What QTEK does

QTEK LLC is a privately held specialty materials company founded in 2009 and headquartered in Chassell, Michigan. The company develops and markets Surfion®, a copper-based antimicrobial additive that uses natural minerals as a host material treated with ionic copper to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold, mildew, and fungus. Surfion® carries U.S. EPA registration and is protected by a U.S. invention patent; the company also holds the Surfion® trademark. The additive is designed to be compounded into plastics, coatings, films, laminates, adhesives, sealants, rubbers, fibers, and wood products without altering the host material's properties, and a proprietary slow-release mechanism is intended to provide antimicrobial protection across the lifecycle of the finished good.

The company targets manufacturers and OEMs in four principal verticals — healthcare and medical devices, construction and building materials, consumer goods, and public facilities (transit, hospitality, schools, offices) — selling Surfion® either as an input into the customer's manufacturing process or for surface treatment. The only disclosed capital event is a $150,000 National Science Foundation award in 2014, and headcount is reported in the 1-10 range. The firm maintains a bilingual English/Chinese website, suggesting an intent to reach Chinese-speaking manufacturers or distributors, and offers ancillary technical solutions and training for materials analysis, processing, and design alongside the additive itself.

QTEK's commercial model is direct, contact-based B2B sales: prospective buyers reach the company by phone or email to request samples, pricing, and technical consultation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, no distributors, channel partners, or named anchor customers are referenced, and there is no evidence of recurring licensing, subscription, or volume-based agreements. The combined profile — single core product platform, micro-employee count, no disclosed revenue, no follow-on funding, and a direct sales motion — is consistent with a niche specialty chemicals business at early commercial scale rather than a venture-backed growth company.

Name

QTEK

Legal name

QTEK LLC

Website

https://qtekllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

QTEK LLC is a Michigan-based specialty materials company that develops Surfion®, an EPA-registered, copper-based antimicrobial additive for integration into plastics, coatings, films, and similar materials. It sells directly to manufacturers serving healthcare, construction, consumer goods, and public-facility applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Antimicrobial Additives for Industrial Materials

NAICS

Surface Active Agent Manufacturing (325613)

SIC

Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Surfactants & Performance Additives (IMAEABAL)

Keywords

• Antimicrobial additives
• Copper-based materials
• Industrial coatings chemistry
• Surface treatment technology
• EPA registered biocides

Headquarters

HQ city

Chassell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Antimicrobial Additive Sales (Surfion®): Sale of proprietary Surfion® copper-based antimicrobial additive products to manufacturers and companies. The additive is sold for integration into various materials during production or surface treatment processes.
2. Technical Solutions and Consulting Services: Technical solutions and training for materials analysis, processing, and design. Provides comprehensive technical support for customers integrating antimicrobial additives into their products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

QTEK develops and sells Surfion®, a copper-based antimicrobial additive that uses natural minerals as host material to inhibit bacteria, mold, mildew, and fungus. The additive is integrated into plastics, coatings, films, laminates, adhesives, sealants, rubbers, fibers, and wood products during manufacturing, providing long-lasting antimicrobial protection throughout the product lifecycle. The company also provides technical solutions and training for materials analysis, processing, and design.

Product overview

QTEK's product portfolio centers on Surfion®, a copper-based antimicrobial additive technology. The company also provides technical solutions and training services for materials analysis, processing, and design. Surfion® is the core commercial product—a U.S. EPA registered antimicrobial additive that can be integrated into various materials including plastics, coatings, films, adhesives, sealants, rubbers, fibers, and wood products to provide antimicrobial protection throughout the product lifecycle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Surfion: QTEK's key offering, Surfion, is a copper-based antimicrobial additive that inhibits the growth of non-public health related microorganisms such as bacteria, mold, mildew, and fungus. It utilizes natural minerals as a host material which can be easily added into plastics, coatings, films and laminates, adhesives, sealants, rubbers, fibers, and wood products. Surfion is U.S. EPA registered.

Products and services

• Surfion® Antimicrobial Additive Surfion® is a copper-based antimicrobial additive that uses natural minerals as a host material treated with ionic metals (copper) to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold, mildew, and fungus. It is sold to manufacturers and integrated into plastics, coatings, films, laminates, adhesives, sealants, rubbers, fibers, and wood products during production or surface treatment without affecting the host material's properties, providing long-lasting antimicrobial protection throughout the product lifecycle. The product is U.S. EPA registered.
• Technical Solutions and Training Services

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• BASF: BASF is one of the world's largest chemical companies offering antimicrobial actives and performance additives across multiple industries. While antimicrobial additives are a small slice of its portfolio, its scale, global reach, and integrated technical service model set the benchmark QTEK competes against for major OEM accounts.
• Lonza (Microbial Control): Lonza's Microbial Control division (including the legacy Dow Chemical portfolio) is a broad incumbent offering industrial antimicrobial and preservation chemicals across multiple chemistries. While not exclusively focused on copper-based additives, it competes with QTEK in serving large industrial accounts with established regulatory dossiers.

Direct peers

• Microban International: Microban International is a global leader in antimicrobial additives and odor-control technologies integrated into polymers, coatings, and textiles. It is the most direct competitor to QTEK's Surfion® offering, serving the same OEM customer base across healthcare, consumer, and building product verticals.
• SANITIZED AG: SANITIZED AG is a Swiss specialty chemical company offering antimicrobial and hygiene function additives for polymers, textiles, and coatings. It is a direct peer to QTEK, addressing the same OEM customers with comparable additive functionality and regulatory positioning.
• BioCote: BioCote is a UK-based provider of antimicrobial additives for plastics, coatings, and consumer products. It competes directly with Surfion® in the European and global markets with silver-ion technology and serves overlapping verticals including healthcare, building products, and consumer goods.
• Sciessent (formerly Agion): Sciessent provides ionic silver and other antimicrobial technologies for textiles, medical devices, and industrial applications. It directly competes with QTEK in the metal-ion antimicrobial additive space with a similar value proposition of built-in, long-lasting microbial protection.
• Addmaster (Wabash Group): Addmaster supplies antimicrobial additives under the Biomaster brand for plastics, coatings, and textiles. It directly competes with Surfion® in the silver-ion antimicrobial space, targeting similar customer applications in healthcare, public facilities, and consumer goods.

Emerging players

• Nolla Antimicrobial: Nolla Antimicrobial is a Finnish startup developing polymer-based antimicrobial technology without heavy metals. It is an emerging player in the broader antimicrobial additive category that competes for the same OEM design-in opportunities as QTEK in personal care and consumer applications.
• Parx Materials: Parx Materials develops antimicrobial polymer and surface technologies using a non-heavy-metal, biocompatible approach. While its mechanism differs from QTEK's copper-based platform, it targets the same OEMs seeking antimicrobial functionality in plastics and coatings, representing an emerging alternative.
• SteriTouch: SteriTouch is a UK-based emerging player offering antimicrobial and antibacterial additives for plastics, coatings, and electronics. It overlaps with QTEK's Surfion® in target applications but focuses on silver-ion technology, representing a comparable niche competitor rather than a full-scale direct rival.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 QTEK