Cobalt Polymers
Cobalt Polymers is a privately held, ISO 13485-certified U.S. manufacturer of medical-grade Pebax and Polyolefin heat shrink tubing used as structural components in catheters, guidewires, and other interventional devices. It sells to Tier I/II medical device OEMs and design engineers via direct sales, Chamfr.com, and channel partners including HnG Medical for Asia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersCloverdale, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cobalt Polymers does
Cobalt Polymers is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of medical-grade heat shrink tubing, headquartered in Healdsburg, California (ISO 13485:2016 certified). The company produces two core product lines — Pebax Heat Shrink Tubing, a proprietary formulation it invented itself, and Polyolefin Heat Shrink Tubing — both certified to USP Class VI and used as structural components in interventional medical devices such as catheters, guidewires, hypotubes, and electrosurgical instruments. Its tubing is differentiated by very thin walls (as low as 0.001 inches), a 4:1 shrink ratio option, six Pebax durometer choices (40D–74D), low shrink temperatures (~220°F for Polyolefin and ~340°F for Pebax), and thermal bonding to underlying polymers and metals that can eliminate traditional reflow processes.
The company sells primarily to Tier I and Tier II medical device OEMs and to the interventional device design engineers within those organizations. GTM is a hybrid technical sales- and product-led motion: customers evaluate the product via free samples (up to three, with the customer paying shipping), order small in-stock quantities through the Chamfr.com marketplace with 24-hour shipping, and move to RFQ-based custom orders for production volumes. Customization is a meaningful part of the value proposition, encompassing custom sizes, wall thicknesses, colors, durometers, precision cut lengths, and the expansion or re-sizing of customer-supplied tubing. Distribution is layered across direct website sales, David Schnur Associates for technical sales support in select U.S. regions, and — since April 2024 — an exclusive multi-year partnership with HnG Medical Inc. for distribution across China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Cobalt Polymers has been operating for over 22 years and is founder/management-owned, with no disclosed institutional investors or funding rounds. In 2023 the company relocated to a roughly triple-sized manufacturing facility in Healdsburg that immediately increased production capacity by about 30% and added a dedicated R&D lab, clean manufacturing spaces with HEPA filtration, and a dedicated Applications Lab opened in mid-2024 to support customer process development. Recent product and capability moves include the June 2023 launch of 74D Pebax Heat Shrink Tubing (the firmest durometer offered to date) and ongoing technical video content for the engineering audience.
Cobalt Polymers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cobalt Polymers
- Legal name
- Cobalt Polymers Inc.
- Website
- https://cobaltpolymers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cobalt Polymers is a privately held, ISO 13485-certified U.S. manufacturer of medical-grade Pebax and Polyolefin heat shrink tubing used as structural components in catheters, guidewires, and other interventional devices. It sells to Tier I/II medical device OEMs and design engineers via direct sales, Chamfr.com, and channel partners including HnG Medical for Asia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cobalt Polymers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Medical Device Components
- NAICS
- Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113), Plastics Packaging Film and Sheet (including Laminated) Manufacturing (326112)
- SIC
- Unsupported Plastics Film & Sheet (3081), Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Shrink, Stretch & Wrap Films (Pallet Wrap, Shrink Sleeves/Overwrap) (IMALABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Polyolefin Films (PE/PP: Cast, Blown, BOPP) (IMALABAA), Polyester & Nylon Films (PET/BOPET, PA/BOPA) (IMALABAB)
Keywords
Where Cobalt Polymers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cloverdale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cobalt Polymers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Heat Shrink Tubing Product Sales: Cobalt Polymers generates revenue primarily through the sale of medical-grade Pebax and Polyolefin heat shrink tubing. Products are sold in various formats: standard stock items, custom orders, and samples. Tubing is supplied in 2:1 ratio (60" lengths or continuous spools) and 4:1 ratio (12" lengths).
- Custom Manufacturing Services: Revenue generated from custom tubing specifications including custom sizes, wall thickness, colors, durometers, and precision cut lengths. Also includes custom expansion of customer-supplied tubing and continuous re-sizing ('necking') of thermoplastic tubing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free samples for product evaluation |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Small quantity stock orders |
| Quote-based/ custom | Multi-year contract | Custom and bulk orders via RFQ |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Cobalt Polymers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cobalt Polymers manufactures and sells medical-grade Pebax and Polyolefin heat shrink tubing for use in interventional medical devices. Its products serve as thin-wall, flexible jackets and insulation for catheters, guidewires, hypotubes, and electrosurgical instruments, and the company offers custom sizing, durometer, color, and expansion services for OEM device builds.
Product overview
Cobalt Polymers specializes in medical-grade heat shrink tubing products for the medical device industry. The core product line includes Pebax Heat Shrink Tubing (including Palladium PEBAX variant) and Polyolefin Heat Shrink Tubing, both available in 2:1 and 4:1 shrink ratios with multiple durometer options (40D through 74D). Pebax tubing is uniquely invented by Cobalt Polymers and offers flexible, thin, durable construction with thermal bonding capabilities that eliminate traditional reflow processes. Polyolefin tubing provides high compressive strength for electrical insulation and strain relief applications. The company also offers custom manufacturing capabilities including precision cut lengths, scoring, slit tubing, and custom expansion of customer-supplied tubing. Products are sold directly and through Chamfr.com marketplace, with distribution expanding to Asia through HnG Medical partnership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Iridium™: Product category of heat shrink tubing
- Palladium PEBAX™
- Nylon™
Products and services
- Pebax Heat Shrink Tubing Medical-grade Pebax heat shrink tubing invented by Cobalt Polymers, sold to Tier I and II medical device OEMs for catheter shaft jacketing, guidewire coating, electrical insulation, strain relief, and encapsulation of components in interventional devices. Available in 2:1 and 4:1 shrink ratios with durometers from 40D to 74D, walls as thin as 0.001", and capable of thermally bonding to underlying polymers or metals to eliminate adhesive and reflow processes.
- Polyolefin Heat Shrink Tubing Medical-grade Polyolefin heat shrink tubing sold to medical device OEMs for electrical insulation and strain relief applications in interventional devices. Features very low shrink temperature (~220°F), high compressive strength, flexibility, thin walls, and Class VI certification, and can remain on the device or be removed after processing.
- Custom Tubing Manufacturing Services Custom contract manufacturing of Pebax and Polyolefin heat shrink tubing in non-stock sizes, wall thicknesses, colors, durometers, precision cut lengths, scoring, slit configurations, pad printing, and custom expansion or re-sizing of customer-supplied thermoplastic tubing. Sold to medical device OEMs needing application-specific tubing configurations for prototype and production builds.
Companies that use Cobalt Polymers
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Cobalt Polymers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Cobalt Polymers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- HnG Medical Inc.coreExclusive multi-year partnership for distribution of Cobalt Polymers Heat Shrink Tubing in Asia. HnG Medical represents U.S. and European component suppliers to top-tier medical device manufacturers in Asian markets. HnG provides local language marketing, sales, customer service, and technical support. Covers China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- David Schnur Associates (DSA)corePartnership with David Schnur Associates to extend the reach of Cobalt Polymers' technical sales team. DSA team works seamlessly with Cobalt Polymers to ensure customers get the right heat shrink tubing for their devices. Contact via [email protected] or (650) 941-0898.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cobalt Polymers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Zeus Industrial Products: Zeus is a leading manufacturer of polymer tubing for medical devices, including heat shrink, fluoropolymer, and custom extrusions. It directly competes with Cobalt Polymers in the medical-grade polymer tubing space serving catheter and guidewire OEMs.
- Putnam Plastics: Putnam Plastics specializes in medical-grade polymer tubing, extrusions, and heat shrink products for catheter and guidewire applications. It is a direct competitor in the same niche medical polymer tubing market.
- Polyzen: Polyzen manufactures polymer films and tubing for medical devices, including custom heat shrink and balloon tubing. It is a comparable specialty polymer manufacturer serving the same medical OEM customer base.
- Duke Extrusion: Duke Extrusion is a custom extruder of polymer tubing for medical and industrial applications, directly comparable to Cobalt in custom medical-grade tubing and heat shrink offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Nordson Medical: Nordson Medical (formerly Vention Medical) provides medical device components and tubing solutions for interventional and surgical OEMs. It competes with Cobalt in the medical device components space with a broader services portfolio.
- Teleflex Medical OEM: Teleflex Medical OEM supplies medical tubing, heat shrink, and other components for interventional devices. It overlaps with Cobalt's catheter and guidewire customer base and offers a wider medical device portfolio.
- TE Connectivity: TE Connectivity (Raychem legacy) is the dominant heat shrink tubing manufacturer globally, with a much broader portfolio across industrial, aerospace, and medical. It competes at the top of the medical heat shrink market with greater scale and channel reach.
- Parker Hannifin (Parflex): Parker's Parflex division manufactures polymer tubing and heat shrink products with medical-grade options. It is a much larger incumbent with broader industrial reach but overlaps with Cobalt in medical heat shrink.
Emerging players
- Elmridge Group: Elmridge Group provides custom medical tubing and device component manufacturing. As a smaller contract manufacturer, it competes for custom medical-grade polymer tubing business with similar technical-engineering engagement.
- Adhezion Biomedical: Adhezion Biomedical develops medical-grade adhesives, sealants, and polymers for device manufacturing. Its medical polymer expertise intersects with Cobalt's thermally-bonding heat shrink material technology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cobalt Polymers social profiles
Digital presenceCobalt Polymers compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Cobalt Polymers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cobalt Polymers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Cobalt Polymers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cobalt Polymers 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 Cobalt Polymers
What does Cobalt Polymers do?
Cobalt Polymers manufactures and sells medical-grade Pebax and Polyolefin heat shrink tubing for use in interventional medical devices. Its products serve as thin-wall, flexible jackets and insulation for catheters, guidewires, hypotubes, and electrosurgical instruments, and the company offers custom sizing, durometer, color, and expansion services for OEM device builds.
Is Cobalt Polymers a public or private company?
Cobalt Polymers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cobalt Polymers founded?
Cobalt Polymers was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cobalt Polymers based?
Cobalt Polymers is headquartered in Cloverdale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cobalt Polymers make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Heat Shrink Tubing Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are custom Manufacturing Services.
Who are Cobalt Polymers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Zeus Industrial Products, Putnam Plastics, Polyzen and Duke Extrusion. Broad incumbents are Nordson Medical, Teleflex Medical OEM, TE Connectivity and Parker Hannifin (Parflex). Emerging players are Elmridge Group and Adhezion Biomedical.
Does Cobalt Polymers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cobalt Polymers.
What industry is Cobalt Polymers in?
Cobalt Polymers's product category is Medical Device Components. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMALABAF, Shrink, Stretch & Wrap Films (Pallet Wrap, Shrink Sleeves/Overwrap), with a secondary code of IMALABAA, Polyolefin Films (PE/PP: Cast, Blown, BOPP). Its NAICS code is 339113 and its SIC code is 3081.