Best Chemicals Tech Companies in California, United States
The 103 best Chemicals Tech companies in California, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Pivot Bio.
Ranked: Best Chemicals Tech companies in California
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pivot Bio 🦄 Developer of microbial nitrogen products designed for crop nutrition enhancement | $618M | 59 mo ago | 256 256 → 305 (+19%) | 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 |
| 2 | 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 | 153 153 → 230 (+50%) | Bernhard Palsson Co-Founder | — | 1,721 patents Engineered microbial production of renewable chemicals like fatty acids, diamines, and glycol derivatives | — |
| 3 | 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 | 83 83 → 83 (+0%) | Frances Arnold Co-Founder | Node.jsMUIOpenSSL+10 | 158 patents Bio-based synthesis and microbial production of insect pheromones for sustainable pest control | 1 partnership |
| 4 | Knowde Provider of a platform for chemical industry data management solutions | $146M | 22 mo ago | 118 | Ali Javaheri Co-Founder & CEO | WordPress Block EditorWordPressApple iCloud Mail+26 | — | — |
| 5 | 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 | 53 53 → 68 (+28%) | 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 |
| 6 | Ubiquitous Energy Developer of transparent solar coating for power generation in windows | $70M | 53 mo ago | 17 | Richard Lunt Co-Founder | GoDaddy Website BuilderVimeoReact+10 | 151 patents Transparent, color‑neutral photovoltaic coatings for building‑integrated glass windows | — |
| 7 | Aurora Algae Provider of technology for algae based products | $62M | 164 mo ago | 6 | Gregory L. Bafalis CEO & Board Member | — | 87 patents Genetically engineered algae for enhanced lipid production and biofuel conversion | — |
| 8 | BioConsortia Developer of microbial-based solutions for nitrogen fixation, disease, and nematode control | $56M | 26 mo ago | 46 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | 223 patents Patents concentrated in health & consumer products | 1 launch · 1 partnership |
| 9 | 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 | 63 | Eric Steen CEO & Co-founder | Builder.ioApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+21 | 111 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
| 10 | Imubit Developer of artificial intelligence solutions for process optimisation in industries | $50M | 58 mo ago | 67 | Nadav Cohen CTO | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+24 | — | — |
| 11 | Chemdex Online B2B marketplace of chemical products | $43M | 326 mo ago | — | Jon Callaghan Founder | — | — | — |
| 12 | C3Nano Developer of transparent conductive inks and films | $43M | 73 mo ago | 28 | Ajay Virkar Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder | — | 165 patents Printable silver nanowire conductive inks and transparent coatings for flexible electronics | — |
| 13 | Next Energy Technologies Manufacturer of coatings for solar power generation | $29M | 28 mo ago | 26 26 → 28 (+8%) | — | Wix eCommerceWixSentry+19 | 87 patents Advanced lithium‑metal and anode‑free battery cell design, manufacturing, and integration. | 2 launchs |
| 14 | QuantumSphere Nano catalysts & integrated catalytic solution | $27M | 126 mo ago | 7 | — | — | 94 patents Patents concentrated in transport & manufacturing processes | — |
| 15 | Switch Bioworks Developer of microbial solutions for sustainable on-site fertilizer production | $27M | 17 mo ago | 21 | — | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+14 | 5 patents Synthetic biology microbial gene switches for density and phosphate sensing, plus irreversible condition control | 1 launch |
| 16 | Zymochem Provider of engineered microbes and biosynthetic pathways for industrial chemicals | $25M | 13 mo ago | 35 | Harshal Chokhawala Co-Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+14 | 42 patents Sustainable absorbent polymer production and renewable‑source chemical synthesis technologies. | — |
| 17 | California Safe Soil Manufacturer of crop nutrition products from food waste | $22M | 80 mo ago | 24 | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | Solazyme Provider of specialty ingredients derived from microalgae for the food, nutrition, and cosmetics industries | $22M | 197 mo ago | — | Harrison Dillon Co-Founder | — | 494 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
| 19 | Nelumbo Omniphobic nanocoating for air conditioners | $21M | 25 mo ago | 10 | Liam Berryman Co-Founder | WordPressMySQLMariaDB+19 | 98 patents Advanced functional ceramic coatings on polymers and integrated thermal‑management textile systems. | — |
| 20 | Boost Biomes Developer of microbiome-based products for crop protection | $20M | 66 mo ago | 12 | Adam Arkin Co-Founder | — | 40 patents Biological microbial agents for preventing and reducing fungal plant diseases | — |
| 21 | Allvivo Vascular Developing antimicrobial solutions for medical devices and wound-related infections | $18M | 13 mo ago | — | Jennifer Neff Chief Executive Officer | — | 25 patents Cationic drug delivery via adhesive films and antimicrobial wound‑care constructs. | — |
| 22 | Svaya Nanotechnologies Develops and manufactures molecular scale films | $16M | 167 mo ago | — | Kevin Krogman Co-Founder & CTO | — | 17 patents Nanostructured optical and solar-control coatings via layer‑by‑layer film technologies | — |
| 23 | Huue Manufacturer of dyes from microbial sources | $15M | 47 mo ago | 37 | Michelle Zhu Co-Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+13 | — | — |
| 24 | Q-Chem Developer of quantum chemistry software for accurate molecular system modeling | $15M | 14 mo ago | 52 | Peter Gill Founder | DrupalPHPUbuntu+11 | 205 patents DNA-encoded library synthesis and screening for drug discovery compounds | 1 internship · 6 launchs |
| 25 | Ruby Bio Provider of naturally occurring yeast services for food & beverage and personal & healthcare industry | $13M | 13 mo ago | 10 | Charlie Silver CEO | — | — | 1 partnership |
| 26 | Alchemy Platform offering an AI and cloud-based digital twin platform for the chemical industry | $13M | 45 mo ago | 2 | Ryan Rudin Co-Founder | WebflowAmazon Web Servicescore-js+17 | 5 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 27 | Ormet Circuits Advanced materials and adhesive solutions for electronics assembly and thermal management | $10M | 145 mo ago | 9 | — | — | 83 patents Low‑temperature solder and conductive paste technologies for electronic interconnects and packaging. | — |
| 28 | MyDx Developer of portable analyzer that assists in the detection of chemicals | $9M | 99 mo ago | 7 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+30 | — | — |
| 29 | 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 | 16 16 → 17 (+6%) | Virginia Klausmeier President & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+22 | 23 patents Lithium‑ion battery cathode material synthesis and nanostructured carbon‑coated composites | 1 partnership |
| 30 | Visolis Developer of bio-based manufacturing platforms | $8M | 41 mo ago | 7 | Deepak Dugar CEO & President | — | 52 patents Bio-based sustainable fuels and high‑energy rocket propellants via catalytic conversion | 1 launch |
| 31 | Albert Invent Developer of an end-to-end R&D platform for chemistry and materials | $8M | 15 mo ago | 66 | Ken Kisner Strategy | WebflowSentryZendesk+26 | — | 3 partnerships · 1 award |
| 32 | CleanWorld Provider processing organic waste processing services | $6M | 168 mo ago | — | Steve Tourigny SVP & Co Founder | — | 4 patents Nitrogen-rich liquid fertilizer synthesis from waste streams and programmable multi‑tank liquid handling | — |
| 33 | Carbonics Innovating cryogenic CMOS and carbon electronics for advanced applications | $6M | 139 mo ago | 4 | — | — | 13 patents Scalable deposition of aligned carbon nanotube films for RF field‑effect transistors. | — |
| 34 | Arqlite Technology-based recycler of plastic waste | $3M | 69 mo ago | 8 | — | — | — | — |
| 35 | 3E Provider of chemical safety, product stewardship, and supply chain visibility solutions | $3M | 64 mo ago | 625 | Greg Gartland CEO | WordPressMySQLMariaDB+35 | — | — |
| 36 | Nature Coatings Manufacturer of black pigments | $2M | 21 mo ago | 6 | Jane Palmer Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+25 | 10 patents Plant-derived carbon pigments and liquid dispersions for inks, coatings, and colorants | — |
| 37 | Corigin Provider of technology solutions for soil fertility | $1M | 67 mo ago | 4 | James Boettcher Co-founder & Board Member | — | — | — |
| 38 | Aequor Biotechnology company providing green, non-toxic solutions for agro-industrial markets | $1M | 29 mo ago | 470 | Marilyn Bruno CEO | — | 25 patents Antimicrobial agents for crop protection, aquaculture, and water system biofilm/fouling control | — |
| 39 | Nano Hydrophobics Developer of nano coatings with hydrophobic properties | $1M | 116 mo ago | 6 | Peter H. Boyd Founder & President | — | — | — |
| 40 | Pheronym Developer of nematode pheromone-based crop protection products | $567K | 15 mo ago | 6 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+12 | 24 patents Enhancing agricultural biocontrol via nematode infectivity, soil microbial, and pheromone technologies. | 2 awards |
| 41 | AEMS Provider of viscosity solutions for pharmaceutical and industrial formulations | $350K | 3 mo ago | 4 | Nicholas Colella Co-Founder | — | 2 patents Agricultural chemical formulations for plant protection and sanitation applications. | — |
| 42 | Maxterial Provider of technology to modify the surface of a material to impart self cleaning and anti-fouling properties | $350K | 24 mo ago | 5 | — | — | 74 patents Surface coating technologies for metal industrial components and related mechanical parts | 1 expansion |
| 43 | BioMilitus Developer of insect protein-based organic fertilizers | $255K | 64 mo ago | — | Ferisca Putri Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 44 | Intrinsyx Bio Manufacturer and supplier of biological farm inputs | $250K | 64 mo ago | 9 | Arshad Mian Founder & CFO | — | — | — |
Top 12 Chemicals Tech companies in California
#1
Series C · Santa Monica, California · founded 2013 · 83 employees$185.4Mraised▾
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.
- Sep 2025Conventional Debt—
- Sep 2025Series C$25.5M
- Feb 2021Series C$10M
- Dec 2020Series C$45.5M
#2
Series C · Redwood City, California · founded 2013 · 53 employees$78.7Mraised▾
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.
- May 2025Grant (prize money)$2.2M
- Jan 2025Series C$2.6M
- Sep 2023Series C$5M
- Jan 2023Series C$16M
#3
Series B · Berkeley, California · founded 2011 · 63 employees$51.8Mraised▾
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.
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)—
- Feb 2021Series B—
- Jul 2019Grant (prize money)$2M
- Apr 2019Series B$10.9M
#4
Series A · Berkeley, California · founded 2014 · 35 employees$25.4Mraised▾
Provider of engineered microbes and biosynthetic pathways for industrial chemicals. The company is re-engineering the microbe and is designing a new biosynthetic pathway to eliminate/reduce the carbon loss in the biological conversion of sugars and other bio-based feedstocks. It claims that the chemicals are produced in the manufacturing of consumer products.
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$1.9M
- Jan 2024Series A$21M
- Dec 2021Seed$4M
- Oct 2016Seed$350K
#5
Funding Raised · Lake Forest, California · founded 2000$18.3Mraised▾
Developing antimicrobial solutions for medical devices and wound-related infections. This biomedical company focuses on creating advanced antimicrobial technologies to combat infections related to medical devices and wounds. They collaborate with partners to provide effective treatment options that streamline infection control, improve patient results, and enhance healthcare economics. Their expertise lies in coating, drug delivery, and alternative antimicrobials. They develop coatings for medical devices and combination products, specializing in antimicrobial technologies that combine engineered antimicrobial peptides with biocompatible delivery formulations. These formulations prevent biofilms on medical device and tissue surfaces. Their antimicrobial peptides are engineered for specificity, potency, and stability, effectively eradicating bacteria within biofilms and rapidly killing pathogens. They produce durable antimicrobial formulations for medical devices and wound treatment, ensuring compatibility with manufacturing environments, sterilization processes, and shelf stability.
- May 2025Grant (prize money)$3.6M
- Aug 2024Grant (prize money)$295.9K
- Mar 2018Grant (prize money)$2.9M
- Jan 2017Grant (prize money)$1.2M
#6
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2017 · 118 employees$146Mraised▾
Provider of a platform for chemical industry data management solutions. The platform offers artificial intelligence to extract, structure, harmonize, and enrich data. It provides master data management, customer experience platform, and marketplace solutions. The company enables faster decisions across supply chain, sales, regulatory, and finance functions.
- Aug 2024Series C$60M
- Aug 2021Series B$72M
- May 2020Series A$14M
- Feb 2018Seed—
#7
Funding Raised · Pleasanton, California · founded 1993 · 52 employees$14.9Mraised▾
Developer of quantum chemistry software for accurate molecular system modeling. The software enables predictions of electronic and molecular structure, reactivities, properties, and spectra. It offers tools for density functional theory, electron correlation, excited states, and molecular dynamics. Wave function analysis, solvation modeling, and spectroscopy modeling are also supported.
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$247.9K
- 2023Grant (prize money)$247.9K
- 2022Grant (prize money)$249.3K
- 2021Grant (prize money)$249.4K
#8
Series A · San Carlos, California · founded 2020 · 10 employees$13.1Mraised▾
Developer of a biosynthesis platform intended to manufacture complex molecules that are biodegradable and non-toxic. The company's platform offers products that include naturally occurring yeast as a factory to convert low-cost sugar into high-value products, enabling clients to have sustainable personal, home care, food, and beverage products.
- May 2025Series A$8M
- Sep 2022Series A$5.1M
#9
Seed · San Carlos, California · founded 2022 · 21 employees$26.9Mraised▾
Developer of microbial solutions for sustainable on-site fertilizer production. It engineers microbes into a powder that farmers apply at crop sowing. The microbes proliferate alongside plants and then switch on fertilizer production. This reduces costs, runoff, and supply chain risks by making fertilizer where needed.
- Jan 2025Grant (prize money)$2M
- Aug 2024Seed$22.6M
- May 2022Seed$4.3M
#10
Series A · Alameda, California · founded 2000 · 16 employees$8.4Mraised▾
Developer of advanced materials for energy, industrial, and strategic applications. The company focuses on creating cleaner, more efficient pathways for producing materials used in electrified transportation, grid storage, and defense systems. It modernizes how manufacturing facilities operate by using domestic feedstocks and supporting regionalized supply chains. The process reduces capital needs by removing process steps and simplifying scale up.
- May 2025Grant (prize money)$1.6M
- Sep 2024Grant (prize money)$2.3M
- Sep 2022Grant (prize money)—
- Sep 2022Series A$8.4M
#11
Seed · Livermore, California · founded 2019 · 4 employees$350Kraised▾
Provider of viscosity solutions for pharmaceutical and industrial formulations. It designs and executes experiments using proprietary methods and patented technologies to solve viscosity challenges. The company helps clients optimize formulations for smoother delivery, improved manufacturing, and regulatory compliance. Services include engineering formulations from the ground up or refining existing ones, focusing on areas such as injectable biologics and sprayable coatings. Its expertise lies in uncovering synergistic changes in viscosity through screening methods, enabling faster and more efficient product development.
- Mar 2026Conventional Debt—
- Mar 2026Seed$100K
- May 2025Conventional Debt—
- May 2025Seed$225K
#12
Series A · California · founded 2020 · 66 employees$7.5Mraised▾
Developer of an end-to-end R&D platform for chemistry and materials. The platform unifies inventory management, ELN, LIMS, AI/ML, and automated SDS generation. It facilitates a streamlined flow of knowledge throughout research and development. The platform’s AI capabilities are designed to assist scientists in synthesizing molecules and optimizing formulations. It aims to integrate into existing workflows to digitalize research and development processes.
- Feb 2025Series A—
- Dec 2024Series A$22.5M
- Jun 2023Seed$7.5M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Chemicals Tech coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
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, focusing dominantly on mechanics, sensor/energy-harvesting materials, and self-healing polymer composites.
- University of California, Los Angeles19
- University of California, Berkeley15
- University of California, Irvine12
- California Institute of Technology10
- University of California San Diego7
- Smart material5→12
- Actuator1→4
- Piezoelectricity1→3
- Nanotechnology4→6
- Polymer4→5
- Nanotechnology1→3
- Actuator2→4
- Smart material3→4
- Smart material3
- Biomimetic materials2
- 3D printing2
- Field (mathematics)2
- Nanotechnology2
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.