Institute of Materials
Institute of Materials is a privately held database company founded in 1984 that provides subscription-based access to a proprietary archive of engine oil data, serving technical and industrial professionals in automotive R&D, materials testing, quality control, and compliance verification.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersMidland, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Institute of Materials does
Institute of Materials, Inc. is a privately held, for-profit data services company founded in 1984 and headquartered at 4800 James Savage Road, Midland, Michigan. The company operates a specialized database that provides reliable, unbiased data on engine oils, positioning itself as 'The World's Source for Engine Oil Data.' Its core offerings are the Access Oil Data service — a data access platform providing comprehensive engine oil data and analysis for automotive and industrial applications — and the Classic Archive, a proprietary historical database containing engine oil data and related materials science information used for research and reference purposes.
The underlying technology is a web-based digital archive and data access system. Full access requires user registration, suggesting a classic archive architecture gated by a membership layer. The company does not expose a public API, has no SDK, and shows no evidence of AI/ML capabilities or modern data-product interfaces such as MCP integrations. The technology stack appears deliberately minimal, focused on reliable reference data delivery rather than interactive analytics.
The business model is a registration-based subscription/membership structure with annual billing cadence and quote-based pricing (not publicly disclosed). Customer acquisition is product-led through the company website, where new users self-register to gain full access. The target customer base is horizontal — technical professionals, engineers, and organizations requiring specialized engine oil data for materials testing, R&D, quality control, and compliance verification. The company operates as a member of the Savant Group, a corporate umbrella that also includes Savant Labs, Tannas Co., King Refrigeration, and Excell Manufacturing, sharing resources within an integrated materials testing and analysis ecosystem.
Institute of Materials firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Institute of Materials
- Legal name
- Institute of Materials, Inc.
- Website
- https://instituteofmaterials.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Institute of Materials is a privately held database company founded in 1984 that provides subscription-based access to a proprietary archive of engine oil data, serving technical and industrial professionals in automotive R&D, materials testing, quality control, and compliance verification.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Institute of Materials industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Engine Oil Data Database
- NAICS
- Mining and Oil and Gas Field Machinery Manufacturing (33313)
- SIC
- Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Oilfield & Refining Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Third-Party Certification, Code Compliance & Regulatory Inspection (ASME/API/ISO) (EUAEAHAN)
Keywords
Where Institute of Materials is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Midland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Institute of Materials business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Data Access Membership: The company operates on a membership/subscription model requiring registration for full data access. Users must register to access the complete archive of engine oil data, indicating a recurring revenue structure through annual or multi-year memberships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Full membership access with registration |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Institute of Materials product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Institute of Materials operates a specialized database service providing comprehensive, authoritative engine oil data and related materials science information. Customers access the platform through a registration-based membership model to retrieve engine oil specifications, historical records, and analytical data for automotive and industrial use cases. The company positions itself as "The World's Source for Engine Oil Data" and operates as one of five entities within the Savant Group corporate family.
Product overview
Institute of Materials offers a unified data platform focused on engine oil data and materials science information. The primary offerings are the Access Oil Data service and the Classic Archive database, both of which provide engine oil data to automotive and industrial customers. The company positions itself as "The World's Source for Engine Oil Data" and operates as part of the Savant Group, which includes related companies such as Savant Labs, Tannas Co., King Refrigeration, and Excell Manufacturing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Access Oil Data (Classic Archive)
Companies that use Institute of Materials
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Institute of Materials technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Institute of Materials partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Savant LabscoreSavant Labs is a sister company within the Savant Group corporate family. Institute of Materials is one of five companies under the Savant Group umbrella, sharing resources and expertise in the broader materials testing and analysis domain.
- Tannas Co.coreTannas Co. is a sister company within the Savant Group corporate family. As part of the same parent organization, Tannas Co. and Institute of Materials operate in the materials testing and analysis ecosystem.
- King RefrigerationcoreKing Refrigeration is a sister company within the Savant Group corporate family. Part of the integrated materials testing and analysis network of companies under Savant Group management.
- Excell ManufacturingcoreExcell Manufacturing is a sister company within the Savant Group corporate family. As part of the Savant Group ecosystem, Excell Manufacturing operates alongside Institute of Materials in the broader materials analysis domain.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Institute of Materials competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Intertek: Global TIC provider with extensive petroleum product and lubricant testing capabilities and technical reference databases. Comparable as a broad incumbent delivering overlapping test data and quality verification services to the same institutional customer base.
- Bureau Veritas: International TIC firm offering petroleum testing, certification, and commodity-related reference data. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping compliance and quality verification services used by lubricant industry buyers.
- The Lubrizol Corporation: Major specialty chemicals company supplying lubricant additives and technical formulation data to global engine oil producers. Comparable as a much larger incumbent with overlapping reference data, technical service, and compliance support offerings.
- SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification company operating petroleum and lubricant testing laboratories worldwide. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing reference data and certification services that intersect with Institute of Materials' compliance use cases.
Direct peers
- SAE International: Publisher of automotive and lubricant specifications (e.g., SAE J300 viscosity grades) used by engine oil formulators and OEMs. Comparable as a subscription-based technical reference serving the same engine oil specification ecosystem.
- ASTM International: Standards organization publishing petroleum product testing standards (e.g., ASTM D series) widely referenced in lubricant R&D and QC. Comparable as a reference data authority serving the same lubricant testing and compliance buyer.
- Savant Labs: Sister company within the Savant Group providing materials testing and laboratory services. Most directly comparable peer because it operates in the same materials/lubricants domain and shares customer relationships within the Savant Group ecosystem.
- Tannas Co. Sister company within the Savant Group producing instruments and consumables for lubricant testing. Comparable as a Savant-affiliated vendor serving the same lubricant testing and analysis customer base.
Emerging players
- Infineum: Joint venture of Shell and ExxonMobil developing lubricant additives and publishing extensive technical data on engine oil formulations. Comparable as a specialist data and formulation provider serving the same lubricant R&D and OEM customers.
- Petrolab (a Roper Technologies company): Specialist provider of used oil analysis and lubricant testing instruments and reference data services. Comparable as a niche specialist serving engine oil testing labs with overlapping analytical and reference data offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Institute of Materials financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Institute of Materials leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Institute of Materials funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Institute of Materials 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 Institute of Materials
What does Institute of Materials do?
Institute of Materials operates a specialized database service providing comprehensive, authoritative engine oil data and related materials science information. Customers access the platform through a registration-based membership model to retrieve engine oil specifications, historical records, and analytical data for automotive and industrial use cases. The company positions itself as "The World's Source for Engine Oil Data" and operates as one of five entities within the Savant Group corporate family.
Is Institute of Materials a public or private company?
Institute of Materials is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Institute of Materials founded?
Institute of Materials was founded in 1984. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Institute of Materials based?
Institute of Materials is headquartered in Midland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Institute of Materials make money?
One revenue line is on record: data Access Membership.
Who are Institute of Materials's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Intertek, Bureau Veritas, The Lubrizol Corporation and SGS. Direct peers are SAE International, ASTM International, Savant Labs and Tannas Co.. Emerging players are Infineum and Petrolab (a Roper Technologies company).
Does Institute of Materials have an API?
No public API is recorded for Institute of Materials.
What industry is Institute of Materials in?
Institute of Materials's product category is Engine Oil Data Database. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEABAI, Oilfield & Refining Specialty Chemicals, with a secondary code of EUAEAHAN, Third-Party Certification, Code Compliance & Regulatory Inspection (ASME/API/ISO). Its NAICS code is 33313 and its SIC code is 1389.