Founded in 2017 by fungal-melanin researchers Dr. Radamés J.B. Cordero and Dr. Arturo Casadevall, Baltimore-based MelaTech is known for turning research on this natural pigment into practical biomaterials. Its work focuses on scalable fungal melanin production for people and equipment exposed to radiation, including in space.
Melagen LabsMelagen Labs develops and manufactures MLC1, a proprietary hydrogen-based biomaterial polymer composite that shields space electronics and other assets from cosmic and solar radiation. The New York company is flight-validating the material aboard the International Space Station while building a commercial aerospace environmental-testing platform in Taylor, Texas, with radiation and thermal-vacuum capabilities planned. Its work is aimed at helping commercial off-the-shelf computing hardware operate reliably in orbit and on future deep-space missions.BROOKLYN, NY
Materials and Technologies, Corp. (MATECH)Founded in 1992 by former Yorktown IBM engineer and MIT Ph.D. Ricardo I. Fuentes, MATECH is a privately held Fishkill company known for turning advanced materials research into practical manufacturing technology. Its work has supported semiconductor and aerospace customers, including equipment and process technology for the X-ray optical elements used in nine NASA missions.FISHKILL, NY
SnovaBorn from its founder’s experience in Mexico’s tequila region, Snova uses biotechnology to turn tequila-production waste into biochemicals and biomaterials. The company isolates microorganisms from the agave microbiome, engineers them, and develops products such as natural melanin and insulation materials from the resulting process. Snova says its approach revalorizes more than 80% of tequila production waste while reducing resource use and creating economic value in the communities around the industry.
MatericFounded in 2020, Baltimore-based Materic turns laboratory materials technologies into commercial products, pairing scientists and engineers with in-house development and production capabilities. Its team works across electrospun nanofibers, custom formulations, and advanced 3D-printed parts, helping customers move from early concepts through pilot and commercial manufacturing. Materic says its portfolio includes more than a dozen technologies acquired from research labs across the country, with more than 60 years of collective team experience in commercialization.BALTIMORE, MD