About Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America
The Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America comprises 111 companies, including 37 funded companies having collectively raised $984M in venture capital money and private equity. Out of these, 22 are Series A+ funded.
Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America has seen 17 acquisitions and 2 IPOs. This represents almost 17.1% of all such companies - which is higher than the 4.5% exit rate of tech companies in general.
This sector includes specialized professional development platforms, certification institutes, and technical R&D entities offering deep domain education and testing services tailored for the Materials ecosystem.
Materials Research and Training Services sector is also known as Materials Professional Education, Materials Technical Research or Materials Training Institutes.
Includes accredited enterprise training systems, field safety simulation programs specialized for Materials, professional certification validation databases, and industry-focused contract scientific research units. Excludes general public primary schools, baseline lifestyle coaching workshops, corporate general human resources onboarding tools, and non-specialized academic universities.
Top Materials Research and Training Services Companies in North America
There are 111 Materials Research and Training Services startups in North America which include Merkle, Materion, Aerodyne, Raydiance, Cupron. Out of these, 37 startups are funded, with 22 having secured Series A+ funding.
Over the past 10 years, an average of 2 new companies have been launched annually. Notably, several of these startups have been founded by alumni of Carnegie Mellon University, INSEAD and McGill University.
Here is the list of top Materials Research and Training Services startups in North America
1. Merkle
Key facts about Merkle
- Founded Year: 1971
- Location: Palo Alto (United States)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $112M
- Investors: TCV
- Latest Funding Round: PE, Jun 09, 2016, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 57/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 87 of 202,262 Competitors
2. Materion
Manufacturer of advanced materials and precision components for diverse sectors. It provides beryllium products, clad metals, high-performance alloys, and technical ceramics. The company also offers electronic materials, microelectronic packaging solutions, and precision optics. Its expertise encompasses material processing, chemical processing, and additive manufacturing, along with analysis and testing services. These materials and components are used in aerospace & defense, automotive, consumer electronics, energy, industrial, semiconductor, and telecom applications.
Key facts about Materion
- Founded Year: 1931
- Location: Cleveland (United States)
- Stage: Public
- Investors: Military Health
- Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Jan 16, 2025, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 53/100 What is this?
3. Aerodyne
Key facts about Aerodyne
- Founded Year: 1970
- Location: United States
- Stage: Acquired
- Investors: National Science Foundation, OSTI and 5 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Dec 12, 2025, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 47/100 What is this?
4. Raydiance
Manufacturer of lasers, optical components, and materials. It provides solutions for various sectors including communications, life sciences, aerospace & defense, industrial manufacturing, and scientific research. Products encompass a wide array of lasers (e.g., fiber, diode, ultrafast), optical fibers, and engineered materials like ceramics and wide-bandgap semiconductors. The company also offers subsystems and integrated solutions tailored to specific customer needs. Manufacturing capabilities include assembly, coating, and fabrication.
Key facts about Raydiance
- Founded Year: 2004
- Location: Petaluma (United States)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $83.7M
- Investors: Samsung Venture Investment, Horizon and 6 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Conventional Debt, Jul 2015, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 43/100 What is this?
5. Cupron
Key facts about Cupron
- Founded Year: 2000
- Location: Richmond (United States)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $10.1M
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Jan 10, 2025, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 43/100 What is this?
Companies founded year-on-year in the Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America
8 Materials Research and Training Services startups in North America were founded in 2020 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.
- Total Number of Companies
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | - |
2025 | - |
2024 | 1 |
2023 | 2 |
2022 | 3 |
2021 | 1 |
2020 | 8 |
2019 | 4 |
2018 | 5 |
2017 | 1 |
Stage-wise distribution of Materials Research and Training Services sector companies in North America
Out of the total 111 Materials Research and Training Services companies in North America, 37 have secured funding. Among them, 22 have reached Series A or higher, and 21 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 111
Funded - 37
Series A+ - 22
Series B+ - 21
Series C+ - 20
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 111 |
Funded | 37 |
Series A+ | 22 |
Series B+ | 21 |
Series C+ | 20 |
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Funding Trends in the Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America
Total funding year-on-year in the Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America
The Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America saw a total funding of more than $155M in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding was in 2025 at more than $45.3M.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2025 | $45.3M |
2024 | $1.42M |
2023 | $27.4M |
2022 | $3.6M |
2021 | $6.88M |
2020 | $8.31M |
2019 | $12.2M |
2018 | $37.3M |
2017 | $1.81M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Materials Research and Training Services in North America
In the year 2025, till December 2025, Materials Research and Training Services companies in North America have raised $7.86M in equity funding across 5 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till May 2024), Materials Research and Training Services companies in North America had raised equity funding across 1 round.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Materials Research and Training Services companies in North America:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Seed | 3759 | Dec 01, 2025 | ||
Seed | 3955 | Nov 2025 | ||
Seed | 1524 | Aug 08, 2025 | and 5 more | |
Seed | 2759 | May 14, 2025 | and 5 more | |
Series B | 9937 | Jan 10, 2025 | - |
Top Investors in Materials Research and Training Services in North America
OSTI is the top investor in Materials Research and Training Services companies in North America based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in Materials Research and Training Services companies in North America:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
Oak Ridge (United States) | ||
Washington, DC (United States) | ||
Arlington (United States) | ||
Alexandria (United States) | ||
Washington, DC (United States) |
M&A activity in Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America
In the year 2024, till July 2024, 3 acquisitions happened in Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | Jul 26, 2024 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jul 14, 2024 | ||
Business Acquisition | Mar 18, 2024 | ||
Business Acquisition | Sep 27, 2022 | ||
Business Acquisition | Apr 30, 2021 |
Acquisition trends in Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America
Here are the acquisition trends in Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | - |
2025 | - |
2024 | 3 |
2023 | - |
2022 | 1 |
2021 | 1 |
2020 | 1 |
2019 | 1 |
2018 | - |
2017 | 1 |
IPOs in Materials Research and Training Services in North America
In the year 2003, till January 2003, 1 IPO happened in Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Materials Research and Training Services sector in North America:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Jan 03, 2003 | New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) |
Colleges which produce the most Materials Research and Training Services companies in North America
Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the Materials Research and Training Services in North America
Most number of Materials Research and Training Services startups in North America have been founded by alumni from Carnegie Mellon University, INSEAD and McGill University.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Carnegie Mellon University | 1 |
INSEAD | 1 |
McGill University | 1 |
McMaster University | 1 |
Princeton University | 1 |
Queen's University | 1 |
University of California (Los Angeles) | 1 |
Total funding in Materials Research and Training Services companies founded by alumni from top colleges in North America
In the last 10 years, University of California (Los Angeles) graduates' Materials Research and Training Services companies in North America have raised the most funding among top colleges. Carnegie Mellon University and Princeton University alumni are second.
College | Total Funding |
|---|---|
University of California (Los Angeles) | $98.2M |
Carnegie Mellon University | $3.5M |
Princeton University | $3.5M |
INSEAD | - |
McGill University | - |
McMaster University | - |
Queen's University | - |
Top News in Materials Research and Training Services in North America
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Merkle & Airship Partner to Boost Mobile Loyalty with Salesforce Marketing CloudDestinationcrm•Nov 03, 2025•Merkle, Airship, Salesforce
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Odido and Merkle win Marigold Award for TeamNL campaign ahead of Olympic GamesConsultancy•Mar 18, 2025•Odido, Merkle
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NTS plans to expand the natural gas transport capacity in southeastern BrazilIndustrial Info Resources•May 30, 2024•NTS
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Merkle Named a Leader in Everest Group PEAK Matrix® for Marketing ServicesPR Newswire•May 15, 2024•Merkle
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Merkle and Celebrus combine to help brands walk the tightrope of customer engagementEnterprise Times•May 03, 2024•Merkle, Celebrus
