Powdermet is a nationally recognized nanotechnology and advanced materials research and development organization. This 20+ person firm was founded by Andrew Sherman, who started Powdermet as a spin-out of Ultramet, Inc., in 1996. Powdermet develops, matures, and transitions breakthrough materials innovations that enable reduced weight, resource consumption, environmental footprint and life-cycle costs, while increasing energy-efficiency based on value-creation gained through engineered nano-scale features and hierarchically structures of metal and/or ceramic phases in a structure. Powdermet has an extensive proprietary technology base and application data in materials compositions, structures, and manufacturing processes incorporating nano-scale and submicron features into engineering materials through powder metallurgy and ceramic processing techniques.

Powdermet has primarily financed their development and manufacturing operations by winning over 80 government sponsored grants, as well as manufacturing and selling nanoengineered products to multinational companies that white label Powdermet’s manufactured powders. They have also excelled at generating additional revenue and societal impact by commercializing technologies through:

• licensing (licensing of ToolMet™ nanocomposite hard metals and production technology to Kennametal);
• spinning out new technology companies (aka, MesoCoat, Inc., formed to commercialize PComP™ nanocomposite cermet chrome alternatives), and now a subsidiary of Abakan Inc (ABKI:OTCBB), and
• forming strategic alliances (manufacturing scale-up of nano-LiFePO4 lithium ion battery cathodes with TJ Technologies).