iCOMAT secured a $22.5 million Series A investment to revolutionize carbon fiber composite manufacturing for the aerospace and automotive industries with its innovative defect-free fiber steering technology.

Target Information

iCOMAT (Innovation in Composite Manufacturing Automation Technology) is a pioneering company founded in 2019 by Dr. Evangelos Zympeloudis, focused on revolutionizing the production of carbon fiber composites. The company emerged from extensive research conducted at the University of Bristol, a global leader in composite materials, and has developed a unique manufacturing process known as Rapid Tape Shearing (RTS). This innovative process allows for defect-free fiber steering, optimizing carbon fiber's characteristics for various applications, particularly in the aerospace and automotive industries.

Industry Overview

The aviation industry is on the cusp of significant technological advancements, with increasing focus on weight reduction as a means to lower operational costs and enhance efficiency. This trend has propelled global air travel, with the number of passengers soaring from 383 million in 1970 to nearly 4.5 billion in 2019. As conflicts loom in regions such as the Indo-Pacific, weight reduction in defense aircraft is equally critical for extending operational range and capabilities.

Historically, aviation manufacturers have sought to achieve these reductions primarily through the substitution of traditional metals with composites. For example, Airbus' A350 and Boeing's 787 Dreamliner have seen weight reductions estimat