What Microtek Laboratories does

Microtek Laboratories, Inc. is a US-based specialty materials manufacturer specializing in the microencapsulation of phase change materials (PCMs). Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Greer, SC with manufacturing operations in Dayton, OH, the company encapsulates PCM inside microscopic polymer shells (typically 1-100 microns in diameter) to produce a thermal-storage additive that can be integrated into textiles, coatings, foams, gypsum board, polymers, concrete, and other substrates. Its product portfolio spans melt points from approximately -33°C to 57°C and includes the Micronal® formaldehyde-free microencapsulated PCM line (originally pioneered by BASF), as well as MPCM (microencapsulated PCM powders), nextek (aqueous PCM emulsions for coating processes), fibratek (PCM-functionalized fibers and nonwovens), vivtek (bio-based microencapsulated PCM), Essential PCM reference grades, Panel Systems for building applications, and the CRT365 temperature-controlled pharmaceutical packaging system.

Microtek sells to enterprise customers across six primary verticals — bedding and textiles, building and construction, electronics, life sciences and medical devices, packaging and logistics, and personal comfort and safety — with energy storage (EV batteries, renewables, solar thermal) listed as a developing segment. The business model combines sale of PCM products (liquid dispersions, powders, and custom formulations) with revenue from a Design and Development service engagement (Discover, Design, Validate, Deliver) that includes thermal modeling, simulation, prototype development, and design qualification. Pricing is quote-based and tailored to specific temperature targets, end-use requirements, and volume; multi-year contracts are common. Distribution is direct enterprise sales and OEM/embedded integration — no third-party distribution channel is disclosed. Marketing emphasizes content depth (blog, thermal management guide, academic research partnerships) and technical consultation rather than broad digital advertising.

The company was acquired in December 2025 by Alexium International Group Limited from CAVU Group, becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary and expanding the combined platform's presence in phase change materials and microencapsulation in the U.S. Microtek holds 11-50 employees, holds registered brand rights including Micronal®, and reports no public revenue or external funding rounds.

Name

Microtek Laboratories

Legal name

Microtek Laboratories, Inc.

Website

https://microteklabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Microtek Laboratories is a US specialty materials manufacturer that microencapsulates phase change materials (-33°C to 57°C) for integration into textiles, building products, electronics, packaging, and life-sciences applications, selling through direct enterprise sales and OEM partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Thermal management materials

NAICS

Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252)

SIC

Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820), Plastics Products, Nec (3089), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Phase-Change Material (PCM) Thermal Storage (Encapsulated, Building-Integrated) (EUAFANAD)

Keywords

• Phase change materials
• Thermal management solutions
• Microencapsulated PCM
• Temperature controlled packaging
• Building thermal energy storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. PCM Products Sales: Sale of phase change material products including microencapsulated PCM, Micronal®, PCM blends, and specialized formulations. Products sold in various forms including liquid dispersions, powders, and custom formulations to industrial customers.
2. Design & Development Services: Comprehensive thermal management design and development services including initial design concepts, thermal modeling and simulation, prototype development, design qualification testing, and thermal & distribution qualifications. Service engagement model following 4-phase methodology.
3. Product Data Sheets and Technical Specifications: Technical specification documentation and data sheets provided for product families including Micronal, MPCM, nextek, fibratek, and vivtek product lines.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Microtek Laboratories manufactures and supplies microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) and related specialty thermal management chemicals, available as liquid dispersions, redispersible powders, bio-based emulsions, and PCM-functionalized fibers. The company sells its PCM products and the Micronal® formaldehyde-free PCM line to industrial customers across pharmaceuticals, packaging/logistics, building materials, electronics, and textiles, and provides custom formulation plus paid thermal design, modeling, prototyping, and qualification services for temperature-controlled packaging systems.

Product overview

Microtek Laboratories offers a comprehensive thermal management platform centered on phase change material (PCM) microencapsulation technology. The core offerings include customized PCM Development services, Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials as the foundational technology, and the Micronal® PCM product line (originally from BASF) featuring formaldehyde-free microencapsulated PCM with comfort-range melt points. Additional product families include MPCM (microencapsulated PCM powders), nextek (aqueous emulsions for coatings), fibratek (PCM-functionalized fibers for textiles), and vivtek (bio-based PCM). The company also provides Design & Development Services for temperature-controlled packaging systems and offers the CRT365 packaging product for controlled room temperature pharmaceuticals. PCM portfolio spans temperatures from −33°C to 57°C, serving industries including bedding/textiles, building/construction, electronics, life sciences/medical, packaging/logistics, and personal comfort/safety.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Micronal®: Formaldehyde-free microencapsulated phase change material with comfort-range melt points (21–28°C), available as liquid dispersion or redispersible powder. Originally pioneered by BASF, now part of Microtek portfolio.
• MPCM
• nextek
• fibratek
• vivtek
• CRT365

Products and services

• Customized PCM Development Custom PCM formulation and development services targeting specific PCT requirements, including research, development, and manufacturing of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) for various thermal management applications.
• Micronal® PCM Formaldehyde-free microencapsulated PCM with comfort-range melt points (21–28°C), available as aqueous liquid dispersion (24S, 28S) or redispersible powder for building materials, mattresses, textiles, and diverse applications.
• Microencapsulated Phase Change Material Microtek's core microencapsulation technology encloses phase change material in polymer shells (typically 1–100 microns in diameter) for integration into textiles, coatings, polymers, foams, gypsum board, and other substrates to provide thermal buffering.
• Design and Development Services Complete design and development services for temperature-controlled packaging systems, including initial design concepts, thermal modeling and simulation, prototype development, design qualification testing, and thermal and distribution qualifications based on industry standards.
• CRT365 Temperature-Controlled Packaging System Universal, year-round temperature-controlled packaging system designed to safely transport controlled room temperature pharmaceuticals (15°C to 25°C) for over 48 hours, meeting ISTA 7D winter and summer profile requirements.
• Essential PCM Phase change material products available at standardized temperatures (−10, 6, 18, 24, 32, 37°C) with energy storage of 175–225 J/g and 2-year shelf life.
• Bio-based PCM Bio-based phase change material reference product with thermal properties similar to ice (0°C, 330 J/g) for sustainable thermal applications.
• Panel Systems Polyurethane-based thermal regulation components with 100–150 J/g energy storage and 1-year shelf life for building and construction applications.
• MPCM (Microencapsulated PCM powders) Microencapsulated phase change material powders available across a broad temperature range for various thermal management applications.
• nextek (Aqueous PCM Emulsions) Aqueous PCM emulsions designed for coating and finishing processes.
• fibratek (PCM-functionalized fibers and nonwovens) PCM-functionalized fibers and nonwovens for textiles and apparel applications.
• vivtek (Bio-based Microencapsulated PCM) Bio-based microencapsulated PCM for sustainable thermal applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.5 cm of Micronal® PCM gypsum wallboard has thermal storage capacity comparable to approximately 9 cm of concrete or 12 cm of brick
• +2 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Alexium InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2025Alexium International acquired Microtek Laboratories from CAVU Group in December 2025. The acquisition expands Alexium's capabilities in phase change materials and microencapsulation, including manufacturing facilities, formulations, and IP. The combined entity aims to continue serving existing Microtek customers without interruption while strengthening market presence in the U.S.
• BASFflagshipTechnology or IntegrationMicronal® microencapsulated PCM was originally pioneered by BASF. Microtek now manufactures and offers Micronal® as part of its portfolio, including aqueous liquid dispersions and redispersible powders. The technology has been deployed in landmark projects including the Solar Decathlon house in Washington D.C. and commercial buildings across Europe.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Phase Change Energy Solutions (PCES): Direct peer specializing in microencapsulated PCM products (BioPCM) for building, cold chain, and apparel applications. Highly comparable technology stack and customer overlap.
• Outlast Technologies: Direct peer offering microencapsulated PCM originally co-developed with BASF for textiles, bedding, and apparel. Competes head-to-head with Microtek's fibratek and Micronal® lines.
• Climator Sweden AB: European PCM manufacturer supplying microencapsulated and bulk phase change materials for HVAC, cold chain, and building applications. Comparable technology offering and end-market overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Croda International: Large specialty chemicals incumbent with PCM-related encapsulation technology and a broad portfolio across life sciences and consumer care. A scaled competitor with deeper resources in regulated end-markets.
• Sonoco ThermoSafe: Established temperature-controlled packaging provider offering parcel shippers, pallet shippers, and PCM-based containers. Directly competes with Microtek's CRT365 product line for pharma cold chain.
• Pelican BioThermal: Major incumbent in temperature-controlled life-science packaging (Credo Cube, CoolGuard, etc.). Competes with Microtek's CRT365 in pharma distribution and last-mile cold chain.
• Cold Chain Technologies: Established US temperature-controlled packaging company serving pharmaceutical, biotech, and life-science logistics. Comparable customer base and reusable/insulated shipper product set.
• BASF: Original pioneer of Micronal® and a global specialty chemicals giant with deep R&D and distribution. Not a direct sales competitor today but the historical licensor/incumbent in formaldehyde-free microencapsulated PCM.
• Honeywell International: Diversified industrial conglomerate with specialty materials, advanced thermal management, and building-technologies portfolios. Indirect competitor in building PCM, electronics thermal interface, and aerospace thermal solutions.

Regional players

• va-Q-tec AG: Germany-based provider of high-performance vacuum insulation panels and PCM-based thermal packaging for pharmaceutical cold chain. Comparable pharma/cold-chain use cases, primarily European market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MicrotekLabs

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 Microtek Laboratories