Best Chemicals and Materials Companies in Minnesota, United States
The 77 best Chemicals and Materials companies in Minnesota, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Hawkins.
Our analysis of 50 Chemicals and Materials companies
$3.9b in tracked funding; 74% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best Chemicals and Materials companies in Minnesota
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Founder | Founded | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawkins Hawkins is a formulator, manufacturer, blender, distributor, and sales agent for thousands of industrial… | $150M | 90 mo ago | Public | Patrick Hawkins CEO | 1938 | WordPressMySQLPHP+30 | 10 patents Preserving animal feed and preventing microbial contamination, especially Listeria, in livestock nutrition. | — |
| 2 | Activated Research Manufacturer of ARC chemical analysis systems | $2M | 86 mo ago | Funding Raised | — | 2014 | — | — | — |
| 3 | The Mosaic Company Global leader in potash and phosphate crop nutrition | $1M | 214 mo ago | Public | Bruce Bodine CEO | 2004 | Apple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365Q4+17 | 394 patents Potash mining, processing, and fertilizer production technologies, including ammonia synthesis and coating methods. | — |
| 4 | Phoam Labs Manufacturer of compostable floral foam 24Growth top 35%Funding top 48%Tech bottom 49%Global bottom 25% All 5 signals ▾Growthtop 35% Fundingtop 48% Techbottom 49% Globalbottom 25% Marketbottom 13% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Funding: Raised $820k across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 2 yrs (1.0/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 24/100 | $820K | 2 mo ago | Series A | — | 2022 | WebflowApple iCloud Mailcore-js+13 | — | — |
| 5 | Fenix Group Manufacturer of construction, decorative, and other coatings | $342K | 62 mo ago | Early Stage | — | 1979 | WordPressApple iCloud MailMySQL+17 | 46 patents Resilient modular communication housing with automatic mesh failover and band‑agile mobile broadband radios | — |
| 6 | Theactivesfactory Manufacturer of birch bark extract and derived compounds for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and supplements | $225K | 125 mo ago | Funding Raised | — | 2011 | — | — | — |
| 7 | Team Lab Manufacturer of chemicals, paints and coatings | — | 74 mo ago | Funding Raised | Dianne Sullivan Co-Founder | 1977 | — | — | — |
| 8 | MTS Systems Provider of testing and simulation solutions for various industries | — | 191 mo ago | Acquired | — | 1967 | SitecoreApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+19 | — | 1 launch |
| 9 | HB Fuller Manufacturer of adhesives and sealants for diverse industries | — | 220 mo ago | Public | Celeste Mastin CEO and President | 1887 | SitecoreTypeScriptSalesforce+36 | 892 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
Top 9 Chemicals and Materials companies in Minnesota
#1
Series A · Eden Prairie, Minnesota · founded 2022 · 7 employees$820Kraised▾
Manufacturer of compostable floral foam. This foam is a sustainable alternative to traditional floral foam, made from renewable plant materials and designed to biodegrade completely. The product is certified for industrial compostability, returning nutrients to the soil and reducing waste. Development involved extensive scientific research and resulted in patents for the unique, plant-based formula. The company also provides educational resources and shares stories related to sustainability and floristry.
- Apr 2026Series A$1.2M
- Sep 2024Seed$820K
#2
Public · Roseville, Minnesota · founded 1938$150Mraised▾
Manufacturer and distributor of industrial chemicals and reagent grade laboratory chemicals
- Dec 2018Conventional Debt$150M
#3
Funding Raised · Eden Prairie, Minnesota · founded 2014 · 11 employees$2.3Mraised▾
Manufacturer of ARC chemical analysis systems
- Apr 2019Grant (prize money)$907K
- Apr 2019Grant (prize money)$1M
- Feb 2018Grant (prize money)$78.5K
- Jul 2017Grant (prize money)$225K
#4
Public · Plymouth, Minnesota · founded 2004 · 14049 employees$1.1Mraised▾
Global leader in potash and phosphate crop nutrition, dedicated to helping the world grow the food it needs. The company mines, produces, and distributes high-quality potash and phosphate products essential for healthy soils, nourishing crops, and maximizing yields. Committed to minimizing negative impacts and maximizing value for diverse stakeholders through responsible practices from mine-to-market. They focus on disciplined capital allocation and operational excellence to deliver strong financial performance. The company offers performance fertilizers designed for advanced crop nutrition, along with top-quality commodity offerings optimized for modern plant genetics, crop protection, and equipment technologies. They are committed to sustainability, nutrient stewardship, food security, and community investment, aiming to feed the world responsibly and sustainably.
- Aug 2008Grant (prize money)$825K
- Jun 2008Grant (prize money)$233.7K
#5
Early Stage · Minnetonka, Minnesota · founded 1979 · 33 employees$342Kraised▾
Manufacturer of construction, decorative, and other coatings
- Apr 2021Conventional Debt$342K
- Apr 2021Unattributed$342K
#6
Funding Raised · Two Harbors, Minnesota · founded 2011$225Kraised▾
Manufacturer of birch bark extract and derived compounds for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and supplements. It supplies Betulin, Lupeol, and Betulinic Acid extracted from North American Birch Bark. The company utilizes a sustainable and traceable supply chain, employing environmentally friendly extraction and processing technology. Its offerings include natural birch bark triterpene extracts for cosmetics and nutraceuticals, and specialized derivatives for pharmaceutical applications. It also provides R&D support, including access to a library of synthetic derivatives and a patent portfolio. The manufacturer offers scalable production capabilities to meet diverse client needs.
- Jan 2016Grant (prize money)$225K
#7
Funding Raised · Detroit Lakes, Minnesota · founded 1977 · 14 employees—raised▾
Manufacturer of chemicals, paints and coatings
- Mar 2020Conventional Debt—
#8
Acquired · Eden Prairie, Minnesota · founded 1967 · 1001 employees—raised▾
Provider of testing and simulation solutions for various industries. It offers a comprehensive suite of products and services, including test systems, software, and support, catering to automotive, aerospace, biomedical, civil engineering, energy, and rail sectors. These solutions enable clients to test materials, components, and complete systems under diverse conditions, ensuring product quality and safety. The company also provides calibration, consulting, and training services to enhance client capabilities and optimize testing processes. Its offerings encompass a wide range of test types and standards, supporting diverse material and application needs.
#9
Public · Saint Paul, Minnesota · founded 1887 · 125 employees—raised▾
Manufacturer of adhesives and sealants for diverse industries. It offers a wide variety of adhesive technologies, including hot melt adhesives, instant adhesives, and butyl sealants. These products serve numerous applications across sectors such as aerospace, automotive, packaging, and medical. The company also provides technical support and resources to its customers. Its focus is on developing sustainable solutions and providing global reach through a network of distributors.
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Chemicals and Materials coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Advanced Materials is moving in the United States
A read on the academic research around Advanced Materials — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 1,306 United States-affiliated papers.
- Georgia Institute of Technology46
- Purdue University West Lafayette46
- North Carolina State University39
- Northeastern University36
- Texas A&M University34
- Smart material61→108
- Soft robotics4→36
- Morphing8→35
- Nanotechnology19→46
- Elastomer18→41
- Nanotechnology12→29
- Soft robotics2→13
- Fabrication4→12
- Liquid crystal3→10
- 3D printing6→12
- Smart material10→18
- Nanotechnology7→9
- Shape-memory alloy2→4
Where advanced materials is researched across United States
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing advanced materials patents in the United States
United States advanced materials patent filing is cooling — 88,582 filings from 8,000 assignees (2016–2025), led by IBM, General Electric, Halliburton Energy Services; annual filings 9852→6833.
- IBM5881
- General Electric4493
- Halliburton Energy Services3870
- Intel3631
- UNIV California3335
- 3M Innovative Properties3293
- Corning3129
- United States Gypsum2665
Common questions
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.