Smallmatek
Smallmatek is a Portuguese R&D company that develops and supplies patented micro- and nanostructured additives — primarily stimulus-responsive corrosion inhibitors (ADDPRIME) and layered double hydroxides (LDHs) — for industrial coatings, water treatment, energy, and agriculture applications, alongside consulting, characterisation, and pilot-scale custom synthesis services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersAveiro, Portugal
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Smallmatek does
Smallmatek – Small Materials and Technologies, Lda is a privately-held Portuguese R&D-intensive company founded in 2010 by researchers from the University of Aveiro. The company develops and supplies micro- and nanostructured additives — most prominently its patented ADDPRIME® line of stimulus-responsive corrosion inhibitors and a portfolio of layered double hydroxide (LDH) materials including ZnAl, MgAl, NiAl, MgFe, and CuAl variants — together with silica nanoparticles and calcium carbonate microcapsules. These additives are designed to be incorporated into coatings, paints, and construction materials to deliver active corrosion protection and, in certain LDH formulations, secondary functionalities including water treatment, controlled-release fertilisation, energy storage, and green hydrogen catalysis.
The business operates a hybrid model combining direct sale of proprietary additives and licensed representation (as ZINGA's official Portugal representative) with a substantial services layer that includes technical consulting, materials characterisation (SEM-EDS, XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis, electrochemical testing), ecotoxicology and environmental monitoring, and pilot-scale custom synthesis using 10 L and 500 L reactors. Customers span maritime, aerospace, automotive, construction, water treatment, energy, agriculture, and pharmaceutical/cosmetics segments. Distribution is direct, consultative, and project-based, supported by EU-funded consortium participation (FP7 BYEFOULING, FEDER NATURAL/NanoBioEscudo, Interreg Sudoe RESINSURF, COMPETE2030 Smallmatek 4.0, SAFERCOAT). The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified as of December 2025 and is privately held, with no disclosed parent, institutional investors, or current revenue.
Smallmatek firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Smallmatek
- Legal name
- Smallmatek – Small Materials and Technologies, Lda
- Website
- https://smallmatek.pt
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Smallmatek is a Portuguese R&D company that develops and supplies patented micro- and nanostructured additives — primarily stimulus-responsive corrosion inhibitors (ADDPRIME) and layered double hydroxides (LDHs) — for industrial coatings, water treatment, energy, and agriculture applications, alongside consulting, characterisation, and pilot-scale custom synthesis services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Smallmatek industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nanomaterial-based Corrosion Protection Additives
- NAICS
- Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255), Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713), Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing (32518)
- SIC
- Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coating & Adhesive Raw Materials (Resins, Additives, Solvents) (IMAEAGAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)
Keywords
Where Smallmatek is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aveiro
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Smallmatek business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Nanostructured Additive Sales: Sale of proprietary micro- and nano-structured additives (ADDPRIME, LDH-based additives, SiO2 nanoparticles, CaCO3 microcapsules) to coatings companies and industrial manufacturers for incorporation into coatings, paints, construction materials, and other formulations.
- Technical Consultancy Services: Corrosion studies, electrochemical testing, metallographic analysis, materials selection support, failure identification, R&D project development, and environmental impact study collaboration for industrial clients.
- Materials Characterisation Services: Fee-for-service materials characterisation including SEM-EDS, XRD, DRIFTS/FTIR, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, optical microscopy, accelerated corrosion testing, and electrochemical testing.
- Ecotoxicology and Environmental Monitoring Services: Environmental risk assessment, ecotoxicological analysis of compounds, specialised ecological studies, water/sediment/soil quality analysis, and compliance with Water Framework Directive.
- ZINGA Representation: Official ZINGA representative in Portugal for sales and technical support of ZINGA corrosion protection products.
- Custom Synthesis and Scale-Up Services: Tailor-made synthesis of micro- and nanomaterials, standalone additives, and scale-up support using pilot-scale reactors (10 L and 500 L) for layered double hydroxides, mesoporous oxides, clays, polymeric capsules, and silicas.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Smallmatek product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Smallmatek develops, manufactures, and sells micro/nano-structured additives based on Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) chemistry for corrosion protection and biofouling prevention in industrial coatings. Its core catalog includes the patented ADDPRIME 1.00 and ADDPRIME 4.00 smart-responsive additives, multiple LDH compositions (ZnAl, MgAl, NiAl, MgFe, CuAl), SiO2 nanoparticles, and CaCO3 microcapsules. The company complements these products with R&D consultancy, custom formulation, scale-up, and laboratory characterization services.
Product overview
Smallmatek offers a comprehensive portfolio of micro- and nano-structured products and services centered around advanced materials for corrosion protection and environmental applications. The core product line consists of ADDPRIME® smart-responsive additives (versions 1.00 and 4.00) and layered double hydroxides (ZnAl, MgAl, NiAl, MgFe, CuAl LDH variants), which work together as intelligent additives that can immobilize, transport, and release active compounds in a controlled manner. Supporting products include SiO2 nanoparticles and CaCO3 microcapsules for functional coatings. The company also distributes ZINGA® corrosion protection products in Portugal. Complementing the product line are services including environmental monitoring and ecotoxicology testing, materials characterization, technical consultancy, production scale-up support using pilot reactors, and custom formulation development. The offerings are designed for aerospace, automotive, maritime, and construction sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ADDPRIME: Smart-responsive and Zn-free multifunctional additive technologies for corrosion protection in metal structures, providing cost savings up to 27% in anti-corrosive coatings production and up to 60% maintenance cost reduction for end users.
Products and services
- ADDPRIME 1.00 Smart-responsive micro/nano-structured additive for active corrosion protection of metallic substrates, supplied to industrial coatings manufacturers.
- ADDPRIME 4.00 Next-generation smart-responsive additive for active corrosion protection, with enhanced functionality over ADDPRIME 1.00.
- ZnAl LDH Zinc-aluminum Layered Double Hydroxide additive used as nanocontainer for active corrosion protection in coating formulations.
- MgAl LDH Magnesium-aluminum Layered Double Hydroxide additive for active corrosion protection in coating formulations.
- NiAl LDH Nickel-aluminum Layered Double Hydroxide additive for active corrosion protection applications.
- MgFe LDH Magnesium-iron Layered Double Hydroxide additive for active corrosion protection applications.
- CuAl LDH Copper-aluminum Layered Double Hydroxide additive with antimicrobial functionality for active corrosion protection and antifouling.
- SiO2 NPs Silica nanoparticles produced via sol-gel synthesis for use in coating and surface-protection formulations.
- CaCO3 MCs Calcium carbonate microcapsules used as carriers for controlled release of active species in coatings and related applications.
- Other Compositions Custom Layered Double Hydroxide compositions developed to customer specifications beyond the standard catalog offerings.
- ZINGA Two-component anti-corrosion coating containing 96% zinc in the dry film, distributed exclusively by Smallmatek in the Portuguese market.
- Consultancy Services Specialized consulting on smart coating design, materials selection, and additive integration for industrial clients.
- Characterization Services Laboratory characterization of materials and coatings, including structural, morphological, and performance testing.
- Ecotoxicity and Environmental Monitoring Ecotoxicology and environmental monitoring studies assessing the environmental safety profile of coatings and additives.
- Scale-Up and Customized Solutions Pilot and industrial scale-up of nano-additive production, plus customized additive development and tailor-made solutions for client applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Corrosion resistance increases by 6 times compared to current solutions
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Smallmatek
Customer profileSegments9 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Smallmatek technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature9 records
Smallmatek partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- SECOP – Surface Engineering and High-Performance Coating Applications Group (DEMaC, Universidade de Aveiro)minorCollaborating research group at the 14th AETOC International Workshop for joint presentation of RESINSURF project goals and results. Specialised in electrochemical techniques for organic coatings.
- Universidade de AveirocoreCo-promoter in NanoBioEscudo (2025–2027) and partner in NATURAL and FUNACOP projects. University of Aveiro researchers founded Smallmatek in 2010. Key research partner for LDH nanomaterials, CICECO and DEMaC institutes involved.
- CIIMAR – Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e AmbientalcoreCo-promoter in the NanoBioEscudo project (2025–2027) focused on bio-inspired anti-fouling technologies for marine coatings. Provides marine and environmental research expertise.
- Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do PortocoreCo-promoter in NanoBioEscudo project (2025–2027). Contributes pharmaceutical and biomedical expertise to the development of bio-inspired anti-fouling technologies.
- CIDETEC Surface EngineeringcoreKey partner in RESINSURF project (2024–2026) developing chromium-free surface treatment technologies. CIDETEC is developing anaphoretic lacquering and tartric-sulfuric anodizing alternatives. Smallmatek's corrosion inhibitors are being tested in Pilot 2 for chromium-free aluminium surface treatment.
- TITANIAminorValidation partner in RESINSURF Pilot 2, carrying out real-world testing and validation of chromium-free aluminium surface treatment technologies developed by the consortium.
- LNEG – National Laboratory of Energy and GeologyminorPartner in NATURAL project (2020–2023) developing nano-clays for phosphate removal and reuse as fertiliser. Participated in the final project workshop.
- Fraunhofer Portugal AWAMminorPartner in NATURAL project (2020–2023) consortium focused on circular economy applications for phosphate recovery.
- APQuímica – Associação Portuguesa da Química, Petroquímica e RefinaçãominorPartner in NATURAL project (2020–2023). Portuguese industry association providing chemical sector expertise and market perspective.
- Universidade de CoimbraminorPartner in NATURAL project (2020–2023) final workshop. University providing research expertise in chemistry and materials science.
- Instituto de Soldadura e QualidademinorCo-promoter in the NANOSENSORES project for self-healing coatings for aeronautical structures. Provides quality assurance and welding/surface engineering expertise.
- AEROHELICEminorLead promoter of the NANOSENSORES project for self-healing coatings in aeronautical structures. Represents the aerospace market application side of the collaboration.
- CICECO – Instituto de Materiais de Aveiro, Universidade de AveirocorePartner in FUNACOP (anchor project establishing pilot production line up to 500L) and NANOSENSORES project. CICECO is a leading materials research institute providing scientific expertise for nanomaterials development.
- SINTEFcoreLead promoter of the FP7 BYEFOULING project (first European project in which SMT participated as active partner and technical coordinator). SINTEF led the multinational consortium of 11 European countries for low-toxicity antifouling coatings development.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Smallmatek competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cortec Corporation: Cortec specialises in corrosion protection technologies including VCI films, additives, and coatings for industrial and marine markets. Closely aligned with Smallmatek's anti-corrosion additive offering for maritime, construction, and industrial customers.
- Zerust (Northern Technologies International): Zerust provides corrosion prevention solutions including VCI packaging and corrosion inhibitor additives for industrial and marine applications. Operates in overlapping anti-corrosion chemistries and serves similar maritime/industrial end markets as Smallmatek.
- BYK-Chemie (ALTANA): BYK is a global leader in coating additives, supplying wetting agents, rheology modifiers, and specialty additives to coatings formulators. Directly comparable to Smallmatek as a specialty additives supplier into the same coatings value chain, with much broader product range and global reach.
- Nanophase Technologies: Nanophase is a US-based nanomaterials manufacturer producing nano-scale metal oxides and related materials for industrial applications including coatings. Closely comparable as a developer of engineered nanomaterials supplied to coatings and specialty chemicals customers.
Emerging players
- Tnemec Company: Tnemec is a US specialty coatings manufacturer focused on industrial and architectural protective coatings with its own additive/formulation expertise. Comparable as a downstream coatings brand that both competes with and buys from specialty additive suppliers.
Broad incumbents
- Lubrizol (Berkshire Hathaway): Lubrizol is a global specialty chemicals company producing additives and performance materials for coatings, personal care, and industrial markets. Comparable as a diversified specialty additive supplier with overlapping RD capability in encapsulation and controlled release.
- AkzoNobel: AkzoNobel is one of the world's largest paints and coatings manufacturers with internal additive development and procurement from specialty suppliers. Represents both a potential large customer and a competitive threat to Smallmatek's additives in the protective and marine coatings space.
- Heubach Group: Heubach (formed via combination of Heubach and Clariant Pigments) is a global producer of pigments and pigment preparations for coatings and specialty applications. Comparable as a specialty coatings inputs supplier with overlapping downstream customer base.
- BASF Coatings: BASF operates a global coatings and surface-treatment business with significant internal R&D into corrosion inhibitors and nanomaterial additives. Relevant as a deep-pocketed incumbent with overlapping smart-coatings programs that can compete with or acquire Smallmatek-style technology.
Regional players
- CIDETEC Surface Engineering: CIDETEC is a Spanish applied research centre working on surface treatments, coatings and electrochemical technologies — already a co-development partner with Smallmatek in RESINSURF. Comparable as a Southern European peer operating at the intersection of coatings RD and industrial deployment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Smallmatek social profiles
Digital presenceSmallmatek compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Smallmatek financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Smallmatek leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Smallmatek funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Smallmatek 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 Smallmatek
What does Smallmatek do?
Smallmatek develops, manufactures, and sells micro/nano-structured additives based on Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) chemistry for corrosion protection and biofouling prevention in industrial coatings. Its core catalog includes the patented ADDPRIME 1.00 and ADDPRIME 4.00 smart-responsive additives, multiple LDH compositions (ZnAl, MgAl, NiAl, MgFe, CuAl), SiO2 nanoparticles, and CaCO3 microcapsules. The company complements these products with R&D consultancy, custom formulation, scale-up, and laboratory characterization services.
Is Smallmatek a public or private company?
Smallmatek is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Smallmatek founded?
Smallmatek was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Smallmatek based?
Smallmatek is headquartered in Aveiro, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does Smallmatek make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Nanostructured Additive Sales are the primary driver. The others are technical Consultancy Services, materials Characterisation Services, ecotoxicology and Environmental Monitoring Services, ZINGA Representation and custom Synthesis and Scale-Up Services.
Who are Smallmatek's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cortec Corporation, Zerust (Northern Technologies International), BYK-Chemie (ALTANA) and Nanophase Technologies. Tnemec Company is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Lubrizol (Berkshire Hathaway), AkzoNobel, Heubach Group and BASF Coatings. CIDETEC Surface Engineering is listed as a regional player.
Does Smallmatek have an API?
No public API is recorded for Smallmatek.
What industry is Smallmatek in?
Smallmatek's product category is Nanomaterial-based Corrosion Protection Additives. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAGAK, Coating & Adhesive Raw Materials (Resins, Additives, Solvents), with a secondary code of IMAEAGAB, Industrial & Protective Coatings. Its NAICS code is 325510 and its SIC code is 2851.