable Assemblies High-reliability data, fiber optic, microwave/RF, power and space cables qualified for commercial and defense aircraft airframes, avionics, IFEC and spaceflight; sold to aerospace OEMs including Airbus, Boeing, Dassault, Leonardo, COMAC and BAE Systems.
• Air Intake and Particulate Filtration Products Gas turbine air intake filters, filter bags (including low emission and low resistance variants), catalytic filter bags for dioxin/furan, NOx, NH3, SO2 and mercury control, plus ozonation modules; sold to power generation, cement, metals and chemical processors.
• Industrial Gaskets and Sealants Gasket tapes, joint sealants, pipe gaskets, sheet gasketing, packing fiber and aircraft sealants tapes and gaskets for chemical, steel, glass-lined steel and aerospace flange applications; sold to industrial operators and aerospace customers.
• PEM Electrolyser Membrane Technology High-performance proton exchange membrane for water electrolysis achieving less than 1% annual performance degradation with projected operating lifetimes approaching 80,000 hours and 3-7% efficiency improvement over typical PEMWE systems; sold to electrolyser OEMs and clean-energy developers for green hydrogen production.
• Battery Vents and Automotive/Industrial Venting Products ePTFE-based venting components for electric vehicle batteries, electronics enclosures and automotive systems that manage pressure, moisture and thermal conditions; sold to EV and automotive OEMs and electronics manufacturers.
• Sewing Threads, ePTFE Fibers and Technical Filaments High-temperature and industrial sewing threads, ePTFE fiber and filament, industrial weaving fiber, outdoor and marine sewing threads; sold to industrial fabricators and apparel manufacturers.
• GORE VIABIL Biliary Endoprosthesis Biliary endoprosthesis for biliary tract applications; US distribution rights transitioned to Olympus effective January 1, 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• PEM electrolyser membrane achieved less than 1% annual performance degradation, meeting or exceeding international 2030 targets
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ligand Technology PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2026Gore announced collaborations with customized ligand partners to develop and launch a new range of high-performance affinity membrane chromatography products for the biopharmaceutical industry. The new products expand Gore's membrane chromatography portfolio beyond Protein A-based solutions, targeting cell and gene therapies and specialized antibody-based therapies with enhanced purification productivity, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Gore and its ligand partners will market and distribute these affinity membrane devices under their respective brands globally.
• K-Shoe Technology (K2 and Eider)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026Gore collaborated with Korean outdoor brands K2 and Eider to jointly develop the world's first shoe hybrid structure called GORE-TEX SURROUND WITH INVISIBLE FIT PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY. The hybrid combines waterproof functionality with lightweight sneaker-like fit and fully breathable system using 3D breathability design and multi-layer bonding technology. Gore shifted from material supplier to tech solution partner involved from early design stage. Technology will be applied to K2 and Eider products launching in 2026.
• ConstellationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2025Constellation announced an agreement with Gore to incorporate hourly carbon-free energy matching into an existing renewable energy arrangement. The deal covers approximately 110,000 megawatt hours of clean energy per year with an estimated 33,000 metric ton carbon footprint reduction through November 2026. The enhanced offering leverages Constellation's always-on nuclear fleet to complement Gore's existing solar offtake, ensuring carbon-free energy supply is consistent and verifiable on an hourly basis.
• ITM PowercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerW.L. Gore & Associates and ITM Power jointly released improved long-term durability data for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis (PEMWE) in a new white paper. The collaboration presented results from two prototypes tested under differential pressure, demonstrating performance meeting or exceeding international 2030 targets for green hydrogen production.
• Gore-Tex Licensee PartnerscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGore licenses Gore-Tex technology and branding to outdoor and performance apparel manufacturers. Major licensees include Patagonia, The North Face, L.L. Bean, Levi's, and others. These partners incorporate Gore-Tex membranes into their products under licensing agreements.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Broad incumbents

• Toray Industries: Global advanced materials and composites company with strong positions in carbon fiber, membranes, and life sciences. Comparable to Gore in separation membranes, advanced materials R&D, and life sciences/bioprocessing.
• 3M Company: Diversified industrial conglomerate with strong fluoropolymer and specialty materials businesses (including PFAS exposure). Comparable to Gore as a science-driven, multi-vertical materials platform with overlapping positions in industrial filtration, adhesives, and protective materials.
• Honeywell International: Large aerospace and specialty materials supplier. Comparable to Gore in aerospace cables, sealants, and high-reliability components sold to Airbus, Boeing, and defense customers, though embedded in a much broader industrial portfolio.
• Teijin: Japanese high-performance fibers, composites, and healthcare materials company. Comparable to Gore in aramid/specialty fibers, protective textiles, and medical materials, with overlapping end markets in aerospace and protective apparel.
• Saint-Gobain: French high-performance materials group with strong positions in building products, technical fabrics, and filtration. Comparable to Gore in performance membranes, industrial filtration, and engineered materials for construction and industrial markets.

Direct peers

• Solvay: Belgian specialty chemicals company with a significant fluoropolymer and specialty polymers franchise (post-Syensqo spin). Directly comparable to Gore in fluorinated chemistries, composites, and high-value industrial applications.
• DuPont de Nemours: Major fluoropolymer and specialty materials producer (Kalon, Tyvek, Nomex). Directly comparable to Gore in ePTFE-adjacent chemistries, high-performance fibers, and industrial protective fabrics, with parallel exposure to PFAS regulatory dynamics.
• AGC Inc. (Asahi Glass): Japanese fluoropolymer and specialty chemicals producer (Fluon PTFE, ETFE, FEP). Comparable to Gore in fluoropolymer manufacturing and in adjacent high-performance applications such as semiconductor process materials and architectural membranes.
• Daikin Industries: Japanese fluoropolymer and chemical producer with leading PTFE capacity. Closest direct chemistry peer to Gore in ePTFE and adjacent fluoropolymers, with similar exposure to PFAS regulatory dynamics and industrial end markets.

Regional players

• Ansell: Australian-listed leader in protective gloves and apparel, with strong positions in industrial and healthcare safety. Comparable to Gore in performance-driven protective apparel and industrial PPE channels, and an overlapping customer base in industrial filtration-adjacent safety.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/wlgoreassociates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gore
• Facebookfacebook.com/100958259946495

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments10 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about W.L. Gore & Associates