Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working in the materials sector. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we want to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 5 promising self-healing materials startups.
Heat Map: 5 Top Self-Healing Material Startups
Using our StartUs Insights Platform, covering 1.116.000+ startups & emerging companies, we looked at innovation in the field of materials. For this research, we identified 113 relevant solutions and picked 5 to showcase below. These companies were chosen based on a data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, and technology among others. Depending on your specific criteria, the top picks might look entirely different.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 startups & emerging companies developing self-healing material solutions. Moreover, the Heat Map reveals regions that observe a high startup activity and illustrates the geographic distribution of all 113 companies we analyzed for this specific topic.
Self-Healing Materials – Self-Healing Asphalt
Traditionally, asphalt is used as a binding agent with concrete to lay roads. Exposure to vehicle use, sunlight, rain, and other natural circumstances cause roads to degrade over time. As a result, asphalt roads lose their natural binding capabilities and require frequent repair and maintenance. Startups develop self-healing asphalt with specific properties as a solution to improve the life of roadways.
Slovakian startup Self Healing Materials creates self-healing asphalt, among other materials they work on. The startup helps heal torn roads by way of induction heating as embedded steel fibers conduct the energy and directly transfer it to the mortar. Additionally, the startup manufactures other self-healing materials such as plastics, coatings, rubber, and concrete.
CompPair – Damage Healing Pre-Impregnated Materials (Prepregs)
Industrial damage to composite structures sometimes requires quick remedial treatments such as pre-impregnated materials. Today’s cost-effective prepregs provide the necessary healing properties to composite materials. Emerging companies and startups develop prepregs that have autonomous regeneration capabilities.
Swiss startup CompPair develops in-situ repair solutions for composite structures. With the help of smart prepregs, the startup heals mechanical properties of composite materials. Additionally, thermal heating triggers the healing properties in these prepregs and aids in the rapid recovery of damages in windmill blades, buildings, and ship hulls.
SAS Nanotechnology – Smart Microcapsules
Anti-corrosion additives provide extended self-healing relief from corrosion as they form part of material coatings or microcapsules. Triggers such as electrochemical potential or voltage help to release the additives on-demand and mitigate corrosion over considerably longer durations. Startups and emerging companies develop smart microcapsules as efficient self-healing technology.
The US-based startup SAS Nanotechnology provides microcapsules that release anti-corrosion additives based on chemical and mechanical triggers. These polymer-based microcapsules assist in releasing additives like adhesives and lubricants at will. As a result, microcapsules increase the functional life of specific material coatings.
Tandem Repeat – Programmable Textiles
Fiber textiles undergo a lot of natural changes such as loss of color and texture strength over its lifecycle. Sustainable solutions and innovative textile materials help reduce its carbon footprint and increase the textile lifecycle. Concepts like surface enhancement, bi-stability, and ruffling also enhance the aesthetics and functionality of various textiles.
The US-based startup Tandem Repeat develops programmable textiles that exhibit self-healing capabilities, mediated by a coating. Moreover, these textiles are sustainable as Tandem Repeat’s technology reduces the natural microfiber loss due to wear and tear and ensures biodegradability.
Resolute Energy Solutions – Oil Well Plug & Abandonment (P&A)
The last phase in oil and gas production is well plug and abandonment. This process is cost-intensive as the well has to be sealed with concrete and other materials. Oil facilities usually conduct these activities to protect nearby freshwater sources and future commercial zones, as well as to prevent leaks in perpetuity from or into the well.
The UK-based startup Resolute Energy Solutions provides oil well P&A solutions. They create an initial protective plug that is flexible and self-healing, thereby preventing reservoir fluid contamination. Additionally, the solution aids in cutting rig-time and enables rig-less abandonment.
What About The Other 108 Solutions?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence so you can achieve your goals faster. The 5 self-healing materials startups showcased above are promising examples out of 113 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, get in touch.
