Microsphere Material Solutions, Llc

What Microsphere Material Solutions, Llc does

Microsphere Material Solutions, LLC is a College Park, Maryland-based materials company founded in January 2016 by Matthew DeMay (CEO), John Howard (CTO), and Avi Edery (CSO) following their participation in the Fall 2015 DC I-Corps (FedTech) program at the University of Maryland. The company develops and commercializes ultra-strong hollow microspheres and bulk glass foam materials, with its core product being an all-glass buoyancy foam that functions as a plug-and-play replacement for conventional syntactic foams in undersea and surface vehicles. Its underlying technology is a patented manufacturing method licensed from the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Corona Division, which produces glass-only cellular solids without the heavy resins used in incumbent syntactic foams, yielding lower density at every depth rating while remaining machinable with standard tools; the company also produces custom buoyancy cylinders up to 7.5 inches in diameter and 6 inches in height.

The business operates as a B2B materials supplier targeting aerospace, defense, and marine customers through two complementary motions. The primary revenue stream is U.S. government R&D funding in the form of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I and Phase II contracts from the Navy and Air Force, as well as MIPS awards from ManTech International, supporting development of buoyancy materials, blast mitigation materials, and metal foam additive manufacturing in collaboration with Prof. Wereley's C.O.R.E. lab at UMD. The secondary motion is direct sales of custom-engineered glass foam products to defense contractors and marine vehicle manufacturers, with pricing conducted via custom quotes through the company website, phone, and email. MMS holds granted patents on its glass-only buoyancy foam composition and maintains technology licensing, government validation (USD(R&E) tech transfer report feature), and a portfolio of six SBIR/MIPS awards as the primary signals of technical and commercial credibility in a niche sub-10-person operation.

Name

Microsphere Material Solutions, Llc

Legal name

Microsphere Material Solutions, LLC

Website

https://microspheresolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Microsphere Material Solutions develops and commercializes patented all-glass buoyancy foam and hollow microsphere materials as plug-and-play replacements for syntactic foams, serving U.S. Navy, Air Force, and defense/aerospace customers through SBIR-funded R&D contracts and direct custom sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advanced Buoyancy Materials

NAICS

Urethane and Other Foam Product (except Polystyrene) Manufacturing (326150)

SIC

Plastics Foam Products (3086)

akta.pro primary industry

Foam Conversion & Fabrication (Cutting, Laminating, CNC, Packaging Inserts) (IMANAIAJ)

Keywords

• Glass buoyancy foam
• Hollow microsphere materials
• Syntactic foam replacement
• Marine buoyancy materials
• Metal foam additive manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

College Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government SBIR Contracts: MMS generates revenue through Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I and Phase II contracts with U.S. military branches including the Navy and Air Force. These contracts fund development of new buoyancy materials, blast mitigation materials, and metal foam additive manufacturing.
2. Product Sales: Direct sales of custom glass-only buoyancy foam products to defense contractors, aerospace companies, and marine vehicle manufacturers. Products include cylinders up to 7.5 inches in diameter and up to 6 inches in height, with custom geometries available upon request.
3. Research & Development Services: MMS provides R&D services and collaborates with university partners (e.g., Prof. Wereley's C.O.R.E. lab at University of Maryland) on government-funded research programs including MIPS awards.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Microsphere Material Solutions manufactures and sells 100% glass-only buoyancy foam and hollow microsphere materials that serve as plug-and-play replacements for conventional syntactic foams used in undersea and surface vehicles. The foam is produced via a patented method licensed from the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Corona Division, achieving lower density at every depth rating without heavy resins. Custom cylindrical geometries up to 7.5 inches in diameter and 6 inches in height are available, with custom geometries on request for defense, marine, and aerospace customers.

Product overview

Microsphere Material Solutions, LLC is a materials-focused tech transfer company that specializes in the modeling, fabrication, and testing of hollow microspheres and bulk foams from metals and silicate glasses. The company's core product is its patented All-Glass Buoyancy Foam, an ultra-high strength, low weight material that serves as a plug-and-play replacement for syntactic foams in undersea and surface vehicles. The portfolio includes Custom Buoyancy Foam solutions available in standard cylindrical geometries (up to 7.5 inches diameter, 6 inches height) with custom geometries available upon request. The company also conducts R&D on metal foam additive manufacturing and glass foam materials with tunable crushability for various defense and aerospace applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• All-Glass Buoyancy Foam (with custom geometries)

Quantifiable outcome

• Lower density at every depth rating than the best performing syntactic foams
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and foundational.

• Prof. Wereley's C.O.R.E. Lab (University of Maryland - College Park)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2021MMS collaborates with Prof. Wereley's C.O.R.E. (Composite and Adaptive Structures) lab at UMD on metal foam additive manufacturing through a Phase II MIPS award. This partnership focuses on developing advanced metal foam materials using additive manufacturing techniques. The collaboration began with a two-phase MIPS award to develop glass foam materials with tunable crushability.
• Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Corona DivisioncoreTechnology or IntegrationNSWC Corona Division scientists developed a patented method for making glass foam materials that are as strong as steel and light as a feather. MMS commercializes this technology through a technology transfer arrangement. The innovation overcomes the typical weakness of bulk materials when engineered to be lighter-weight cellular solids.
• Fed Tech / DC I-Corps (UMD-led)foundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerMMS founders discovered the need for new class of high-strength, lightweight foam materials while completing the Fall 2015 DC I-Corps (now FedTech) program at the University of Maryland. This program connects federal lab technologies with entrepreneurial teams to identify and penetrate potential markets.
• MIPS (ManTech International)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIPS (ManTech International's Independent Research and Development program) has awarded MMS multiple Phase I and Phase II awards for developing glass foam and metal foam additive manufacturing technologies in collaboration with university research partners.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Trelleborg Offshore: Global leader in syntactic foam buoyancy products for subsea vehicles, ROVs, and offshore applications. Directly competes with MMS in marine buoyancy foam, but at vastly greater scale and with an entrenched installed base across major defense and offshore energy customers.
• General Plastics Manufacturing: Producer of LAST-A-FOAM rigid polyurethane foam products for aerospace, defense, and marine applications including buoyancy and blast mitigation. Competes with MMS in aerospace-grade structural foam, particularly for DoD programs.
• CMT Materials: Producer of high-performance syntactic foam and composite materials for subsea buoyancy, impact protection, and aerospace structures. Direct peer competing for the same Navy and offshore program opportunities as MMS.
• Flotation Technologies: Manufacturer of syntactic foam buoyancy products and deep-sea instrument housings used in oceanographic, oil & gas, and defense applications. Competes with MMS in custom-shaped subsea buoyancy components.
• Diab Group: Manufacturer of structural foam cores including PET and SAN foam for marine, aerospace, and wind applications. Competes with MMS in the foam-for-marine-structures category, though Diab focuses on sandwich core materials rather than solid buoyancy modules.
• Engineered Syntactic Systems: Specialty producer of syntactic foam buoyancy modules for deepwater ROVs, AUVs, and submersibles. Closest direct head-to-head competitor to MMS's all-glass buoyancy foam, serving the same defense and oceanographic end markets.
• DeepFlex: Manufacturer of thermoplastic composite flexible pipe and subsea buoyancy products for offshore oil & gas. Competes with MMS in deepwater buoyancy modules, particularly for offshore energy and oceanographic markets.

Broad incumbents

• 3M: Producer of 3M Glass Bubbles (hollow glass microspheres) used as lightweight fillers in syntactic foams, paints, and composites. Competes with MMS at the microsphere raw-material level and as a supplier to incumbent syntactic foam manufacturers.
• Armacell: Global manufacturer of engineered foams including PET foam cores (ArmaFORM) used in marine sandwich structures and wind energy blades. Competes in adjacent foam core categories that overlap with MMS's marine and aerospace foam targets.
• Potters Industries: Major manufacturer of engineered glass spheres and microspheres for industrial, reflective, and specialty applications. Overlaps with MMS's hollow glass microsphere technology in broader industrial markets, though MMS focuses on higher-strength structural applications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/microsphere-material-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Microsphere Material Solutions, Llc