Silvis Materials

Market position

Silvis positions itself as an early-stage entrant addressing the shift away from petroleum- and formaldehyde-based adhesives in a $73 billion industrial adhesives market, competing on the basis of cost parity with petroleum-based products, drop-in compatibility and regulatory compliance. It has moved from prototype to market-ready material but has not yet reached mass production.

Differentiation rests on a processing method that accommodates a wide range of cellulose feedstocks, a product that is 100% bio-based and free of formaldehyde while claimed to be cost-competitive with petroleum alternatives, drop-in compatibility with existing manufacturing lines, and end-of-life properties (biodegradable, compostable) that allow recycling of products previously considered unrecyclable. The feedstock model also lets farmers and foresters monetize low-value residues.

Technology

The core technology converts cellulose — described as the most abundant naturally occurring organic compound and roughly a third of all vegetable matter — into adhesive binders. Any feedstock that can be turned into pulp can enter the supply chain, including agricultural residues and eucalyptus pulp. In the company's lab at the University of Colorado Boulder, the pulp undergoes chemical reactions using green solvents, with process parameters tuned per application; the company states its processing method is the differentiating element. The production process is described as consuming less energy than making plastic-based glues, and the raw materials sequester carbon during plant growth. The resulting binder is 100% bio-based, formaldehyde-free, biodegradable and compostable. The company has filed for a provisional patent and describes the material as patent-pending.

Go-to-market

The company pursues co-development partnerships with manufacturers in packaging and building products, positioning its binder as a drop-in substitute that requires no change to existing equipment. It has validated demand through more than 100 customer interviews during the NSF I-Corps program and engagement with multiple Fortune 500 companies, and is seeking collaborative partners for pilots in 2026 while also seeking private investment.

Industrial manufacturers that consume adhesives and binders at scale, particularly in building products (such as particle board), consumer and single-use packaging, and adjacent sectors such as furniture manufacturing and textiles that depend on formaldehyde-based bonding agents.

Geography

Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, with a private lab in Boulder and laboratory operations at the University of Colorado Boulder. The company previously planned to conduct all manufacturing in the United States but has said trade uncertainty has prompted a reassessment of its supply chain and manufacturing strategy. Accelerator involvement included the Techstars program in Knoxville, Tennessee, and matching funds from LaunchTN.

History

Silvis began in 2020. After securing lab space from local chemical company Synthio Chemicals, the team developed its first prototype by 2022. Early support came from Techstars, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Plug and Play, the MIT e14 Fund, GFI Partners, TVx Boulder, CU Boulder and friends-and-family backers. The prototype led to an NSF grant and acceptance into the Techstars Industries of the Future accelerator in Knoxville, where the team collaborated with ORNL scientists — Dr. Shang Dai, now an advisor, and Dr. Chi-Linh Do-Thanh, an organic synthesis and solvent chemistry specialist who joined Silvis full-time as Director of R&D. A 2023 NSF SBIR Phase I grant funded team expansion and the Boulder lab, followed by a $1M NSF SBIR Phase II grant with matching funds from LaunchTN and support from the state of Colorado, producing a patent-pending, market-ready material. By 2025 the company was running paid pilots and scaling production.

Risks & controversies

The company has depended heavily on federal grant funding; it has stated that tightening US government spending on emissions-reduction programs and less stable federal funding have increased pressure to secure private investment on a shorter timeline. Uncertainty in global trade has also forced a rethink of its supply chain and manufacturing plans. Technically, the business is still pre-mass-production, with scale-up from liter-scale batches to commercial volumes as the outstanding execution risk, and its patent position remains provisional/pending.