Sabic has equipped Mallinda with funding as the CU Boulder-founded thermoset resins provider gears up for the launch of its first commercial product.
Mallinda, a US-based supplier of reversible thermoset resins spun out of University of Colorado (CU) Boulder, has received a $2m strategic investment from diversified manufacturing group Sabic.
Founded in 2014, Mallinda has built a resin system that enables manufacturers to produce reversible thermoset composite polymers which differ from conventional thermoplastics in that they can easily maintained in solid form through varying temperatures and can be returned to a liquid state after curing.
The thermosets would supplant the need for refrigerated transport to carry and maintain the shape of thermoplastics, while also improving sustainability by allowing manufacturers to recycle them into monomers-in-liquid at the end of their operational lifespan.
Mallinda is targeting high-volume transportation industries with its technology, such as automotive manufacturing, where the introduction of lightweight composites has suffered because of lengthy curing times associated with conventional polymer alternatives.
The capital will enable Mallinda to scale up in preparation for the launch of its first commercial product, and expedite development of additional thermoset materials for the transportation segment.
Mallinda’s approach was pioneered by CU Boulder researchers under Wei Zhang, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry and a faculty member at the university’s Materials Science and Engineering Program.
The spinout has not previously raised equity funding, however it has participated in CU Boulder’s Catalyze CU accelerator. It also received support through programs operated by US government-run research agency National Science Foundation and the US government’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade.