Radar · Chemicals and Materials Tech in California
Best Chemicals and Materials Tech Companies in California, United States
The 279 best Chemicals and Materials Tech companies in California, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: View.
By Rohit KhannaTrends & Stories
279companies tracked
$9.7Bdisclosed funding
2unicorns
144have raised
FLIAR INTELLIGENCE · CHEMICALS AND MATERIALS TECH × CALIFORNIA
Our analysis of 50 Chemicals and Materials Tech companies
$4.4b in tracked funding; 79% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
50companies analysed
79%cloud-native stacks
2025funding peak (by rounds)
1unicorns
2015median founding year
378kcombined LinkedIn audience
27%of audience held by top 3
4companies hiring publicly (12 mo)
Ranked: Best Chemicals and Materials Tech companies in California
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | View Provider of AI and app-based smart windows glasses for buildings 82Innovation top 21%Patents top 21%Funding top 22%Product top 22% All 13 signals ▾Innovationtop 21% Patentstop 21% Fundingtop 22% Producttop 22% Talenttop 28% Moattop 29% Markettop 32% Growthtop 39% Techtop 45% AItop 45% Fin. healthtop 46% Globaltop 47% Customersbottom 35% Innovation: 2,366 patents (top 1% of patent-holders) · 928 filings since 2022 vs 1074 in 2017-21 Patents: 2,366 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 928 filings since 2022 vs 1074 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 82/100 | $3.5B | 43 mo ago | Public | 870 | Andrew Min Co-CEO | DrupalPHPSalesforce+25 | 2,366 patents Electrochromic smart glass control, optical switching, and thin‑film device manufacturing | — |
| 2 | Pivot Bio 🦄 Developer of microbial nitrogen products designed for crop nutrition enhancement | $618M | 59 mo ago | Series D | 256 256 → 305 (+19%) · sector median +8% | Alvin Tamsir Co-Founder & Chief Science Officer | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+36 | 346 patents Engineered nitrogen‑fixing microbes and formulations for sustainable crop nitrogen delivery | 2 awards |
| 3 | Halio Manufacturer of electrochromic glasses 64AI top 15%Moat top 21%Funding top 22%Patents top 23% All 10 signals ▾AItop 15% Moattop 21% Fundingtop 22% Patentstop 23% Innovationtop 29% Talenttop 38% Markettop 49% Globalbottom 42% Growthbottom 25% Newsbottom 22% AI: Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 43 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 64/100 | $564M | 31 mo ago | Series D | 70 | Bruce Sohn CEO | — | 43 patents Smart‑window electrochromic systems: materials, multilayer design, predictive control, and failure mitigation | — |
| 4 | Ferrotec Manufacturer and distributor of ferrofluids for multiple industry applications | $511M | 57 mo ago | Public | 7,380 | — | WordPressApple iCloud MailMySQL+20 | — | 2 job openings |
| 5 | Genomatica Manufacturer of plant-based nylon materials and renewable chemicals 62Product top 18%Patents top 20%Funding top 26%Moat top 26% All 11 signals ▾Producttop 18% Patentstop 20% Fundingtop 26% Moattop 26% Innovationtop 30% Talenttop 38% Markettop 43% Growthtop 45% Globalbottom 46% Techbottom 37% Newsbottom 32% Product: 4 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series F Patents: 1,721 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 424 filings since 2022 vs 633 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 62/100 | $388M | 58 mo ago | Series F | 153 153 → 230 (+50%) · sector median +8% | Bernhard Palsson Co-Founder | — | 1,721 patents Engineered microbial production of renewable chemicals like fatty acids, diamines, and glycol derivatives | — |
| 6 | Periodic Labs Developer of autonomous laboratories and artificial intelligence scientists for physical sciences 55Funding top 21%Talent top 28%AI top 45%Global bottom 48% All 6 signals ▾Fundingtop 21% Talenttop 28% AItop 45% Globalbottom 48% Marketbottom 40% Techbottom 35% Funding: Raised $300M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) Talent: 4 named leaders on record · 4 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 55/100 | $300M | 10 mo ago | Seed | — | William F Co-Founder | Framer SitesReactPriority Hints+6 | — | — |
| 7 | Nanosys Developer of nanotechnology-based displays | $267M | 46 mo ago | Acquired | 16 | Larry Bock Founder | Squarespace CommerceCart FunctionalitySquarespace+20 | 1,109 patents Nanostructured quantum‑dot materials and processes for advanced LED/display integration | — |
| 8 | Arris Composites Manufacturer of carbon fiber composites for multiple industrial applications | $233M | 25 mo ago | Series C | 152 | Ethan Escowitz Co-Founder | WebflowWordPressApple iCloud Mail+30 | 92 patents Thermoplastic composite manufacturing for lightweight, impact‑absorbing structural components | — |
| 9 | MycoWorks Manufacturer of bio-based materials from mycelium 64Funding top 26%Moat top 26%Talent top 28%Patents top 29% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 26% Moattop 26% Talenttop 28% Patentstop 29% Growthtop 33% Innovationtop 36% Techtop 50% Globalbottom 48% Newsbottom 46% Marketbottom 42% Funding: Raised $225M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 11 yrs (0.5/yr) Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 114 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 64/100 | $225M | 36 mo ago | Series C | 43 | Sophia Wang Co-Founder & Chief of Culture | WordPressShopifyMySQL+24 | 114 patents Patents concentrated in health & consumer products | — |
| 10 | Newlight Technologies Developer of technology converting greenhouse gas into biomaterial for product manufacturing | $220M | 34 mo ago | Series F | 149 149 → 98 (-34%) · sector median +8% | Mark Herrema Co-Founder & CEO | WixSentryEnvoy+11 | 55 patents Biodegradable polymer resins and bio‑based plastic compositions from microbial fermentation | — |
| 11 | Provivi Developer of agricultural solutions designed to protect crops from insect damage 60Funding top 17%Patents top 24%Moat top 26%Innovation top 34% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 17% Patentstop 24% Moattop 26% Innovationtop 34% Talenttop 38% Growthtop 39% Marketbottom 44% Globalbottom 44% Techbottom 37% Newsbottom 22% Funding: Raised $185M across 13 rounds · 13 rounds over 13 yrs (1.0/yr) Patents: 158 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 64 filings since 2022 vs 89 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 60/100 | $185M | 8 mo ago | Series C | 83 83 → 83 (+0%) · sector median +8% | Frances Arnold Co-Founder | Node.jsMUIOpenSSL+10 | 158 patents Bio-based synthesis and microbial production of insect pheromones for sustainable pest control | 1 partnership |
| 12 | Knowde Provider of a platform for chemical industry data management solutions | $146M | 22 mo ago | Series C | 118 | Ali Javaheri Co-Founder & CEO | WordPress Block EditorWordPressApple iCloud Mail+26 | — | — |
| 13 | Citrine Informatics Provider of AI-based solutions for materials informatics 55Funding top 24%AI top 24%Product top 30%Moat top 31% All 12 signals ▾Fundingtop 24% AItop 24% Producttop 30% Moattop 31% Patentstop 33% Innovationtop 39% Talentbottom 49% Techbottom 48% Growthbottom 44% Globalbottom 42% Marketbottom 39% Newsbottom 24% Funding: Raised $78.7M across 12 rounds · 12 rounds over 10 yrs (1.2/yr) AI: Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) · Product described with: ai-based, machine learning rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 55/100 | $79M | 13 mo ago | Series C | 53 53 → 68 (+28%) · sector median +8% | Greg Mulholland Co-Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+23 | 20 patents AI-driven materials formulation and design optimization for chemicals and polymers | 1 job opening · 1 launch · 2 partnerships |
| 14 | BioConsortia Developer of microbial-based solutions for nitrogen fixation, disease, and nematode control | $56M | 26 mo ago | Series E | 46 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | 223 patents Patents concentrated in health & consumer products | 1 launch · 1 partnership |
| 15 | Lygos Manufacturer of green acids from microbes 64Moat top 26%Patents top 27%Funding top 30%Growth top 31% All 9 signals ▾Moattop 26% Patentstop 27% Fundingtop 30% Growthtop 31% Innovationtop 33% Techtop 40% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 48% Globalbottom 42% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 111 patents Patents: 111 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 56 filings since 2022 vs 49 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 64/100 | $52M | 14 mo ago | Series B | 63 | Eric Steen CEO & Co-founder | Builder.ioApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+21 | 111 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
| 16 | Next Energy Technologies Manufacturer of coatings for solar power generation | $29M | 28 mo ago | Series C | 26 26 → 28 (+8%) · sector median +8% | — | Wix eCommerceWixSentry+19 | 87 patents Advanced lithium‑metal and anode‑free battery cell design, manufacturing, and integration. | 2 launchs |
| 17 | Cambium Provider of bio processing, downstream, and formulations services for food manufacturing industry 32Talent top 28%Funding top 31%Growth top 38%News top 39% All 10 signals ▾Talenttop 28% Fundingtop 31% Growthtop 38% Newstop 39% Moatbottom 49% Techbottom 37% Globalbottom 33% Marketbottom 32% Patentsbottom 31% Innovationbottom 27% Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated Funding: Raised $27.0M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 5 yrs (0.6/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 32/100 | $27M | 5 mo ago | Series B | 24 | Ben Christensen Co-Founder & CEO | WordPressApple iCloud MailMySQL+13 | 6 patents Marine life‑saving flotation devices with integrated acoustic signaling and wireless transmission scheduling | 1 launch · 1 award |
| 18 | Uncountable Data Developer of a unified platform for research and development data management 62Talent top 22%Funding top 27%Growth top 35%Tech top 43% All 8 signals ▾Talenttop 22% Fundingtop 27% Growthtop 35% Techtop 43% Moattop 48% Productbottom 48% Marketbottom 43% Globalbottom 37% Talent: Analyst team rating 5/5 · 3 named leaders on record Funding: Raised $27.0M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 62/100 | $27M | 12 mo ago | Series A | 50 | Noel Hollingsworth Co-Founder | WebflowSalesforceVimeo+21 | — | — |
| 19 | Switch Bioworks Developer of microbial solutions for sustainable on-site fertilizer production | $27M | 17 mo ago | Seed | 21 | — | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+14 | 5 patents Synthetic biology microbial gene switches for density and phosphate sensing, plus irreversible condition control | 1 launch |
| 20 | Ambercycle Provider of tech-based solutions for producing yarns from old cloths 37Funding top 29%News top 34%Talent top 38%Moat top 39% All 9 signals ▾Fundingtop 29% Newstop 34% Talenttop 38% Moattop 39% Growthtop 42% Techbottom 41% Globalbottom 39% Partnersbottom 35% Marketbottom 28% Funding: Raised $26.6M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 9 yrs (0.7/yr) News: 5 BI events in 12 mo (of 17 tracked, 4 types) · +25% YoY rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $27M | 10 mo ago | Series B | 7 | Shay Sethi Co-Founder & CEO | WebflowVimeoSiteGround+10 | — | — |
| 21 | Zymochem Provider of engineered microbes and biosynthetic pathways for industrial chemicals | $25M | 13 mo ago | Series A | 35 | Harshal Chokhawala Co-Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+14 | 42 patents Sustainable absorbent polymer production and renewable‑source chemical synthesis technologies. | — |
| 22 | Direct Electron Developer of cameras for electron microscopy 57Innovation top 20%Growth top 35%Tech top 41%Funding top 42% All 8 signals ▾Innovationtop 20% Growthtop 35% Techtop 41% Fundingtop 42% Producttop 46% Talentbottom 45% Globalbottom 29% Marketbottom 23% Innovation: 11 product lines Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 57/100 | $25M | 12 mo ago | Funding Raised | 13 | Rob Bilhorn Founder & President | WordPressMySQLPHP+34 | — | 1 launch |
| 23 | Nelumbo Omniphobic nanocoating for air conditioners | $21M | 25 mo ago | Acquired | 10 | Liam Berryman Co-Founder | WordPressMySQLMariaDB+19 | 98 patents Advanced functional ceramic coatings on polymers and integrated thermal‑management textile systems. | — |
| 24 | ECOR Global Developer of sustainable building materials | $20M | 30 mo ago | Series B | 92 | Jay Potter Co-Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+26 | 12 patents Production of composite fiber boards and laminates for engineered wood products | — |
| 25 | Rubi Manufacturer of biobased textiles made from captured carbon emissions 32Funding top 28%Partners top 32%Moat top 35%Talent top 38% All 7 signals ▾Fundingtop 28% Partnerstop 32% Moattop 35% Talenttop 38% Newsbottom 48% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 31% Funding: Raised $18.6M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 4 yrs (1.5/yr) Partners: 2 partnership announcements in 12 mo (2 in 24 mo) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 32/100 | $19M | 6 mo ago | Series A | 12 12 → 28 (+133%) · sector median +8% | Neeka Mashouf Co-Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 26 | Allvivo Vascular Developing antimicrobial solutions for medical devices and wound-related infections | $18M | 12 mo ago | Funding Raised | — | Jennifer Neff Chief Executive Officer | — | 25 patents Cationic drug delivery via adhesive films and antimicrobial wound‑care constructs. | — |
| 27 | Valdera Provider of a cloud-based marketplace for diversified materials | $15M | 20 mo ago | Series A | 20 | Sruti Arulmani Co-Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 28 | Q-Chem Developer of quantum chemistry software for accurate molecular system modeling | $15M | 14 mo ago | Funding Raised | 52 | Peter Gill Founder | DrupalPHPUbuntu+11 | 205 patents DNA-encoded library synthesis and screening for drug discovery compounds | 1 internship · 6 launchs |
| 29 | Sway Manufacturer of seaweed-based materials as compostable replacements for plastic packaging | $15M | 18 mo ago | Seed | 9 | Matthew Mayes Co-founder & COO | WordPressMySQLPHP+26 | 6 patents Automated platforms for building, training, and deploying machine learning models | — |
| 30 | LifeLabs Internet first brand offering performance apparel wear for women and men 32Growth top 35%Moat top 39%Tech top 50%Funding bottom 49% All 7 signals ▾Growthtop 35% Moattop 39% Techtop 50% Fundingbottom 49% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 37% Marketbottom 26% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · 9 curated direct competitors tracked rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 32/100 | $14M | 9 mo ago | Seed | 19 | Yi Cui Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+12 | — | — |
| 31 | Ruby Bio Provider of naturally occurring yeast services for food & beverage and personal & healthcare industry | $13M | 13 mo ago | Series A | 10 | Charlie Silver CEO | — | — | 1 partnership |
| 32 | Industrial Microbes Manufacturer of biobased acrylic acid using engineered microbial fermentation processes | $12M | 18 mo ago | Seed | 12 12 → 13 (+8%) · sector median +8% | Stephen Powaga Co-Founder and Advisor | — | 2 patents Microbial production of monooxygenase enzymes for biocatalytic chemical synthesis | — |
| 33 | Magrathea Metals Manufacturer of magnesium from seawater 37Moat top 30%Funding top 33%Patents top 37%Innovation top 39% All 8 signals ▾Moattop 30% Fundingtop 33% Patentstop 37% Innovationtop 39% Talentbottom 49% Techbottom 47% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 28% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 13 patents Funding: Raised $10.0M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 3 yrs (2.0/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $10M | 3 mo ago | Series A | 15 | Alexander Grant CEO | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+17 | 13 patents Magnesium chloride purification and chloride sequestration for ocean alkalinity enhancement | 2 partnerships |
| 34 | SirenOpt Developer of non-destructive material analysis systems using cold atmospheric plasma 50Talent top 28%Funding top 32%Innovation top 40%Patents top 42% All 9 signals ▾Talenttop 28% Fundingtop 32% Innovationtop 40% Patentstop 42% AItop 45% Moatbottom 49% Newsbottom 40% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 24% Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated Funding: Raised $9.6M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 3 yrs (1.3/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 50/100 | $10M | 8 mo ago | Series A | 6 | Ali Mesbah Co-Founder | — | 9 patents Cold atmospheric plasma systems for material characterization and process control | 2 job openings · 1 partnership |
| 35 | Electron Optica Provider of solutions for electron microscopy and electron lithography 37Funding top 44%Talent bottom 45%Global bottom 29% All 3 signals ▾Fundingtop 44% Talentbottom 45% Globalbottom 29% Funding: Raised $9.3M across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 15 yrs (0.5/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $9M | 14 mo ago | Funding Raised | — | Marian Mankos Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 36 | NanoImaging Services Provider of cryo-electron microscopy, protein production, and nanoparticle characterization services | $9M | 21 mo ago | Series A | 44 44 → 40 (-9%) · sector median +8% | Clint Potter Co-Founder | WebflowApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+19 | 2 patents Electron microscopy and image analysis for particulate characterization | 1 launch |
| 37 | Sylvatex Developer of advanced materials for energy, industrial, and strategic applications 27Moat top 38%Funding top 40%Patents top 44%Innovation top 46% All 10 signals ▾Moattop 38% Fundingtop 40% Patentstop 44% Innovationtop 46% Producttop 46% Talentbottom 49% Techbottom 46% Globalbottom 37% Marketbottom 26% Newsbottom 21% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 4/10 · IP moat: 23 patents Funding: Raised $8.4M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 15 yrs (0.4/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 27/100 | $8M | 13 mo ago | Series A | 16 16 → 17 (+6%) · sector median +8% | Virginia Klausmeier President & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+22 | 23 patents Lithium‑ion battery cathode material synthesis and nanostructured carbon‑coated composites | 1 partnership |
| 38 | HighRI Optics Manufacturer of electro-optical materials 32Funding top 50%Talent bottom 45%Global bottom 29% All 3 signals ▾Fundingtop 50% Talentbottom 45% Globalbottom 29% Funding: Raised $7.6M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 7 yrs (0.9/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 32/100 | $8M | 6 mo ago | Funding Raised | — | Keiko Munechika CEO | — | — | — |
| 39 | Albert Invent Developer of an end-to-end R&D platform for chemistry and materials | $8M | 15 mo ago | Series A | 66 | Ken Kisner Strategy | WebflowSentryZendesk+26 | — | 3 partnerships · 1 award |
| 40 | Refiberd Online platform offering innovative textiles and products for the fashion industry 42AI top 15%Talent top 38%Moat top 42%Funding top 43% All 8 signals ▾AItop 15% Talenttop 38% Moattop 42% Fundingtop 43% Patentstop 43% Innovationtop 46% Globalbottom 33% Marketbottom 22% AI: Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 42/100 | $5M | 14 mo ago | Seed | 4 | Tushita Gupta Co-Founder & CTO | — | 6 patents AI-driven textile fiber identification and regenerated cellulose thread/felt manufacturing | — |
| 41 | Eztia Materials Developer of cooling technology integrated into clothing and gear materials | $4M | 8 mo ago | Seed | — | Tiffany Yeh Co-Founder & CEO | Node.jsTailwind CSSReact+7 | — | — |
| 42 | Corumat Provider of biopolymer-based packaging solutions | $4M | 8 mo ago | Series A | 7 | — | — | 18 patents Low-density, microcellular biodegradable polymer foams via solid-state expansion. | — |
| 43 | Limelight Steel Provider of steel manufacturing services 37Innovation top 32%Patents top 33%Funding top 34%Growth top 35% All 8 signals ▾Innovationtop 32% Patentstop 33% Fundingtop 34% Growthtop 35% Talentbottom 45% Techbottom 37% Globalbottom 35% Marketbottom 9% Innovation: 14 patents (top 48% of patent-holders) · 14 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 Patents: 14 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 14 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $3M | 7 mo ago | Seed | 4 | Andy Zhao Co-Founder | WebflowjsDelivrCloudflare+5 | 14 patents Laser-driven photonic furnaces for efficient metal smelting and oxide reduction | — |
| 44 | Khemia Metals Developer of sustainable battery materials | $2M | 14 mo ago | Seed | — | Helen Bergstrom CEO | — | — | — |
| 45 | Nature Coatings Manufacturer of black pigments | $2M | 21 mo ago | Acquired | 6 | Jane Palmer Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+25 | 10 patents Plant-derived carbon pigments and liquid dispersions for inks, coatings, and colorants | — |
| 46 | Helicoid Industries Manufacturer of composite materials and components using this helicoid structure | $2M | 12 mo ago | Seed | 5 | Chad Wasilenkoff CEO | WixSentryBootstrap+11 | — | — |
| 47 | Replenysh Provides a marketplace for connecting brands and customers | $2M | 13 mo ago | Series A | 9 | Mark Armen Founder | Webflow EcommerceWebflowApple iCloud Mail+20 | — | — |
| 48 | Terecircuits Materials for manufacturing of ultra thin ICs | $1M | 15 mo ago | Seed | 7 | — | — | 26 patents Photochemical/thermal release layer technologies for semiconductor device fabrication and integration | — |
| 49 | Pheronym Developer of nematode pheromone-based crop protection products | $567K | 15 mo ago | Seed | 6 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+12 | 24 patents Enhancing agricultural biocontrol via nematode infectivity, soil microbial, and pheromone technologies. | 2 awards |
| 50 | AEMS Provider of viscosity solutions for pharmaceutical and industrial formulations | $350K | 3 mo ago | Seed | 4 | Nicholas Colella Co-Founder | — | 2 patents Agricultural chemical formulations for plant protection and sanitation applications. | — |
Top 12 Chemicals and Materials Tech companies in California
#1
Series C · Santa Monica, California · founded 2013 · 83 employees$185.4Mraised▾
Series C · Santa Monica, California · founded 2013 · 83 employees
Developer of agricultural solutions designed to protect crops from insect damage. The company focuses on creating environmentally sustainable products for farmers. It offers alternatives to traditional pesticides, utilizing scientific research and development. The company is committed to supporting sustainable agriculture practices.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 60how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 17%Patents
top 24%Moat
top 26%Innovation
top 34%Talent
top 38%Growth
top 39%Funding: Raised $185M across 13 rounds · 13 rounds over 13 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Series C (Sep 2025)
Patents: 158 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 64 filings since 2022 vs 89 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 158 patents · Soonicorn
Audience (LinkedIn): 21k LinkedIn followers — 5.7% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 7 partnerships (incl. Andermatt Group) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Sep 2025Conventional Debt—
- Sep 2025Series C$25.5M
- Feb 2021Series C$10M
- Dec 2020Series C$45.5M
Founders & team
Investors
Spruce Capital Partners, Xeraya Capital, Malaysian Life Sciences Capital Fund, Kairos Ventures, Lanx Capital, Tybourne Capital Management
Tech stack
Apache Http ServerGodaddyGoogle AnalyticsJssMicrosoft 365Mui
#2
Seed · Mountain View, California · founded 2025$300Mraised▾
Seed · Mountain View, California · founded 2025
Developer of autonomous laboratories and artificial intelligence scientists for physical sciences. The company focuses on creating AI scientists and autonomous labs. These labs generate high-quality data and negative results. The company aims to accelerate materials design and scientific discovery. It also deploys solutions with industry to help engineers iterate faster. The company is working to automate materials design.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 55how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 21%Talent
top 28%AI
top 45%Global
bottom 48%Market
bottom 40%Tech
bottom 35%Funding: Raised $300M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Seed (Aug 2025)
Talent: 4 named leaders on record · 4 C-suite/founder profiles curated
AI: Product described with: artificial intelligence
Audience (LinkedIn): 16k LinkedIn followers — 4.1% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
- Aug 2025Seed$300M
Founders & team
Investors
DST, Nvidia, Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, Radical Ventures, Seven Seven Six
Tech stack
Framer SitesGodaddyGoogle Font ApiGoogle WorkspaceHstsHttp/3
#3
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2022 · 15 employees$10Mraised▾
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2022 · 15 employees
Manufacturer of magnesium from seawater. It provides users with a company that manufactures carbon-neutral magnesium metal by electrolysis of seawater. It also provides users with recycling management, decarbonization, and hydrometallurgy.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 37how this company ranks against its industry peers
Moat
top 30%Funding
top 33%Patents
top 37%Innovation
top 39%Talent
bottom 49%Tech
bottom 47%Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 13 patents · 1 curated direct competitors tracked
Funding: Raised $10.0M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 3 yrs (2.0/yr) · Last round Series A (Mar 2026)
Patents: 13 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 13 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Audience (LinkedIn): 7k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 2 partnerships (incl. Magrathea) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Mar 2026Series A$24M
- May 2025Grant (prize money)$1.2M
- Feb 2024Grant (prize money)$19.6M
- Jul 2023Grant (prize money)$176.1K
Founders & team
Investors
Defense.gov, VoLo Earth Ventures, Capricorn, Valor Equity Partners, Exor Ventures, Counteract
Tech stack
AngularCart FunctionalityCore-JsGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Hosted LibrariesHsts
#4
Series B · Mojave, California · founded 2019 · 24 employees$27Mraised▾
Series B · Mojave, California · founded 2019 · 24 employees
Provider of bio processing, downstream, and formulations services for food manufacturing industry
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 32how this company ranks against its industry peers
Talent
top 28%Funding
top 31%Growth
top 38%News
top 39%Moat
bottom 49%Tech
bottom 37%Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Funding: Raised $27.0M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 5 yrs (0.6/yr) · Last round Series B (Jan 2026)
Growth: 4 acquisition/expansion moves in 24 mo · Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 8k LinkedIn followers — 2.1% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches · 1 awards announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Jan 2026Series B$100M
- Nov 2023Series A$19M
- Sep 2021Seed$8M
Founders & team
Investors
8VC, Veteran Ventures Capital, Marlinspike, MVP Ventures, Gaingels, Kern Venture Group
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementDiviGodaddyGravity Forms
#5
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2020 · 12 employees$18.6Mraised▾
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2020 · 12 employees
Manufacturer of biobased textiles made from captured carbon emissions. The company’s process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It creates textiles using virtually zero water and land. The textiles are the same material already used in apparel. The material biodegrades at the end of its life. The technology uses enzymes to convert carbon dioxide to cellulose.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 32how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 28%Partners
top 32%Moat
top 35%Talent
top 38%News
bottom 48%Global
bottom 39%Funding: Raised $18.6M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 4 yrs (1.5/yr) · Last round Series A (Nov 2025)
Partners: 2 partnership announcements in 12 mo (2 in 24 mo)
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · 3 curated direct competitors tracked
Audience (LinkedIn): 11k LinkedIn followers — 3.0% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 awards announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Nov 2025Series A$7.5M
- Dec 2024Grant (prize money)$970K
- Nov 2023Seed$5.1M
- Mar 2023Seed$8.7M
Founders & team
Investors
Talis Capital, Tin Shed Ventures, Necessary Ventures, H&M Group Ventures, Collab Fund, America’s Seed Fund
#6
Series C · Redwood City, California · founded 2013 · 53 employees$78.7Mraised▾
Series C · Redwood City, California · founded 2013 · 53 employees
Provider of AI-based solutions for materials informatics. It provides users with a data analytics platform which uses machine learning to mine data about materials, chemicals and processes. It also converts technical documents containing crucial data into a structured, searchable database. It also provides predictions about the performance of new materials, chemicals, and formulations.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 55how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 24%AI
top 24%Product
top 30%Moat
top 31%Patents
top 33%Innovation
top 39%Funding: Raised $78.7M across 12 rounds · 12 rounds over 10 yrs (1.2/yr) · Last round Grant (prize money) (May 2025)
AI: Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) · Product described with: ai-based, machine learning
Product: 3 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series C
Audience (LinkedIn): 10k LinkedIn followers — 2.7% of this cohort's audience
Hiring (LinkedIn): 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public)
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches · 2 partnerships (incl. Berolin GmbH & Co. KG) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- May 2025Grant (prize money)$2.2M
- Jan 2025Series C$2.6M
- Sep 2023Series C$5M
- Jan 2023Series C$16M
Founders & team
Investors
DOE, Innovation Endeavors, Prelude Ventures, AME Cloud Ventures, DCVC, XSeed Capital
Tech stack
AhrefsAmazon SesAmazon Web ServicesCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCookieyes
#7
Funding Raised · Oakland, California · founded 2019$7.6Mraised▾
Funding Raised · Oakland, California · founded 2019
Manufacturer of electro-optical materials. It develops materials with a high refractive index that come with polymer and nanocomposite formulations. It has applications in augmented and virtual reality, fibre photonics, and advanced optical solutions.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 32how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 50%Talent
bottom 45%Global
bottom 29%Funding: Raised $7.6M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 7 yrs (0.9/yr) · Last round Grant (prize money) (Dec 2025)
Talent: 1 named leader on record
Global: Single-market focus (United States)
Audience (LinkedIn): 325 LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Dec 2025Grant (prize money)$1.3M
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$1.3M
- Feb 2025Grant (prize money)$96.8K
- Feb 2023Grant (prize money)$1.3M
Founders & team
Investors
OSTI, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, H4XLabs
#8
Series B · Los Angeles, California · founded 2013 · 7 employees$26.6Mraised▾
Series B · Los Angeles, California · founded 2013 · 7 employees
Provider of tech-based solutions for producing yarns from old cloths. It aims to produce virgin-grade polymers from textile waste. It partners with companies, cities, and consumers to collect end-of-life textiles.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 37how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 29%News
top 34%Talent
top 38%Moat
top 39%Growth
top 42%Tech
bottom 41%Funding: Raised $26.6M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 9 yrs (0.7/yr) · Last round Series B (Jul 2025)
News: 5 BI events in 12 mo (of 17 tracked, 4 types) · +25% YoY · 4 high-value events (IPO/M&A/funding/contracts) in 12 mo
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Audience (LinkedIn): 14k LinkedIn followers — 3.6% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 2 partnerships (incl. REI Co-op Brands) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Jul 2025Series B—
- Aug 2024Conventional Debt$10M
- Nov 2023Series B$5M
- Jan 2022Series A$21.6M
Founders & team
Investors
Shinkong Synthetic Fiber, KIRKBI A/S, Temasek, Zalando, Best Sellers Investfwd, H&M COLAB
Tech stack
CloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementGoogle AnalyticsHstsHttp/3Jquery
#9
Series B · Berkeley, California · founded 2011 · 63 employees$51.8Mraised▾
Series B · Berkeley, California · founded 2011 · 63 employees
Manufacturer of green acids from microbes. It employs synthetic biology techniques to generate microbial catalysts to convert agricultural feedstocks into fine and commodity chemicals. Its high throughput screening and strain construction facilitate the optimization of pathways to convert the renewable feedstock to high-value chemicals. Its product portfolio includes malonic, lactic, isobutyric, aspartic, glyceric, and glycolic acids.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 64how this company ranks against its industry peers
Moat
top 26%Patents
top 27%Funding
top 30%Growth
top 31%Innovation
top 33%Tech
top 40%Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 111 patents · Soonicorn
Patents: 111 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 56 filings since 2022 vs 49 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Funding: Raised $51.8M across 24 rounds · 24 rounds over 15 yrs (1.6/yr) · Last round Grant (prize money) (Apr 2025)
Audience (LinkedIn): 8k LinkedIn followers — 2.2% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)—
- Feb 2021Series B—
- Jul 2019Grant (prize money)$2M
- Apr 2019Series B$10.9M
Founders & team
Investors
Y Combinator, Brainchild, 10x Group, Fifty Years, LG Technology Ventures, First Round Capital
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailBuilder.IoCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCore-JsCrazy Egg
#10
Series A · Berkeley, California · founded 2022 · 6 employees$9.6Mraised▾
Series A · Berkeley, California · founded 2022 · 6 employees
Developer of non-destructive material analysis systems using cold atmospheric plasma. These systems utilize physics-informed artificial intelligence to perform real-time inspection of substrates, films, and coatings. The technology enables measurement of material properties without physical contact or chemical alteration. Applications include monitoring production processes for semiconductors, battery components, medical devices, and industrial packaging. The platform supports benchtop, robotic, and roll-to-roll configurations to facilitate quality control and defect detection across manufacturing environments.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 50how this company ranks against its industry peers
Talent
top 28%Funding
top 32%Innovation
top 40%Patents
top 42%AI
top 45%Moat
bottom 49%Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Funding: Raised $9.6M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 3 yrs (1.3/yr) · Last round Series A (Oct 2025)
Innovation: 9 patents (top 70% of patent-holders) · 9 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 · Deep-tech classification: Tech Hardware
Audience (LinkedIn): 6k LinkedIn followers
Hiring (LinkedIn): 3 hiring posts in 12 mo (public) · momentum +3 · hiring: Staff Electrical Engineer (FPGA / MPSoC Systems & Digital Signal Processing), Staff EE
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships (incl. SirenOpt) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Oct 2025Grant (prize money)$2.4M
- Oct 2025Series A$6.5M
- Sep 2024Grant (prize money)$274.8K
- Jun 2024Series A$9.6M
Founders & team
Investors
Climate Capital, Voyager, Union Labs, Wireframe Ventures, Access Industries, Courtyard Ventures
#11
Funding Raised · San Diego, California · founded 2007 · 13 employees$24.5Mraised▾
Funding Raised · San Diego, California · founded 2007 · 13 employees
Developer of cameras for electron microscopy. It is engaged in innovating in the field of camera technology and other tools for electron microscopy. It offers a detection device for transmission electron microscopy.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 57how this company ranks against its industry peers
Innovation
top 20%Growth
top 35%Tech
top 41%Funding
top 42%Product
top 46%Talent
bottom 45%Innovation: 11 product lines
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Tech: 37 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare · Devops: Nginx
Audience (LinkedIn): 2k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- May 2025Grant (prize money)$1.5M
- May 2025Grant (prize money)$1.9M
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$2.5M
- Feb 2023Grant (prize money)$3.5M
Founders & team
Investors
HHS, OSTI
Tech stack
BluehostCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementComplianzCore-JsElementor
#12
Seed · Sunnyvale, California · founded 2020 · 19 employees$13.8Mraised▾
Seed · Sunnyvale, California · founded 2020 · 19 employees
Internet first brand offering performance apparel wear for women and men. The product catalog includes t-shirts, joggers shorts, pants, tank tops, jackets, vests, sleepwear, and more. It also offers hats, backpacks, gloves, thongs, boxers, etc. The company claims its products are made of performance fabric and have features like cooler than normal clothing, warmer than normal clothing, odor resistance, rapid drying, etc.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 32how this company ranks against its industry peers
Growth
top 35%Moat
top 39%Tech
top 50%Funding
bottom 49%Talent
bottom 49%Global
bottom 37%Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
Tech: 21 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare · Devops: Nginx
Audience (LinkedIn): 372 LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships (incl. Stanford University) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Sep 2025Seed—
- Apr 2022Seed$6M
Founders & team
Investors
Asia Green Fund
Tech stack
CloudflareCloudflare Browser InsightsGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font ApiGoogle Tag ManagerHttp/3
Funding & investor landscape
$9.7Btotal disclosed funding
142companies funded
695disclosed rounds
0rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
Notable founders
Frances Arnold
Co-Founder · Provivi
Pedro Coelho
Co-Founder & CEO · Provivi
William F
Co-Founder · Periodic Labs
Ekin C
Co-Founder · Periodic Labs
Alexander Grant
CEO · Magrathea Metals
Ben Christensen
Co-Founder & CEO · Cambium
Stephan Herrera
Co-Founder · Cambium
Neeka Mashouf
Co-Founder & CEO · Rubi
Leila Mashouf
Co-Founder & CTO · Rubi
Greg Mulholland
Co-Founder & CEO · Citrine Informatics
Keiko Munechika
CEO · HighRI Optics
Shay Sethi
Co-Founder & CEO · Ambercycle
Prism market signals · United States · country-scoped Prism corpus, 1,785,883 docs
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Chemicals and Materials Tech coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
RESEARCH IN CALIFORNIA · Materials
How research on Advanced Materials in California is moving
A read on the academic research around Advanced Materials in California — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 90 papers.
UC Los Angeles, Berkeley, and Irvine lead California's optimistic advanced-materials research, predominantly exploring mechanics, sensor-energy harvesting, and self-healing polymer composites across 90 papers.
90 papers · stance +0.59 · 47% breakthrough · 9% concern
top institutions
- University of California, Los Angeles19
- University of California, Berkeley15
- University of California, Irvine12
- California Institute of Technology10
- University of California San Diego7
leading researchers
Edwin A. Peraza Hernandez · Lizhi Sun · Qiguang He · Sagil James · Yadong Yin · Anurag Mahajan
prism intelligence · tone & topics
97% positive · 1% critical tone
ManufacturingRoboticsMaterials ScienceHealthEnergyConstruction
▲
Breakthroughs38 · 42%
▲ 42%→49% share
▲1.2× share momentum9 median citations53% since 2021mostly methods-led
Smart material breakthroughs are surging — papers nearly tripled from 5 to 12, driving field-share from 42% to 49%.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Smart material5→12
- Actuator1→4
- Piezoelectricity1→3
- Nanotechnology4→6
- Polymer4→5
Newly emergingPolymerization 0→3 · Liquid crystal 0→3
Landmark Piezoelectric Ribbons Printed onto Rubber for Flexible Energy Conversion · 491 cites
◆
Advancements36 · 40%
▼ 38%→32% share
▼0.8× share momentum7 median citations36% since 2021mostly methods-led
Advancements are cooling overall (38%→32%) despite Nanotechnology tripling from 1 to 3 papers.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Actuator2→4
- Nanotechnology1→3
- Smart material3→4
Landmark Multistable Shape‐Reconfigurable Architected Materials · 425 cites
▼
Concerns7 · 8%
▲ 4%→12% share
▲3.0× share momentum20 median citations71% since 2021mostly reviews
Concern research intensified sharply — field-share tripled from 4% to 12%, led by Smart material, Morphing, and Soft robotics.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Smart material3
- Morphing2
- Soft robotics2
- Nanotechnology2
- 3D printing2
Landmark Smart Materials for Microrobots · 402 cites
Common questions
How many Chemicals and Materials Tech companies are there in California, United States?
Radar tracks 279 indexable Chemicals and Materials Tech companies headquartered in California, United States that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Chemicals and Materials Tech companies in California, United States?
The Chemicals and Materials Tech companies in California, United States on this list have raised a combined $9.7B in disclosed equity funding across 142 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Chemicals and Materials Tech company in California, United States?
View is the highest-funded Chemicals and Materials Tech company in California, United States, with $3.5B in disclosed equity funding.
How many Chemicals and Materials Tech companies in California, United States are funded?
142 of the 279 Chemicals and Materials Tech companies in California, United States on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Chemicals and Materials Tech unicorns are there in California, United States?
2 Chemicals and Materials Tech companies in California, United States on this list are valued at $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in California, United States Chemicals and Materials Tech companies?
The most active investors in California, United States Chemicals and Materials Tech companies on this list include National Science Foundation, OSTI, America’s Seed Fund, HHS, Plug and Play Tech Center.
Rohit KhannaTrends & Stories
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.