What Zircotec does

Zircotec is a UK-based specialist heat management company that develops, applies, and sells plasma-sprayed ceramic thermal barrier coatings and flexible ceramic heat shields for automotive, motorsport, aerospace, marine, power generation, oil & gas, and rail applications. Its core technology is a proprietary ceramic formulation called ThermoHold®, originally developed within the UK Atomic Energy Authority and applied via an atmospheric plasma-spray process using an electric arc at approximately 10,000°C, which creates a near-pure solid ceramic 'welded' to the substrate via a proprietary metal bond system. The product portfolio spans three coating tiers (Performance White™ up to 1,400°C, Performance Colours™ up to 900°C in 14 colours, and Primary Black™ up to 900°C) plus the ZircoFlex® family of heat shields (FOIL, FORM, SHIELD, SHIELD R) and ElectroHold™ for EV battery applications, all backed by ISO 9001:2015 and UKAS accreditation.

The company operates a hybrid B2B and B2C commercial model. Enterprise revenue comes from direct sales to premium automotive OEMs (Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Pagani, Ducati, Koenigsegg) and elite motorsport teams (F1, WRC, Formula E, INDYCAR, WEC, BTCC), as well as co-development partnerships with Cummins, Johnson Matthey, and Cranfield University on hydrogen ICE and EV battery programmes funded through APC and Innovate UK. Coating services are quote-based with a 10-working-day standard turnaround; heat shield products are priced from £52 to £325 via shop.zircotec.com and a global distributor network spanning 10+ countries. A six-booth plasma-spray facility, three paint booths, and a dedicated heat shield department at the Abingdon, Oxfordshire headquarters anchor production, supported by a 11-50 employee headcount and a recent £0.8M investment from DRIVE35 marking the firm's first disclosed institutional capital.

Name

Zircotec

Legal name

Zircotec Ltd

Website

https://zircotec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zircotec is a UK specialist heat management company applying proprietary plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings and flexible heat shields to automotive OEMs, elite motorsport teams, and aerospace, marine, and energy customers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Thermal Management Coatings and Heat Shielding

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (3328), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (33281)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Thermal Spray & Metallizing (HVOF/Plasma/Arc) (IMAIAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Powder Coating Services (IMAIAKAD), Automotive & Transportation Coatings (IMAEAGAC), Automotive Surface Materials & Coatings for Interiors/Exteriors Manufacturing (Upholstery Materials/Decor Films/Paints for Trim) (IMACAKAL), Automotive Thermal Insulation, Sealing & NVH for HVAC/Thermal Systems (IMACALAJ), Powder Coatings (IMAEAHAE)

Keywords

• Ceramic thermal coatings
• Plasma spray coating
• Automotive heat management
• Thermal barrier coatings
• Ceramic heat shields

Headquarters

HQ city

Abingdon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coating Services: Plasma-sprayed ceramic coating application services for customer-provided parts including exhaust manifolds, turbochargers, headers, and other components. Turnaround time of 10 working days standard, with premium options available.
2. Product Sales (Heat Shields): Sale of ZircoFlex® heat shield products including FOIL, FORM, SHIELD, and SHIELD R variants through e-commerce and distributor network. Products available in various sizes and configurations.
3. Engineering Services: Custom engineering development projects both commercially and through government-funded initiatives (APC & Innovate UK). Includes development work for Hydrogen ICE, Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Electric Vehicles and Alternative Fuel applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zircotec applies proprietary plasma-sprayed ceramic thermal barrier coatings (ThermoHold®, Performance White™, Performance Colours™, Primary Black™) and manufactures flexible ceramic heat shields (ZircoFlex® FOIL/FORM/SHIELD/SHIELD R/GOLD) for automotive OEMs, elite motorsport teams, and industrial customers. The company also delivers custom engineering services for hydrogen ICE, fuel cell, electric vehicle, and alternative-fuel applications, with coatings applied to customer-supplied parts at its Abingdon facility on a 10-working-day standard turnaround.

Product overview

Zircotec offers a thermal management technology portfolio consisting primarily of plasma-applied ceramic coatings and heat shielding products. The core product is the proprietary ThermoHold® ceramic coating technology, available in three main tiers: Performance White™ (premium, up to 1,400°C), Performance Colours™ (14-colour range, up to 900°C), and Primary Black™ (entry-level, up to 900°C). The ZircoFlex® heat shield family includes FOIL (flexible), FORM (structural), SHIELD (bespoke metallic encapsulated), and the newer SHIELD R (detachable). A notable 2025 launch is ElectroHold™ for EV battery applications. Engineering services support development in hydrogen ICE, fuel cells, and EV sectors. All products utilize atmospheric plasma spray technology originally developed within the UK nuclear industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ThermoHold®: Core ceramic thermal barrier coating formulation, mainstay of offering to automotive OEM industry and elite motorsport.
• ZircoFlex®
• Performance White™
• Performance Colours™
• Primary Black™
• Endurance Range™
• ElectroHold

Products and services

• ThermoHold® Proprietary ceramic thermal barrier coating technology exclusive to Zircotec, applied via atmospheric plasma-spray process to deliver ultimate thermal barrier performance for automotive OEM and elite motorsport applications.
• Performance White™ Ultra-high performance thermal barrier ceramic coating based on ThermoHold® formulation, suitable for applications up to 1,400°C, delivering up to 33% surface temperature reduction at only 0.3mm thickness.
• Performance Colours™ High-temperature ceramic coating range containing ThermoHold® technology, available in 14 distinctive colours with sealed surface finish, suitable for applications up to 900°C with ~33% surface temperature reduction.
• Primary Black™ Entry-level plasma-applied thermal barrier ceramic coating based on ThermoHold® technology, suitable for applications up to 900°C, offering up to 25% surface temperature reduction with 1-year product guarantee.
• Primary Gunmetal Grey™ Plasma-applied thermal barrier ceramic coating in a gunmetal grey finish, part of Zircotec's primary coating tier.
• Performance 1 Coatings – Polymer Ceramics Range of thermally stable polymer ceramic coatings offering styling solutions for exhaust systems and components in high temperature environments.
• ZircoFlex® FOIL Revolutionary flexible ceramic heat shield offering up to 85% heat reduction, available in varying thicknesses and pre-cut sheets, usable in direct contact with heat sources up to 1,000°C.
• ZircoFlex® FORM Innovative structural ceramic heat shield combining proven ceramic coating protection with the ability to form structural heat shields at minimal weight.
• ZircoFlex® SHIELD Bespoke metallic encapsulated heat shield systems predominantly manufactured to satisfy the demanding specifications of F1, motorsport and OEM markets, capable of use in direct contact with heat sources up to 1,000°C.
• ZircoFlex® SHIELD R New range of handmade, detachable heat shields using metallic encapsulated insulation system, operational up to 1,000°C, achieving 50% reduction in hot-to-cold face temperatures across multiple size variants.
• ZircoFlex® HT New high-temperature variant of Zircotec's ZircoFlex® heat shield product family.
• ElectroHold™ Multifunctional ceramic coating technology for EV batteries integrating dielectric, flameproofing, and thermal properties, enabling lighter aluminium and plastic composite enclosures while delivering a four-fold increase in dielectric strength under UL2596 Method A testing.
• ThermoHold® Composite Coating Ceramic coating applied onto carbon or plastic composites delivering up to 4kg/m² weight saving compared to aluminium, enabling lightweight thermal management for automotive and aerospace applications.
• Specialist Coatings Bespoke ceramic coatings tailored to specific environments, drawing on a wide variety of material choices and application methods beyond Zircotec's standard product lines.
• Engineering Services Custom engineering development projects covering Hydrogen ICE, Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Electric Vehicles and Alternative Fuel applications, delivered both commercially and through government-funded initiatives including APC and Innovate UK programmes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Surface temperature reductions of up to 33% on exhaust systems
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cranfield UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CeraBEV project partner - Government-backed initiative developing ceramic coating technology for EV battery applications. Cranfield University provided research and development support for the ElectroHold coating technology.
• CumminscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject Brunel - Joint initiative to develop a hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engine for on-road vehicles. The 6.7-litre H2-ICE engine achieved over 99% reduction in tailpipe carbon emissions and ultra-low NOx compared to Euro VI diesel standards. Project was match-funded by UK Government and facilitated by Advanced Propulsion Centre UK.
• Johnson MattheycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject Brunel partner providing emissions control and after-treatment evaluation expertise for hydrogen ICE development. Also partnered on Johnson's dedicated hydrogen ICE testing facility in Gothenburg, Sweden.
• PHINIAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject Brunel partner contributing technology expertise to hydrogen-fuelled ICE development for on-road commercial vehicle applications.
• CarStore Power Maxed RacingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnical partnership in the British Touring Car Championship supporting Jack Sears Trophy success. Provides product exposure and motorsport validation for Zircotec thermal management solutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Regional players

• Wallwork Heat Treatment: UK-based heat treatment and surface engineering service provider serving motorsport, aerospace and industrial customers. Adjacent UK competitor offering thermal processing capabilities that overlap with Zircotec's coating services.

Broad incumbents

• Bodycote: Global provider of surface treatments and thermal processing services including plasma spray and ceramic coatings for automotive, aerospace and industrial customers. Larger scale alternative to Zircotec's niche thermal management offering.
• Praxair Surface Technologies (Linde): Global industrial gases and surface-engineering business operating large-scale thermal spray and ceramic coating operations across aerospace, automotive and industrial markets. Directly cited alongside Zircotec as a thermal barrier coatings peer, but with broader portfolio and deeper R&D.
• Oerlikon Metco: Leading manufacturer of thermal spray equipment, materials and coating services for aerospace, automotive and industrial applications. Competes with Zircotec on plasma-spray ceramic coatings for high-temperature components across multiple industries.
• Chromalloy (a Sequa Group company): Major provider of thermal barrier and environmental coatings for aerospace and industrial gas turbine components. Larger incumbent in ceramic coatings operating in adjacent aerospace/industrial markets.

Direct peers

• Swain Tech Coatings: US-based specialist in plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings for motorsport and high-performance applications, including exhaust components. Closely comparable niche competitor in plasma ceramic coatings for performance vehicles.
• Jet-Hot (a HEICO company): Ceramic header and exhaust coatings specialist serving motorsport, classic car and performance aftermarket customers. Direct competitor in plasma-applied thermal barrier coatings for exhaust and engine components.
• Tech Line Coatings: Ceramic coating applicator for headers, exhaust manifolds and turbo housings serving motorsport and performance aftermarket. Direct niche competitor to Zircotec in plasma-sprayed high-temperature coatings.
• Performance Coatings Inc: US-based applicator of ceramic and high-temperature coatings for automotive, motorsport and industrial exhaust components. Direct niche competitor in plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings serving similar performance aftermarket customers.

Emerging players

• Flame Spray Technologies: European thermal spray equipment and coatings specialist focused on plasma and HVOF spray systems for industrial and aerospace applications. Comparable technology stack to Zircotec but more equipment-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/zircotec
• Instagraminstagram.com/zircotec
• Xx.com/Zircotec

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Zircotec