With the inaugural JEC Investor Day around the corner, we caught up with five investors who will be attending this special event to discover the most innovative startups, connect with industry leaders, and experience the best of composites innovation.
There’s no doubt that composites are a hot topic, and JEC World is expecting a record number of attendees for its milestone 60th edition. But when it comes to funding, talking to VCs was a useful reminder that funds are driven to this space by a variety of reasons, from corporate innovation needs to climate and sustainability goals.
Since new materials can address a wide range of needs, we know that many industries will leverage composites, but a better question is which ones can benefit the soonest. Our exchanges confirmed some trends that have already been in the spotlight, but also highlighted others that are less often thought of, such as biotech applications.
We spoke with:
- Minh Tran, founder & managing partner, Mandalore Partners
- Sébastien Léger, founding partner, Slate Venture Capital
- Matt Jones, managing partner, Syensqo Ventures
- Charles Gannon, CEO and director, Karlsrock
- Vanessa Amaral, venture director, 4elements
Editor’s note: Answers have been edited for length and clarity. Investors’ portfolio companies are marked with an asterisk.
Minh Tran, founder & managing partner, Mandalore Partners
How do new materials connect with your investment thesis?
New materials are central to our mission of reindustrializing France and driving the green transition: They enable sustainable production, reduce reliance on foreign technologies, and support innovations in key areas like 3D printing, energy storage, and advanced manufacturing.
Which industries do you believe can benefit from new materials the soonest?
- Energy and cleantech: Solar panels, batteries and hydrogen storage solutions;
- Automotive and aerospace: Lightweight composites for fuel efficiency and electrification;
- Manufacturing and 3D printing: Advanced polymers and metals for scalable production;
- Pharma and biotech: Cleanroom materials and drug delivery systems;
- Construction: Sustainable materials like carbon-neutral cement.
How do you work with startups after you’ve invested?
We provide strategic partnerships, operational support, market access, and growth capital. This includes connecting startups with industrial partners, modernizing infrastructure, securing pilot projects, and tracking ESG impact. Our hands-on approach ensures scalability and alignment with our Article 8 ESG commitments.
Can you mention some promising use cases you have come across?
- Next-gen solar panels using tandem silicium-perovskite cells;
- Automated footwear production with advanced materials;
- Modular cleanrooms for biotech and pharma;
- Durable robotic designs for industrial applications;
- Advanced materials for precision manufacturing.
Sébastien Léger, founding partner, Slate Venture Capital
How do new materials connect with your investment thesis?
We are a B2B climate tech fund. Materials are core to our investment thesis. We are actively looking at companies creating advanced materials, bio-based materials, or material using carbon. We are also very interested in recycled materials.
Which industries do you believe can benefit from new materials the soonest?
Many industries can benefit from new materials, starting with the battery industry and the construction industry. These are only two examples.
How do you work with startups after you’ve invested?
Two of our founders are ex-entrepreneurs who sold their companies. Helping portfolio companies is of paramount importance to us. We do so across multiple topics, from overall strategy, growth acceleration to capex execution.
Can you name some promising new materials startups you have come across?
We have seen many exciting companies. Just to name a few across the board: Arda*, Altrove, Tozero, Fairmat*, and Circular Rubber.
Matt Jones, managing partner, Syensqo Ventures
How do new materials connect with your investment thesis?
Our investment thesis in composites is centered on addressing the growing needs of our customers for composite parts. Customers are primarily focused on achieving lighter, higher-performing parts that can be produced faster, in larger volumes, and at reduced costs. While materials are a crucial component of the overall customer solution, they must contribute positively to the objectives of creating lighter, more manufacturable, cost-effective parts.
Which industries do you believe can benefit from new materials the soonest?
Industries that fight gravity, with wings or wheels, and that are transitioning to new fuels, be it electrons of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) should have the strongest customer pull to adopt more composite materials. Metrics of km/kwh or km/l both lead to end-user value propositions that should give composites an advantage to grow rapidly during this transition.
How do you typically work with startups after you’ve invested?
Like all VC investors, we leverage our network — internal to Syensqo and external — to help support our startups. We try to unite the entire value chain, from material to part, to make sure that customer needs are understood and being met. We help to bridge the cultural divide between an incumbent industry and a startup by understanding the unique perspectives and skill sets that both bring to the table.
Can you name some promising new materials startups you have come across?
Three material startups that I have tracked over time are Mallinda, iMicrobes and Lineat.
Mallinda has a vitrimer technology that can act like a thermoset or a thermoplastic, opening up opportunities for recycling, repair, and manufacturing flexibility. iMicrobes is making bio-based input chemicals, including acrylonitrile for carbon fiber production, while Lineat’s innovative approach to reusing surplus carbon fiber leads to input materials that lower carbon intensity and cost for the ultimate composite part.
Within our own portfolio, iCOMAT* and Plyable* both bring innovation to speed up and lower the cost of manufacturing composite parts, in line with our thesis on meeting customer needs in this space.
Charles Gannon, CEO and director, Karlsrock
How do new materials connect with your investment thesis?
They can help us serve customers better and enhance enterprise value.
Which industries do you believe can benefit from new materials the soonest?
Construction, energy and utilities.
How do you work with startups after you’ve invested?
As strategic advisors empowering leaders to grow.
Vanessa Amaral, venture director, 4elements
How do new materials connect with your investment thesis?
We focus on pre-seed investments in impact-driven startups that develop breakthrough technologies in materials science, particularly those enabling decarbonization, circularity, and resource efficiency. We believe that new materials play a critical role in addressing global sustainability challenges, from reducing industrial emissions to enhancing recyclability and replacing fossil-based materials.
Which industries do you believe can benefit from new materials the soonest?
There are a few industries where new materials can make a real difference.
In plastics and packaging, we’re seeing a big push for materials that reduce reliance on fossil fuels, like bio-based plastics, CO2-derived polymers, purification processes and advanced recycling technologies. The goal? Less waste, better circularity, and a smaller environmental footprint.
In textiles, they are going for sustainable alternatives to synthetic fibers, with innovations like microalgae-based biopolymers and biofabricated textiles offering a scalable replacement for petroleum-based materials without sacrificing performance or aesthetics.
Construction is another sector where new materials are making an impact, with low-carbon cement, bio-based composites, and next-gen insulation materials helping to reduce emissions from buildings while improving energy efficiency and durability.
How do you work with startups after you’ve invested?
As a venture studio, we take an active role in guiding startups beyond just providing capital. Our approach includes helping founders refine their technology roadmap and scale from lab-scale to pilot and industrial production; connecting startups with industrial partners, early customers, and supply chain stakeholders; helping assemble high-performing teams, recruiting key talent, and setting up governance structures; and supporting startups in securing follow-on funding from institutional investors, grants, and corporate partners.
Can you name some promising new materials startups you have come across?
- BioHalo (bio-based materials as eco-friendly, high-performance replacements for PFAS substances);
- CompPair (healable and sustainable composite materials);
- Extracthive (new technology to recycle carbon fiber reinforced polymers from production and post-consumer waste).