Cerakote

What Cerakote does

Cerakote is a division of NIC Industries, founded in 1984 and headquartered in White City, Oregon, that develops and manufactures thin-film ceramic polymer coatings sold under the registered Cerakote brand. The company's core technology is a proprietary ceramic-polymer chemistry deployed across multiple product series: E Series (Elite oven cure, highest-performance), F Series (PFAS-Free fast-cure oven coatings, 15-minute cure at 250°F), H Series (oven cure, 100+ colors), C Series (air cure up to 1,800°F), V Series (oven cure, up to 1,700°F), Performance Clears, and specialty coatings including DFL-200 Dry Film Lubricant, Gen II NIR Signature Management, and LR-200 Ultra-Low Reflective Coating. Documented performance includes 330x corrosion protection versus PVD, 4,000+ hour salt fog resistance, 9H pencil hardness, 5B adhesion rating, 160 inch-lbs impact strength, Delta E ≤1 color consistency, and weight reductions of 80–100 grams versus powder coat on bicycle frames.

The company sells through four channels: direct e-commerce at cerakote.com (coatings, kits, swatch sets, equipment, apparel), a global certified applicator network searchable via Find Applicator, authorized international distributors across eight countries (UK, Germany, Austria, Sweden, France, Hong Kong, Canada, Brazil) with satellite training facilities, and direct B2B OEM engagement including expedited and on-site training for high-volume manufacturers. Revenue is generated from one-time product sales (4oz bottles standardized at $35; Pro Kits ranging from $450 to $1,695), recurring consumables through certified applicators (who receive 30% off 4oz bottles and 20% off equipment), certified applicator training ($2,500 per person, with volume discounts), specialized Laser Imaging training, custom color blending via Mixology, and branded merchandise. Named customers span firearms (Sig Sauer, Glock, Canik, Daniel Defense, Ruger, Beretta, CZ), aerospace and space (Fisher Space Pen with Axiom Space, Blue Origin, SpaceX, Virgin Galactic partnerships), golf (Scotty Cameron), fishing (PENN, OKUMA), and adjacent verticals including automotive, marine, medical devices, oil and gas, 3D printing, bicycles, archery, kitchen and bath, fitness equipment, electronics, and restoration. The company holds ASTM compliance certifications (D610, D3363, D3359, D2794), VOC compliance across all 50 states, PFAS-Free certification on F Series and DFL-200, and an ATF ruling classifying application as a gunsmithing activity.

Name

Cerakote

Legal name

NIC Industries

Website

https://cerakote.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cerakote is a NIC Industries division that develops and manufactures thin-film ceramic polymer coatings across E, F, H, C, and V series, serving automotive, firearms, aerospace, defense, marine, medical, and consumer markets through direct e-commerce, a global certified applicator network, and OEM partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Ceramic Coatings

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

Keywords

• Ceramic coatings
• Thin-film coatings
• Firearm coatings
• High-temperature coatings
• Industrial coatings

Headquarters

HQ city

White City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coating Products Sales: Direct sales of ceramic coating products in various series (E, F, H, C, V) to consumers, applicators, and manufacturers. Individual coatings priced at $35.00/ea with various kit configurations available.
2. Starter and Pro Kits: Pre-configured kits for beginners (starter kits $179.95-$199.95) and professionals (pro kits $450-$1,695) containing coatings and essential application equipment.
3. Swatch Sets and Samples: Color swatch sets for customers to evaluate finishes before bulk purchase, ranging from $21.80 to $449.95 depending on set size and coverage.
4. Training and Certification: Revenue from certified applicator training programs at $2,500 per person, with discounts for multiple attendees ($4,400 for two, $5,700 for three). Includes benefits like free shipping and equipment discounts.
5. Laser Imaging Training: Specialized two-day laser imaging training for certified applicators to learn the proprietary Cerakote Laser Imaging process and multi-layer ablation techniques.
6. Apparel and Merchandise: Branded merchandise including apparel ($19.95-$49.95), stickers ($3.00), and accessories for customer engagement and brand building.
7. Application Equipment: Sales of application equipment including spray guns, curing equipment, masking supplies, mixing tools, and laser fixtures for Glock, SIG Sauer, and 1911 platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cerakote manufactures and sells a portfolio of thin-film ceramic polymer coatings across multiple product series (E, F, H, C, V) for firearms, automotive, aerospace, defense, marine, and industrial applications. The company also sells application equipment, starter and pro kits, swatch sets, branded apparel, and provides certified applicator training and laser imaging training programs through direct e-commerce, certified applicator network, and OEM direct sales channels.

Product overview

Cerakote is a global leader in thin-film ceramic coating technology, offering a comprehensive portfolio of coating products and services. The core product lineup consists of multiple ceramic coating series: F Series (PFAS-Free, fast-cure oven coatings), E Series/Elite (highest-performance oven cure), H Series (over 100 colors, flexible ceramic-polymer), C Series (high-temp air cure up to 1800°F), V Series (ultra-high temp up to 1700°F), Performance Clears, and Specialty Coatings (including Super Grip, NIR signature management, dielectric coatings). Supporting products include the DFL-200 Dry Film Lubricant (PFAS-Free), Swatch Sets for color preview, Starter Kits and Pro Kits for different experience levels, Mixology custom color blending service, application equipment, and Auto Care consumer products. The company also provides certified applicator training, laser imaging training, and operates a Project Gallery community platform. Signature Management products like Gen II NIR and LR-200 serve aerospace and defense applications. Cerakote serves industries including automotive, firearms, aerospace, archery, bicycles, defense, electronics/audio, fishing, fitness equipment, industrial/oil & gas, kitchen & bath, marine, medical devices, and 3D printing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cerakote: World leader in thin-film ceramic coating technology providing high-performance coatings for automotive, firearms, aerospace, and industrial applications.
• Cerakote Mixology
• Cerakote Laser Imaging
• Cerakote Signature Management

Products and services

• F Series - Oven Cure Coatings PFAS-Free ceramic-polymer thin film coatings that cure in 15 minutes at 250°F, engineered for manufacturing and high-volume production with unmatched corrosion, chemical, and durability performance. Common uses include automotive, firearms, aerospace, knives, eyewear, consumer electronics, wearables, and saltwater applications.
• E Series (Elite) - Oven Cure Coatings

Quantifiable outcome

• 330x corrosion protection compared to PVD in salt chamber testing, exceeding military standards by over 40x
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments14 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and minor.

• Fisher Space PennotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2025Fisher Space Pen selected Cerakote's Graphite Black coating for their AG7 Space Pen featuring Gold Titanium Nitride accents. The pen was originally designed for NASA's Apollo missions and is engineered for extreme conditions. Fisher Space Pen partners with Axiom Space, Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic for aerospace applications.
• NIC IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIC Industries is the parent company of Cerakote and operates from headquarters in White City, Oregon. Cerakote.com and all Cerakote operations are part of NIC Industries.
• Prismatic PowdersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRelated NIC Industries brand focused on powder coatings, cross-referenced in Cerakote footer as another division under the same parent company.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Line-X: Line-X is a spray-on protective coatings franchise specializing in truck bedliners and industrial coatings with a certified-applicator network model. It is comparable to Cerakote in business model (proprietary coating + certified applicator franchise serving automotive, industrial, and consumer markets).
• Rhino Linings: Rhino Linings is a global spray-on protective coatings company with a similar franchise/applicator model and customer base in automotive, industrial, and defense. It competes for the same protective-coating applications where Cerakote positions itself for impact and abrasion resistance.
• Prismatic Powders: Prismatic Powders is a sister brand of Cerakote under NIC Industries, focused on powder coatings. It is the most directly comparable peer because it shares parent ownership, customer overlap, and competes for the same firearms/automotive/industrial finishing spend, differing primarily in application technology (powder vs. thin-film ceramic).

Broad incumbents

• Axalta Coating Systems: Axalta is a global performance and transportation coatings company with strong presence in automotive refinish and industrial coatings. Its product range and global distribution make it a direct broad-incumbent comparator for Cerakote's automotive and industrial segments.
• Hempel: Hempel is a global protective and marine coatings specialist serving oil & gas, marine, and industrial customers. It is comparable to Cerakote as an incumbent in corrosion-protection coatings for marine, oil & gas, and heavy industrial end markets.
• Sherwin-Williams: Sherwin-Williams is the largest U.S. paints and coatings company, with a substantial industrial and protective coatings business. It competes with Cerakote at the architectural/industrial interface and is a key broad-incumbent comparator for any premium thin-film push into larger commercial accounts.
• PPG Industries: PPG is a global paints and coatings incumbent with a large industrial and protective coatings portfolio that overlaps with Cerakote in automotive, aerospace, and industrial finishing. As a much larger player with broader distribution, PPG is the principal broad-incumbent threat Cerakote faces as the thin-film ceramic category scales.
• AkzoNobel: AkzoNobel is a major global paints and coatings manufacturer with industrial, automotive, and specialty coatings lines. It is a relevant broad-incumbent peer given Cerakote's international expansion (UK, Germany, Sweden, France) where AkzoNobel has dominant distribution.
• DuPont (Specialty Coatings): DuPont's specialty coatings portfolio includes industrial protective and high-performance coatings serving aerospace, automotive, and electronics. It is a relevant broad-incumbent peer given overlap with Cerakote's aerospace, electronics/audio, and automotive OEM customers.

Emerging players

• Whitford Corporation (PPG): Whitford, now part of PPG, manufactures fluoropolymer and high-performance coatings (including Xylan, which Cerakote benchmarks against). It is an emerging/adjacent competitor Cerakote explicitly differentiates against in its marketing materials on salt-fog corrosion performance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Cerakote
• Xx.com/cerakotefinish

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cerakote