Carbon-carbon Advanced Technologies

What Carbon-carbon Advanced Technologies does

Carbon-Carbon Advanced Technologies, Inc. (C-CAT) is a privately held U.S. specialty manufacturer of carbon-carbon (C-C) composite thermal protection system (TPS) hardware for aerospace, defense, and space applications. Founded in 1987 by Francis Schwind in Arlington, Texas, the company develops oxidation-resistant C-C material systems capable of maintaining structural stability in excess of 4,000°F while delivering tensile strength comparable to carbon-steel at a fraction of the weight. Its product portfolio spans heat shields, upper-stage rocket nozzle extensions, hot-structure TPS for hypersonic boost-glide and air-breathing vehicles, ablative TPS, ramjet and scramjet inlets and ducts, and flight control surfaces for reusable orbital re-entry vehicles.

C-CAT operates a single 50,000 sq.ft. manufacturing campus on 9 acres in the DFW metroplex, with a 25,000 sq.ft. capacity expansion scheduled for completion in 2025. The facility integrates the full C-C production chain — pre-impregnation, heat treatment, layup, autoclave cure, densification, melt infiltration, machining, coating, NDE/NDT inspection, and mechanical testing — under one roof. The company supplies flight-proven hardware directly to U.S. defense primes, space launch integrators, and hypersonic vehicle programs; its components have flown on spacecraft supporting research of the Sun and Mars.

The business model is custom-contract aerospace component manufacturing: C-CAT sells bespoke C-C parts to specification under direct B2B enterprise agreements with defense contractors and space agencies. Pricing is contract-specific and not publicly disclosed. The company is privately held, founder-led, with no disclosed institutional investment, and operates exclusively in North America. Revenue is not publicly reported.

Name

Carbon-carbon Advanced Technologies

Legal name

Carbon-Carbon Advanced Technologies, Inc.

Website

https://c-cat.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Carbon-Carbon Advanced Technologies (C-CAT) is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of carbon-carbon composite thermal protection hardware — heat shields, nozzle extensions, and hypersonic TPS — for aerospace primes, defense programs, and space launch integrators, founded in 1987 and based in Arlington, Texas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Composite Materials

NAICS

Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro primary industry

Reentry, Descent & Landing Systems (Capsules, Heat Shields, Parachutes) (IMABACAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aerospace Thermal Management, Insulation & Fire Protection Materials (IMABANAE)

Keywords

• Carbon-carbon composites
• Thermal protection systems
• Aerospace composite manufacturing
• Hypersonic vehicle materials
• Rocket nozzle extensions

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Aerospace Component Manufacturing: Custom manufacturing of carbon-carbon thermal protection components for military and commercial aerospace applications. Revenue generated through direct contracts for flight-proven hardware including heat shields, nozzle extensions, and hypersonic vehicle components.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Carbon-Carbon Advanced Technologies (C-CAT) designs and manufactures flight-worthy carbon-carbon composite components for aerospace, defense, and space applications. Products include heat shields, rocket nozzle extensions, hot structure thermal protection systems for hypersonic vehicles, ablative TPS, ramjet/scramjet inlets and ducts, and flight control surfaces for reusable orbital re-entry vehicles. Components are custom-manufactured to specification for defense contractors, space agencies, and aerospace prime manufacturers.

Product overview

Carbon-Carbon Advanced Technologies, Inc. (C-CAT) is a materials manufacturing company specializing in carbon-carbon (C-C) composites for aerospace applications. Founded in 1987, the company offers a portfolio of thermal protection system (TPS) products including heat shields, rocket nozzle extensions, hot structure TPS for hypersonic vehicles, ablative TPS, ramjet/scramjet inlets and ducts, and flight control surfaces for reusable orbital vehicles. These products are used in defense, space, and commercial aviation applications, with over 30 years of experience developing flight-worthy C-C hardware for both military and commercial programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carbon-Carbon (C-C) Composites Carbon matrix composite reinforced by carbon fibers capable of maintaining structural stability well in excess of 4000°F, with tensile strength comparable to carbon-steels at a fraction of the weight. Forms the foundation material for C-CAT's flight-worthy thermal protection and structural products.
• Heat Shields

Quantifiable outcome

• Material capable of maintaining structural stability at temperatures exceeding 4000°F
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 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

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• SGL Carbon: Global manufacturer of carbon and graphite-based materials, including carbon-carbon composites used for high-temperature aerospace and industrial applications; comparable C-C material science and supply footprint.
• Mersen: Produces specialty graphite and carbon-carbon components for aerospace and industrial high-temperature applications, including parts for rocket propulsion and thermal management — a directly comparable C-C component manufacturer.
• Specialty Materials Inc. (a Honeywell company): Manufactures boron fiber and advanced composite materials used in aerospace structural and thermal protection applications, including C-C-adjacent components for defense and space — a directly comparable advanced composites specialist.
• Fiber Materials Inc. (FMI): Designs and manufactures carbon-carbon and other high-temperature composite materials for thermal protection and reentry applications across missile and space programs — a directly comparable C-C composite supplier serving the same DoD and space customer set.

Broad incumbents

• General Atomics: Diversified defense and energy company with composites and electromagnetic launch capabilities relevant to hypersonic and space programs; overlaps C-CAT on advanced materials work for defense primes.
• Lockheed Martin: Prime contractor on hypersonic weapon programs (e.g., AGM-183A ARRW, HACM) and Orion spacecraft; both a potential customer and competitor for TPS/C-C content given its in-house materials capabilities.
• Northrop Grumman: Prime on boost-glide and ICBM programs and a manufacturer of rocket nozzle and propulsion composites; overlapping C-C and ablative TPS content make it a broad incumbent competitor and customer in hypersonic and space access.
• Boeing: SLS, Starliner, and various hypersonic and missile programs require C-C and TPS components; competes with C-CAT in rocket nozzle extensions and heat shields while also being a major procurement customer for primes.
• Goodrich / Collins Aerospace (RTX): Long-standing supplier of thermal protection systems, heat shields, and reentry hardware for the Space Shuttle and other space vehicles; competes with C-CAT across the broader TPS value chain as part of a much larger aerospace portfolio.

Regional players

• Toyo Tanso: Japanese manufacturer of high-performance carbon and graphite products including C-C composites for aerospace and semiconductor applications; a comparable C-C specialist operating primarily outside C-CAT's North American market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Carbon-carbon Advanced Technologies