In the area near Kennedy Space Center, SynMatter is using NASA technology to address corrosion, a problem that costs the world economy an estimated $2.5 trillion each year. This figure comes from a recent study by the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, which highlights the impact of corrosion on infrastructure and the associated risks such as near misses, forced shutdowns, and accidents.
SynMatter has developed surface coatings that include smart particles capable of sensing and responding to environmental changes. These coatings are designed to reduce both corrosion and biofouling on critical structures. The company received the TechConnect National Innovation Award in 2019 for its work in this field.
Beyond coatings, SynMatter is working on smart particles intended to improve fertilizers, personal care products, and household cleaners. These particles aim to make these products more efficient and environmentally friendly by reducing the amount needed.
In February 2024, SynMatter was recognized with the Synapse Innovation Award for Emerging Tech at the Synapse Summit. CEO and Chief Scientist Jun Zhang, Ph.D., leads a small team of chemical engineers who have worked on this technology for nearly ten years.
The company recently secured a $200,000 NASA Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award with support from The Corridor for its proposal. It also received a $1 million National Science Foundation Phase II SBIR award to help commercialize its products. Additional support came from the Florida-Israel Joint Innovation Partnership’s joint fund and participation in pitch competitions organized by Florida Venture Forum and Cade Museum.
SynMatter’s development has been aided by several entrepreneurial resources including being an inaugural member of Cenfluence Energy + Environmental Sciences Cluster, support from FL FAST for its NASA SBIR proposal, involvement with UCF’s I-Corps Program and Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center (AMPAC), as well as partnerships with Space Florida and other organizations.
“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.”
###
