In the shadows of Kennedy Space Center at Space Florida’s Space Life Sciences Lab, SynMatter is leveraging NASA technology to solve a multi-trillion-dollar problem: corrosion.
According to the latest study by the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, the global cost of corrosion is estimated to be $2.5 trillion due to infrastructure impacts resulting in near misses, forced shutdowns, accidents and more.
SynMatter’s surface coatings mitigate corrosion and biofouling of critical structures with the inclusion of smart particles that sense and react to changes in their environment. In 2019, it received the prestigious TechConnect National Innovation Award based on the potential impact of its technology.
SynMatter is also developing smart particles to enhance fertilizers, personal care products and household cleaners. Its particles would improve the efficiency of these materials, making them more environmentally friendly by reducing the amount required for use.
Ecosystem Wins
In February 2024, SynMatter won the Synapse Innovation Award for Emerging Tech during Synapse Summit. It marked the culmination of nearly a decade of work and determination by a small team of chemical engineers led by CEO and Chief Scientist Jun Zhang, Ph.D.
The startup secured a NASA Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award of $200,000, thanks in part to support from The Corridor on its proposal, as well as a National Science Foundation Phase II SBIR award of $1 million to commercialize products based on its technology. SynMatter has also benefitted from the Florida-Israel Joint Innovation Partnership’s joint fund, and pitch competitions hosted by Florida Venture Forum and the Cade Museum.
Entrepreneurial Resources and Supporters
- Cenfluence Energy + Environmental Sciences Cluster Inaugural Member
- FL FAST (Supported Phase I NASA SBIR Proposal)
- UCF I-Corps Program
- Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center (AMPAC) at UCF
- Space Florida
- Florida Venture Forum
- Synapse Florida
- Cade Prize Finalist, 2017