HTMS engineers raise £1.3 million to enable mass-market CMC availability

Source | High Temperature Material Systems (HTMS)

High Temperature Material Systems’ (HTMS, Bristol, U.K.) Dr. Danilo Di Salvo and Dr. Richard Grainger have raised £1.3 million in order to make high-performance materials like ceramic matrix composites (CMC) available for mass-market applications, including electric battery casings and automotive parts. 

The majority of the funding has come from the British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund and Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, through their respective fund managers, Maven Capital Partners and Mercia Ventures. Other investors included SFC Capital, DeepTech Labs, the U.S. venture fund Plug and Play and angel investors.
 

Funding will enable HTMS to open a new production facility in Wiltshire and an office in Leamington Spa to continue its materials R&D.

HTMS specializes in CMC materials. While lightweight and capable of withstanding extreme environments — CMC are widely used in the aerospace and space industries — their large cost of production means their use has been limited. The company was founded by Di Salvo and Grainger in 2021, who with more than 20 years of combined experience in the composites industry, found a method to significantly reduce energy, time and cost involved in producing CMC. HTMS’ aim is to bring CMC materials to a wider audience and create the U.K.’s first domestic supply chain.

“Richard and I saw the potential of advanced thermal composites but were frustrated with the high cost and lack of a U.K. supply chain,” says Di Salvo, HTMS CEO and co-founder. “This is a moment for British manufacturing. We are excited to scale up manufacturing of our products and look forward to growing our business and championing British innovation.”

The company is already working with automotive and battery manufacturers, as well as Cranfield University and other research institutes. As its CMC materials can withstand temperatures of up to 1400°C, the company is currently focusing on their use in exhaust parts, brake shims and electric vehicle battery casings — three key thermal challenges facing the automotive industry.

HTMS, which has a team of eight, is currently registered in Stratford-upon-Avon and has a laboratory in Bristol. Following its move to new and larger premises, it expects to create 40 new jobs over the next 4 years.