What Matrix Plastics does

Matrix Plastics Ltd is a UK-based colour compounding and masterbatch manufacturer founded in 1991 and headquartered in Slough, Berkshire. Operating across 35,000 sq.ft. of purpose-built facilities, the company runs 10 manufacturing lines with 12,000 tonnes of annual capacity on a 24/7 basis and employs over 70 people. It produces custom colour compounds and masterbatch formulations (containing up to 80% colourants) for plastics manufacturers across five primary verticals — medical and healthcare, automotive, packaging, consumer goods, and construction — with order sizes ranging from 1kg prototyping runs to full truck-load production. The business operates three brands: the core Matrix Plastics colour compounding line, Matrix Colour Systems at a Billericay operations site, and Matrix Medical Plastics, a wholly-owned subsidiary established in October 2020 as the UK's first cleanroom plastic compounding facility.

The technology stack centres on advanced extrusion and blending for colour compounding, with a separate ISO Class 7/9 cleanroom operation and a KraussMaffei all-electric injection moulding machine supporting medical device R&D. Matrix Medical Plastics achieved ISO 13485:2016 certification in November 2023 and operates to ISO 10993-1:2018, USP Class VI, and WHO/FDA GMP standards, supplying biocompatible, traceable materials for medical devices, diagnostics, and life-science products. The broader product portfolio spans specialty polymer additives (UV stabilisers, antimicrobials, impact modifiers), NIR-detectable masterbatches for recycling compliance (PET, PP, PE), a 1-hour colour match service, N-Lase Desktop Pro laser marking, and a dedicated decant and repackaging service. The company holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications and has been independently recognised through the Plastics Industry Awards 2025 (Materials Innovation) and the 2021 SEGRO Billboard Winner award.

The business model is direct B2B manufacturing sales with quote-based, pay-as-you-go pricing on custom formulations tailored to exact customer specifications across a broad polymer portfolio (ABS, POM, ASA, PBT, Polycarbonate, PC/ABS, PMMA, PA, PP, PS, TPE). Distribution is direct from UK facilities to a worldwide customer base through a sales-led motion, with no intermediaries, public pricing, or disclosed subscription or licensing streams. The company is privately held by founder and Managing Director Nigel Batt, with Nigel Hayes appointed as Non-Executive Director in February 2026 to lead the strategic growth of the medical division across the UK and Europe. No external venture capital or private equity investment is disclosed, indicating an organically funded, bootstrapped growth trajectory over more than three decades.

Name

Matrix Plastics

Legal name

Matrix Plastics Ltd

Website

https://matrix-plastics.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Matrix Plastics Ltd is a UK-based colour compounding and masterbatch manufacturer founded in 1991, producing custom colour compounds and masterbatch for plastics manufacturers across medical, automotive, packaging, and consumer goods industries worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Polymer Compounding and Masterbatch Manufacturing

NAICS

Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261)

SIC

Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820)

akta.pro primary industry

Commodity Plastic Compounds (PE/PP/PS/PVC) (IMANABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bioplastics & Sustainable Plastics (Bio-based/Compostable Polymers) (IMANAOAC)

Keywords

• Colour compounding
• Polymer masterbatch
• Medical compounding
• Polymer additives
• Cleanroom manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Slough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Colour Compound Sales: Custom colour compounds manufactured and sold directly to plastics manufacturers. Compounds are formulated to exact performance, processing and aesthetic requirements with ready-to-use materials offering colour consistency and processing stability.
2. Colour Masterbatch Sales: Concentrated colour pellets sold for use in injection moulding, extrusion and blow-moulding processes. Available as polymer-specific or universal masterbatch formulations.
3. Medical Masterbatch Services: ISO 13485 compliant medical-grade colour compounding and masterbatch services for medical device manufacturers with dedicated cleanroom facilities.
4. R&D and Development Services: Research and development support including material selection, modified formulations, additives development, cleanroom injection moulding, and full reporting for customer projects.
5. Decant and Repackaging Services: Dedicated machinery for decanting bulk packaging (1000+kg big bags, octabins) into custom packaging options from 15-25kg bags to 1250kg octabins.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Matrix Plastics is a UK-based polymer manufacturer that produces custom colour compounds and colour masterbatches for plastics manufacturers worldwide, operating 10 production lines with 24/7 manufacturing and 12,000T annual capacity. Through its Matrix Medical Plastics division, the company provides ISO 13485-certified medical-grade colour compounding and masterbatches from a dedicated cleanroom (ISO Class 7/9) facility for medical device manufacturers. It also offers specialty polymer additives, NIR-detectable masterbatches for recycling, R&D services, laser marking, and material handling including decant and repackaging.

Product overview

Matrix Plastics is a UK-based colour compounding and masterbatch manufacturer operating since 1991, with over 30 years of experience. The company operates two main divisions: Matrix Plastics (colour compounds and masterbatch) and Matrix Medical Plastics (ISO 13485:2016 certified medical compounding subsidiary). Core products include custom colour compounds, colour masterbatch, and medical masterbatch. The product portfolio also includes specialty polymer additives (UV stabilisers, antimicrobials, impact modifiers), NIR-detectable masterbatches for recycling, laser marking services, and material handling services (analysis, blending, packaging, decant/repackaging). R&D services support customers from concept to production with cleanroom injection moulding capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Colour Compounds Custom colour compounds formulated to meet exact performance, processing and aesthetic requirements using advanced extrusion and blending technology; delivers uniformity, stability and long-term performance for plastics manufacturers, available from 1kg prototyping batches to full truck load volumes.
• Colour Masterbatch Bespoke colour masterbatch formulations containing up to 80% colourants, delivering precise colour matching and optimal dispersion for injection moulding, extrusion and blow-moulding processes; available as polymer-specific or universal masterbatches.
• Matrix Medical Plastics (Medical Grade Compounding & Masterbatch) ISO 13485:2016 certified medical-grade colour compounding and masterbatch services produced in a purpose-built ISO Class 7/9 cleanroom facility, supplying biocompatible, fully traceable materials for medical devices, diagnostics, drug delivery systems, surgical equipment, ventilation equipment and life-science products.
• Specialty Polymer Additives Wide range of specialty polymer additives including UV stabilisers, mould releasers, anti-statics, blowing agents, impact modifiers, odour control masterbatches, antivirals, biocides and antimicrobials, sourced and processed to provide additional material properties beyond colour.
• NIR-Detectable Masterbatches Black and silver masterbatches and compounds compatible with near-infrared (NIR) recycling technology, available for PET, PP and PE polymers; supports producers in increasing recycling output and reducing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees.
• Laser Marking Services Laser marking service using an N-Lase Desktop Pro with 20W-50W MOPA fibre laser source, capable of marking product codes, serial numbers and batch numbers on metals, plastics, anodised or coated materials with a 100mm x 100mm marking area.
• Decant and Repackaging Services Dedicated machinery to decant bulk packaging (1000+kg big bags, bottom discharge octabins) into custom packaging options ranging from 15-25kg valve bags to 1250kg octabins; also includes material specification analysis and on-site blending.
• Research and Development Services In-house R&D support including material selection, modified formulations, additives development, innovative colour development and cleanroom injection moulding using KraussMaffei equipment; no minimum order quantities, supports projects from concept to full-scale production.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,000T annual production capacity across 10 manufacturing lines
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• KraussMaffeicoreTechnology or Integration · 15 March 2023KraussMaffei supplied all-electric injection moulding machine upgrade for Matrix Medical Plastics cleanroom facility. This partnership enabled comprehensive medical device research and development capabilities and supports innovation for engineers and designers of new medical devices. KraussMaffei is one of the world's leading manufacturers of machines for producing and processing plastics and rubber.
• Leading Polymer ProducerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatrix Plastics works with many leading polymer producers who produce innovative bioplastic solutions. The company provides in-house technical expertise to support sustainability projects involving bioplastics and sustainable compounding solutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Broad incumbents

• Clariant: Global specialty chemicals major with a large ColorWorks masterbatch and colour compounding business serving packaging, consumer goods, automotive and healthcare. Comparable to Matrix Plastics as a direct masterbatch competitor, but at vastly greater scale, broader polymer coverage, and global manufacturing footprint.
• Ampacet: One of the world's largest independent masterbatch producers, offering colour, additive, and speciality masterbatches for flexible and rigid packaging, healthcare, and automotive. Direct competitor to Matrix Plastics in colour and additive masterbatches, with global production scale.
• Avient: Speciality formulator (formerly PolyOne) with a substantial Colorant Chromatics and healthcare-grade masterbatch portfolio serving medical devices, packaging and consumer goods. Comparable to Matrix Plastics' medical compounding and colour masterbatch lines, with significantly larger resources and a global commercial network.
• Cabot Corporation: Global speciality chemicals and performance materials company with a leading carbon black masterbatch business used in packaging, automotive and industrial plastics. Comparable to Matrix Plastics in masterbatch technology and customer base, particularly in black and NIR-detectable formulations for recycling.

Direct peers

• Tosaf: Israel-headquartered masterbatch and compound producer with strong colour, additive and white masterbatch lines for packaging, automotive and agricultural films. Closely comparable to Matrix Plastics in product mix (colour compounds, masterbatches, speciality additives) and customer verticals, with a similar mid-size European footprint.
• Hubron: UK-based speciality black and white masterbatch manufacturer serving packaging, fibres, and industrial applications. Comparable to Matrix Plastics as a UK masterbatch peer competing for similar polymer converter customers, with overlapping additive and colour capabilities.
• Silvergate Plastics: UK-based custom colour masterbatch and compound manufacturer serving packaging, construction and consumer products. Directly comparable to Matrix Plastics' core colour compounding and masterbatch business, with similar size, geography, and B2B converter customer base.
• Broadway Colours: UK-based colour masterbatch and compound producer focused on custom colour and additive solutions for plastics converters. Closely comparable to Matrix Plastics in service offering (custom colour, short runs, fast turnaround) and primary customer verticals (packaging, consumer goods).
• Plastika Kritis: European masterbatch and compound manufacturer (Greece-headquartered) producing colour, white, black and additive masterbatches for films, packaging and agricultural applications. Comparable to Matrix Plastics in polymer coverage and product mix, with a similar focus on speciality rather than commodity masterbatches.
• Grafe: German colour and additive masterbatch producer serving automotive, packaging, and technical plastics. Comparable to Matrix Plastics in custom colour and additive compounding, with particular overlap in automotive and engineering polymer applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MatrixPlastics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/21496673

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Matrix Plastics