Startup's solid-state metalworking could disrupt aerospace, defense industries
Original: This startup’s super metals could soon be in military drones, luxury watches, and chef’s knives
Why This Matters
Solid-state alloying could enable lighter, stronger materials for aerospace and defense while reducing manufacturing energy consumption significantly.
Foundation Alloy, an early-stage startup, has developed a solid-state alloying technique that smashes metal powder instead of melting it, creating superior alloys. The company raised $22 million in Series A funding and plans to scale production to several tons per week by 2027, targeting aerospace, defense, automotive, and luxury sectors.
Foundation Alloy has developed a novel alloying process that fundamentally differs from traditional metalworking methods used since the Bronze Age. Instead of melting different metals together, the startup uses a specialized mill that repeatedly smashes metal powder particles to create new alloys with superior properties. CEO Jake Guglin stated the company can "create properties that other people can't" and is currently constrained by production capacity rather than demand. The solid-state process uses approximately an order of magnitude less energy than traditional melting methods. The technology is based on 20 years of scientific research by Tim Rupert and Chris Schuh, who studied metal behavior at the nanometer scale. Schuh previously co-founded Desktop Metal and Xtalic. Foundation Alloy is conducting pilots with companies in automotive, aerospace, semiconductor, and defense industries, as well as manufacturers of chef's knives and luxury watches. The startup secured a $22 million Series A led by Voyager Ventures, with participation from Trust Ventures, Yamaha Motors, America's Frontier Fund, Overlap Holdings, Material Impact, Engine Ventures, El Cap, and Kanematsu Corporation, which will distribute metals in Japan and Southeast Asia. The company aims to reach several tons per week production capacity by 2027.