Aculon

What Aculon does

Aculon is a San Diego, California-based surface-modification and nano-coating company, described in the supplied material as founded in 2002/2004 and having 11–50 employees. Its core technology is proprietary Transition Metal Complexate chemistry, and its product set includes NanoProof, NanoClear, NanoPearl, AcuFlow, and AMI. The company serves electronics, energy, medical devices, specialty/consumer goods, and automotive applications.

The supplied data indicates a B2B materials and coating business, with named customers including Samsung, Intel, Alcoa, Oakley, Volvo, and Rauland-Borg. It reports 35+ patents and more than $15 million in R&D investment, while the commercial evidence includes product launches, Asian distributor expansion, and Chinese- and German-language websites. Pricing, contract values, revenue, and customer-level volume are not disclosed, so the business model and customer concentration cannot be assessed precisely.

Name

Aculon

Legal name

Aculon

Website

https://aculon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aculon develops surface-modification and nano-coating technologies using proprietary TMC chemistry, serving electronics, energy, medical devices, automotive, and consumer-goods customers with products including NanoProof, NanoClear, NanoPearl, AcuFlow, and AMI for industrial applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty chemical coatings

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

Keywords

• Nanocoating technologies
• Hydrophobic coatings
• Oleophobic coatings
• Surface modification
• PCB waterproofing

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Nano-Coating Product Sales: Aculon generates revenue primarily through the sale of proprietary surface nano-coating products and treatments. Products are sold directly to customers from their California manufacturing facility, with some distribution available in Asia. Revenue comes from product sales across multiple coating platforms including NanoProof (electronics waterproofing), NanoClear (SMT stencil), AcuFlow (flow assurance), and various repellency/hydrophilic treatments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aculon develops and sells ultra-thin nano-coating surface treatments that alter substrate properties such as water and oil repellency and wettability. Its coatings are applied across electronics, oil and gas, medical, and specialty products, with related screening, customization, and laboratory services.

Product overview

Aculon is a surface modification technology company developing and producing nano-coating technologies since 2004. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of surface treatment products organized around core technology platforms: hydrophobic/oleophobic repellency coatings (repelling water and oils), hydrophilic coatings (water-attracting for lubricity and anti-fog), adhesion promotion coatings, anti-fingerprint coatings, and anti-fouling coatings. Key branded products include the NanoProof® PCB waterproofing series (for electronics protection from IPX4 to IPX8), NanoClear® and NanoPearl™ SMT stencil treatments (for solder paste release improvement), AcuFlow® flow assurance coatings (for oil & gas applications), and AMI measurement integrity systems. The company also provides lab services for custom coating development and screening. Applications span electronics (PCB protection, anti-fingerprint), medical (guidewires, filters, microfluidics, blood management), oil & gas (flow assurance, meter protection), industrial (cutting tools, membranes), optics, and specialty consumer products. The technology base is built on patented nanoscale chemistry with typical coating thicknesses of 2-4nm, with over 35 patents granted and extensive lab service capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NanoClear®: World's premier SMT stencil coating technology for improving print quality, increasing throughput, and reducing defects.
• NanoProof®
• AcuFlow®
• NanoPearl™
• Aculon Measurement Integrity (AMI)

Products and services

• NanoProof® Series Nano-coating series for PCB waterproofing and related electronic surface protection.
• NanoClear® Stencil Treatment Aculon's named NanoClear stencil treatment offering.
• NanoPearl™ Stencil Treatment Aculon's named NanoPearl stencil treatment offering.
• AcuFlow® Flow Assurance Coating Flow-assurance coating offering for oil and gas applications.
• Aculon Measurement Integrity (AMI) Aculon Measurement Integrity (AMI), a named measurement-integrity offering.
• Anti-Fingerprint (AFP) Coatings Anti-fingerprint coating offering for surface treatment applications.
• Wheel Weight Adhesion Treatments Adhesion treatment offering for automotive wheel weights.
• Lab Services Laboratory services associated with Aculon's coating solutions.
• Anti-Fouling Coatings Anti-fouling coating offering for surface applications.
• Sapphire Repellency Coatings Sapphire repellency coating offering.
• Test Pin Repellency Coatings Test-pin repellency coating offering.
• Blade & Razor Repellent Coatings Repellent coating offering for blade and razor products.
• Guitar String Repellent Coatings Repellent coating offering for guitar strings.
• Watch & Timepiece Coatings Coating offering for watch and timepiece products.
• Membrane Coatings Membrane coating offering.
• Microfluidic Coatings Microfluidic coating offering.
• Blood & Medical Fluid Coatings Coating offering for blood and medical-fluid contact surfaces.
• Guidewire Coatings Guidewire coating offering.
• Filter Coatings Filter coating offering.
• NanoProof® Screening Service NanoProof screening service for evaluating coating performance.
• NanoProof® Customized Solutions Customized NanoProof solutions for application-specific coating needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced SMT defects by 52%, increased throughput by 35%, saved over $400,000 on a $5,000 investment for Rauland-Borg using NanoClear stencil treatment
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AlcoacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAculon's wheel weight adhesion promoter has been specifically approved by Alcoa for use on aluminum wheels with Dura-Bright surface treatment. This is the only approved method for maximizing adhesion of wheel weights to Alcoa's treated wheel surfaces, supported by independent testing and approval by Alcoa.

Scale indicators7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HZO: HZO is a direct competitor providing nano-coating and waterproofing solutions for electronics, with comparable IPX-level protection offerings for PCBs and consumer devices using thin-film coating technologies.
• P2i: P2i is a direct competitor specializing in liquid-repellent nano-coatings for electronics, offering hydrophobic protective barriers using plasma-based deposition processes similar to Aculon's TMC technology.
• Specialty Coating Systems (SCS): SCS is a direct competitor in conformal coatings for electronics, primarily offering parylene coatings. Aculon NanoProof is positioned as a lower-cost, liquid-phase alternative to SCS parylene deposition.
• DryWired: DryWired develops nano-coating and surface modification solutions for electronics, automotive, and industrial applications, directly competing with Aculon's hydrophobic and oleophobic coating portfolios.
• Europlasma: Europlasma applies plasma-based nanocoatings to textiles, electronics, and industrial substrates for hydrophobic and oleophobic properties, comparable to Aculon's plasma-free liquid-phase nanocoating offerings.
• Biocoat: Biocoat specializes in hydrophilic and lubricious coatings for medical devices including guidewires and catheters, directly competing with Aculon's medical device coating line.

Broad incumbents

• SurModics: SurModics is a more established medical device coating company offering broader hydrophilic, drug-delivery, and surface modification portfolios that overlap with Aculon's medical coatings.
• HumiSeal: HumiSeal is a broader incumbent in conformal coatings for PCB protection, offering traditional acrylic, urethane, and silicone coatings that compete indirectly with Aculon's NanoProof waterproofing series.
• Henkel: Henkel is a broad incumbent with industrial adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings portfolios that overlap with Aculon's adhesion promotion and repellency offerings.
• 3M: 3M is a broad incumbent with industrial coatings, adhesives, and surface modification products across electronics, medical, and industrial verticals, with Novec coatings historically competing in the same waterproofing space as Aculon.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aculon

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Aculon