Celebrating Innovation with Advanced Materials Scale and Advanced Materials Lab 2025 Winners
Eleven startups. Five months. One Demo Day. The Advanced Materials Scale and Advanced Materials Lab programs wrapped up with an incredible lineup of pitches from deep tech startups tackling some of the biggest challenges in materials science.
These programs started October 2024, giving startups access to mentorship, industry connections, and resources to scale their innovations. It all led up to Demo Day on 20 February 2025, where the finalists took the stage. After tough deliberation, here are this year’s winners.
Meet the winners
Overall winner for Advanced Materials Scale
NSS Water provides the world's first nanopure water for high tech industries.
Overall winner for Advanced Materials Lab
MAQI provides custom-designed optical crystals based on metal-organic frameworks for a variety of applications in the photonics industry.
Mentor's choice
Flux Polymer’s non-toxic surface functionalisation enhances recyclability, introduces easy-to-clean capabilities, and is chemically bound via a simple coating process.
Crowd favourite
MechSyn develops high-performance materials with unique properties through fully electrically driven mechanochemical processes that synthesise materials at room temperature, ambient pressure and without the use of solvents.
The complete startup lineup
We're equally excited to applaud the exceptional accomplishments of every participant from the Advanced Materials Scale and Advanced Materials Lab 2025 Cohort. This year’s participants demonstrated breakthrough innovations across a wide range of industries.
The startups in the Advanced Materials Lab Program:
OLEC is developing an Organic Light-emitting cell technology to help light chip manufacturers produce chips cheaper and faster, using widely available organic materials and a simple production process.
PigmentOCO, leverages supercritical CO₂ technology to revolutionise textile dyeing by eliminating water pollution while maintaining superior colour quality.
nanoSpec is a consumable nanostructured SERS substrate designed for high-sensitivity, label-free detection of disease biomarkers, offering a scalable and cost-effective solution for diagnostics and diverse applications.
The startups in the Advanced Materials Competition Scale program:
IGL Coatings' Aegis uses graphene nanomaterials to form an ultra-thin, high-strength barrier that offers unmatched corrosion resistance, extending asset life while reducing maintenance costs and environmental impact—delivering cutting-edge value for investors.
Lios is on a mission to eradicate noise pollution with SoundBounce, an innovative, non-toxic acoustic material that offers up to four times greater noise reduction in a compact, lightweight design, making it ideal for industries like construction and automotive.
Smart Materials Ltd has developed and patented a scalable production method for auxetic polyurethane (PU) foam, offering customisable high-performance features at competitive costs, with an initial focus on the mattress industry to drive sustainability and circularity.
QDI Systems has developed scalable quantum dot technology to produce high-quality image sensors for X-ray and short-wave infrared (SWIR) applications.
Avisa Myko is making Melanin, a multifunctional super material, using precision fermentation at 4000 times cheaper and making it available for commercial use.
These startups are not just working on innovative materials, they are changing the way industries think about what is possible. Whether it is reimagining water purification, unlocking the potential of quantum imaging, or making materials more sustainable and efficient, their impact has the potential to drastically improve the way we currently do things.
Every team that joined this year’s programs brought something bold to the table. Their drive, and breakthroughs are why we believe the power of innovation is limitless.
Are You Next?
Are you building the next breakthrough in deep tech? Join the waitlist for our next accelerator program and get the support, connections, and expertise to take your startup further. Access mentors, industry leaders, and investors who can help turn your innovation into real world impact.
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