Materials Data
Materials Data (MDI) develops hardware-agnostic X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) analysis software for materials science laboratories, universities, and research institutes worldwide. Its flagship JADE platform provides Rietveld quantification, pattern simulation, and cluster analysis for users on every continent.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersLivermore, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Materials Data does
Materials Data, Inc. (MDI), founded in 1987 and headquartered at 2551 Second Street in Livermore, California, develops X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) software applications used to collect, analyze, and simulate diffraction data for materials science projects. The company's flagship product, JADE, is a complete XRD analysis platform offering Whole Pattern Fitting, Rietveld quantification, pattern simulation, cluster analysis, and "One-Click Analysis" automation; the suite is supplemented by specialized modules including RIQAS (standalone Rietveld), RUBY (ab-initio structure solver), DataScan (hardware-controlled data collection via the proprietary DataBox interface), ClaySim (clay and 00l pattern analysis), and VXD (instrument-aware scanning optimization). A defining technical and commercial proposition is hardware independence: MDI does not sell diffractometers and its applications are designed to work across virtually every brand of XRD equipment, providing buyers with analysis output that is unbiased toward any specific instrument manufacturer.
MDI monetizes primarily through annual or on-demand software subscriptions to JADE and its modules, with multi-year and multi-seat licensing options available for team deployments. Training services represent a secondary revenue stream, delivered through individualized sessions at the Livermore headquarters, on-site engagements at customer facilities, and webinars. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the company has moved from a modular to an all-inclusive package structure, bundling all options, modules, and updates into a single subscription to maximize feature adoption per account.
The go-to-market motion is sales-led and direct: MDI sells to XRD laboratories, university research groups, and government and private research institutes worldwide, supported by a network of core technology integrations with reference databases (ICDD PDF-4 and AMCSD). The company is privately held, operates from a single U.S. location, has no disclosed parent company, no institutional funding rounds, no headcount disclosure, and no announced M&A activity; ownership commentary points to founder and management control, with three decades of operation cited as the primary evidence of business durability.
Materials Data firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Materials Data
- Legal name
- Materials Data, Inc.
- Website
- https://materialsdata.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Materials Data (MDI) develops hardware-agnostic X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) analysis software for materials science laboratories, universities, and research institutes worldwide. Its flagship JADE platform provides Rietveld quantification, pattern simulation, and cluster analysis for users on every continent.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Materials Data industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scientific Software (X-Ray Diffraction Analysis)
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- CT/X-ray & Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) for AM Parts (IMAAAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Inspection, Checkweighing & Detection Systems (Vision, Metal, X-ray) (IMALAOAH)
Keywords
Where Materials Data is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Livermore
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Materials Data business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- XRD Software Licenses: Annual and on-demand software licenses for JADE and other XRD applications with multi-seat and multi-year licensing options. Includes all options and modules in the all-inclusive package.
- Training Services: Individualized training at Livermore, California location. On-site training available upon request. Also offers webinars.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | All-Inclusive JADE Package |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Materials Data product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MDI develops and sells X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) software applications used by materials scientists to collect, analyze, and simulate XRD data. Their flagship product JADE provides complete XRD analysis including Whole Pattern Fitting, Rietveld quantification, and pattern simulation. The software is hardware-agnostic, working with virtually every brand of diffractometer on the market.
Product overview
Materials Data (MDI) provides a comprehensive suite of X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) software applications for collecting, analyzing, simulating, and characterizing materials. The product portfolio centers on JADE as the flagship complete XRD analysis platform, supplemented by specialized modules including RIQAS (Rietveld analysis), RUBY (ab-initio structure solving), DataScan (data collection), ClaySim (clay/00l pattern analysis), and VXD (advanced scanning). All applications are hardware-independent and designed to work with data from virtually every brand of XRD equipment. The company operates on a single-focus business model, exclusively developing XRD software without selling hardware, ensuring unbiased analytical results.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- JADE: Complete XRD Analysis software with whole pattern fitting, Rietveld quantification, simulation, visualization, and cluster analysis.
- RIQAS
- RUBY
- DataScan
- ClaySim
- VXD
Products and services
- JADE Flagship X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) analysis software providing complete XRD analysis including Whole Pattern Fitting, Rietveld quantification, pattern simulation, cluster analysis, one-click analysis, and pattern processing tools. Designed for materials scientists and crystallographers using any brand of diffractometer.
- RIQAS Rietveld quantitative analysis software for advanced Rietveld refinement and quantification of XRD data. Designed for materials characterization labs and research institutes performing quantitative phase analysis.
- RUBY Ab-initio structure solution software for determining crystal structures from powder diffraction data. Designed for crystallographers and structural chemists.
- DataScan XRD data collection software that interfaces with diffractometer instruments to collect powder diffraction data. Designed for XRD labs and research facilities using various diffractometer brands.
- ClaySim Clay mineral analysis and simulation software for identifying and characterizing clay minerals using XRD patterns. Designed for mineralogists, geologists, and materials scientists working with clay specimens.
- VXD Variable X-ray divergence software that improves XRD scanning of low-background sample holders. Designed for materials characterization labs requiring optimized data collection from specialized sample geometries.
- MDI Training and Consulting Training programs and consulting services including on-site training and webinars delivered by XRD scientists to support customers using MDI software products. Designed for new users, lab onboarding, and advanced technique development.
Quantifiable outcome
- Results often better than those an experienced analyst could report, completed in a more timely manner
Companies that use Materials Data
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Materials Data technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature7 records
Materials Data partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- ICDD (International Centre for Diffraction Data)coreICDD provides the PDF-4 database which MDI integrates into JADE software. JADE users can install updated ICDD PDF-4 databases annually through the database setup in the software. This is a core integration that enables phase identification in XRD analysis.
- AMCSD (American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database)coreAMCSD database is pre-installed with JADE 2010 and available for download through Jade (HELP > Run Programs > Download AMCSD). This database integration supports crystal structure analysis in XRD applications.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Materials Data competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Agilent Technologies: Agilent is a major analytical instrument manufacturer offering X-ray diffraction and broader materials characterization solutions alongside software tools. Comparable to MDI in targeting materials science labs and research institutions, but as a broad-line incumbent with software typically bundled to installed hardware.
- Bruker AXS: Bruker is a major manufacturer of X-ray diffraction instrumentation (D8 ADVANCE, D8 DISCOVER) and bundles proprietary analysis software (DIFFRAC.SUITE) with its hardware. Comparable to MDI as an XRD analytical solutions provider, though Bruker is a vertically integrated hardware-first incumbent whose software is optimized for its own instruments, whereas MDI is hardware-agnostic.
- Rigaku Corporation: Rigaku is a leading global XRD instrument manufacturer (SmartLab, MiniFlex, Ultima IV) and offers its own integrated analysis software (SmartLab Studio, PDXL). Comparable to MDI as an XRD analytics provider serving similar labs and research institutes, but positions as a hardware-led competitor whose software is part of the bundled instrument offering.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher Scientific is a global analytical instruments leader offering XRD, XRF, and a wide range of materials characterization solutions through its XRD business and broader portfolio. Comparable to MDI as a materials science analytical solutions provider, but operates at massive scale with hardware-bundled software as one of many product lines.
- Shimadzu Corporation: Shimadzu manufactures XRD systems (XRD-7000, XRD-6100) and offers companion analytical software for materials analysis. Comparable to MDI as an XRD solutions provider targeting similar research and industrial customer segments, but operates as a broader analytical instrument incumbent with software bundled to its hardware.
- Malvern Panalytical (Spectris): Malvern Panalytical (formerly PANalytical) is a major XRD and X-ray fluorescence instrumentation vendor (Empyrean, X'Pert³) with its own analytical software (HighScore Plus). Comparable to MDI in serving materials characterization labs, universities, and research institutes, but competes as a vertically integrated hardware-plus-software incumbent.
Others
- Coherent Corp. Coherent (formerly II-VI) supplies X-ray optics, sources, and components used in diffractometers and analytical instruments. Comparable to MDI in the broader XRD ecosystem as an enabling supplier, but positioned upstream in the value chain rather than competing directly in analytical software.
- ICDD (International Centre for Diffraction Data): ICDD curates the Powder Diffraction File (PDF-4), the reference diffraction database used globally for phase identification. It is a core data supplier that MDI integrates into JADE, making it an ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor; the two are partners, but ICDD's database is the industry standard around which all XRD analysis software (including MDI's) is built.
Direct peers
- Renishaw plc: Renishaw is a precision measurement and analytical instrumentation company best known for Raman spectroscopy but with growing XRD and materials characterization offerings. Comparable to MDI as a developer of specialized analytical software for materials characterization, particularly in research and academic settings.
Regional players
- STOE & Cie GmbH: STOE is a German manufacturer of X-ray powder diffraction and single-crystal diffraction systems with its own data analysis software. Comparable to MDI as a specialized XRD hardware-plus-software vendor, but primarily focused on the European and academic research markets with a vertically integrated, hardware-led model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Materials Data social profiles
Digital presenceMaterials Data financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Materials Data leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Materials Data funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Materials Data 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 Materials Data
What does Materials Data do?
MDI develops and sells X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) software applications used by materials scientists to collect, analyze, and simulate XRD data. Their flagship product JADE provides complete XRD analysis including Whole Pattern Fitting, Rietveld quantification, and pattern simulation. The software is hardware-agnostic, working with virtually every brand of diffractometer on the market.
Is Materials Data a public or private company?
Materials Data is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Materials Data founded?
Materials Data was founded in 1987. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Materials Data based?
Materials Data is headquartered in Livermore, United States, in the North America region.
How does Materials Data make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. XRD Software Licenses are the primary driver. The others are training Services.
Who are Materials Data's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Agilent Technologies, Bruker AXS, Rigaku Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Shimadzu Corporation and Malvern Panalytical (Spectris). Others are Coherent Corp. and ICDD (International Centre for Diffraction Data). Renishaw plc is listed as a direct peer. STOE & Cie GmbH is listed as a regional player.
Does Materials Data have an API?
No public API is recorded for Materials Data.
What industry is Materials Data in?
Materials Data's product category is Scientific Software (X-Ray Diffraction Analysis). Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAAAHAG, CT/X-ray & Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) for AM Parts, with a secondary code of IMALAOAH, Inspection, Checkweighing & Detection Systems (Vision, Metal, X-ray). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.