Metal powder startup EntroMat gets $1 million investment from Swinburne University, Breakthrough Victoria

Breakthrough Victoria and Swinburne University of Technology are each investing $500,000 in EntroMat, a company specialising in High Entropy Materials (HEMs.)

HEMs are made by combining five or more main elements and possess “unique chemical and microstructural complexity” and can have useful properties such as high strength and hardness, corrosion and wear resistance, and thermal stability.  

EntroMat describes its proprietary technology as able to produce “sustainable, high-performance HEM powders” which are tailored for purposes including additive manufacturing, surface-engineered coatings or powder metallurgy components.

The company’s co-founder and Swinburne Space Technology and Industry Institute co-director, Associate Professor Andrew Ang, said, “EntroMat is redefining advanced alloy development by integrating computational alloy design, circular use of critical minerals, and scalable powder manufacturing.”

Breakthrough Victoria CEO Rod Bristow, added, “EntroMat’s technology represents a game-changer for industries that demand stronger, more resilient, and  sustainable materials. 

“Our investment through the Breakthrough Victoria University Innovation Platform (BVUIP) reflects our commitment to turning cutting-edge research into real-world solutions that drive innovation and economic growth.”

The funding is through the $100 million Breakthrough Victoria–University Innovation Platform, a co-investment program with seven universities to support startup companies spun out of research from the partnering university. 

Breakthrough Victoria was established in 2021 as a venture capital fund for investing $2 billion on behalf of the state. 

It recently announced over a billion dollars in co-investment at the seed and later stages. Investees include electric motor maker Kite Magnetics, fabless semiconductor company MILLIBEAM, and medical device developer Neo-Bionica. 

Editor’s note: original article edited to include Andrew Ang’s comment.

Picture: credit EntroMat

Further reading

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Breakthrough Victoria backs Neo-Bionica

Kite Magnetics expects to create “more than 140 highly skilled jobs” at upcoming factory