10 New Smart Coatings Companies & Startups to Watch in 2026

Executive Summary: Which are the Top 10 New Smart Coatings Companies & Startups?

1. Coatings Radar (UK): Provides a standards-aligned mobile app for coating-condition assessment with ISO 4628 visual references, film-thickness testing, and offline field-inspection capabilities.
2. Panlys Nanotech (India): Develops visible-light-activated TiO2 antimicrobial nano-coatings that continuously neutralize pathogens and VOCs under indoor lighting.
3. Guangdong Yufeng Industries (China): Manufactures one-component RTV silicone antifouling coatings that enhance hydrophobicity, prevent conductive water films, and increase flash-over voltage.
4. Krypton Egypt (Egypt): Builds high-performance liquid-applied polyurea and polyurethane waterproofing membranes offering rapid curing, UV stability, and long-term structural protection.
5. Rezilian (France): Produces natural-component metal-coating films that deposit ultra-thin platinum layers on titanium parts to reduce contact resistance and increase electrolyser durability.
6. NANOBLOC (UK): Makes ultra-thin antimicrobial nanocoatings (<200 nm) using metal-doped glass/ceramic matrices with controlled ion release and high thermal stability.
7. Nano Powder Synthesis (Cyprus): Offers nano-metal antimicrobial coating additives (zinc/silver) embedded into paints and polishes for long-lasting (5+ years) biocidal performance.
8. Cyanoskin (UK): Creates algae-infused photosynthetic coatings that capture CO2 in real time and self-regenerate under natural or artificial light.
9. AIVAM (Germany): integrates sensor-embedded smart varnish layers enabling touch, proximity, temperature, and moisture detection with minimal-power electronics.
10. Resimac (South Africa): Provides solvent-free epoxy, polyurethane, and silicone resin coatings engineered for corrosion, chemical, thermal, and abrasion protection in heavy industries.

Global Startup Heat Map highlights New Smart Coatings Companies & Startups

Through the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering over 9M+ startups, 20K+ technology trends, plus 150M+ patents, news articles & market reports, we identified the top smart coatings companies and startups.

The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights emerging smart coatings startups you should watch in 2026, as well as the geo-distribution of smart coatings startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research.

According to our data, we observe high startup activity in the USA and Western Europe, followed by India. The top 5 Startup Hubs for Smart Coatings are London, Singapore, Bangalore, Sydney, and Dubai.

Meet New Smart Coatings Companies & Startups to Watch in 2026

We hand-picked startups to showcase in this report by filtering for their technology, founding year, location, funding, and other metrics. These emerging smart coatings startups work on solutions advancing self-cleaning anti-microbial coatings, room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) antifouling coatings, advanced waterproof barriers, and much more.

1. Coatings Radar – Training App for Coatings Surveys

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: England, UK

UK-based startup Coatings Radar designs a mobile application for coatings surveyors. It addresses coating-condition assessment by enabling users to compare blistering, rusting, cracking, and flaking against international standards such as ISO 4628 and the European Rust Scale via interactive visualisation and offline mode.

It provides features including immersion-condition evaluation, dry film thickness and adhesion testing, and industry-specific modules for marine, offshore, petrochemical, and infrastructure sectors.

It supports consistent data capture by offering a comprehensive standards library, night/day modes, and offline functionality to suit field environments.

It fulfils the purpose of improving accuracy and standardisation in coating-survey reporting and supports asset-owners and inspectors in monitoring protective coatings efficiently.

2. Panlys Nanotech – Self-Cleaning Anti-Microbial Coating

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: Thiruvananthapuram, India

Indian startup Panlys Nanotech offers a visible-light photocatalytic oxidation system. It uses a titanium dioxide-based catalyst activated by visible light at approximately 410 nm to initiate oxidation of airborne and surface-borne pathogens as well as volatile organic compounds. This disrupts biological and chemical contaminants.

It features a suite of applications that includes nano-coating surfaces that continuously neutralise microbes under indoor lighting, which improves integration flexibility and operational safety.

It offers extended antimicrobial protection without relying on ozone or ultraviolet-C exposure that enhances usability across healthcare, pharmaceutical, and food-processing environments.

This technology provides asset-owners and facility operators with a reliable means of reducing biological risk and contaminant load to support operational hygiene and regulatory compliance objectives.

3. Guangdong Yufeng Industries – RTV Antifouling Coatings

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: Dongguan, China

Chinese startup Guangdong Yufeng Industries manufactures room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) antifouling coatings. It applies a one-component room-temperature vulcanized silicone rubber film onto the insulator and external insulation surfaces.

The film develops hydrophobicity and hydrophobic migration so that contaminants cannot form continuous conductive water films, and the flash-over voltage increases markedly.

The coating features strong adhesion, excellent hydrophobic transfer, non-conductive combustion residue, and a flame-retardant rating of at least FV-1. It requires no mixing prior to application and offers maintenance-free operation.

4. Krypton Egypt – Advanced Waterproof Barriers

• Founding Year: 2025
• Location: Giza, Egypt

Egyptian startup Krypton Egypt offers a suite of waterproofing systems built on high-performance resin technologies. It applies liquid membrane solutions, including polyurea, polyurethane, primers, and aliphatic polyaspartic top coats to form flexible and durable barriers on roofs, terraces, tanks, and infrastructure.

The technology works by spraying or applying these resin systems, which then cure and bond to the substrate. It creates a continuous elastomeric film that resists water ingress, UV degradation, and dynamic movement.

Moreover, it offers rapid-curing formulations, strong adhesion to a variety of substrates, and UV-stable finishes that suit both residential and industrial applications.

The company provides waterproofing solutions that improve structural resilience, reduce maintenance needs, and safeguard assets against water-related damage.

5. Rezilian – Plant-Based Coatings

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: Occitania, France

French startup Rezilian develops a high-performance coating technology for proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser components made with 100% natural components.

It deposits a uniform thin film of precious metal, such as platinum, onto titanium substrates using a proprietary chemical deposition process that improves electron transport and surface stability.

It reduces contact resistance, enhances corrosion protection, and maintains adhesion even on complex geometries like bipolar plates, porous transport layers, and sintered meshes.

Moreover, it supports scalable production via modular manufacturing units and maximises platinum efficiency, especially on intricate part shapes.

Finally, the company provides this coating to electrolyser manufacturers to increase stack durability, improve system efficiency, and lower the lifetime cost of green hydrogen production.

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6. NANOBLOC – Anti-Microbial Nanocoating Platform

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: London, UK

UK-based startup NANOBLOC develops an antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal nanocoating platform. It deposits ultra-thin (< 200 nm) coatings composed of a glass or ceramic matrix (such as silica) doped with silver or other metal nanoparticles via scalable, green processes including physical vapor deposition, sol-gel, and electrophoretic deposition.

It releases biocidal ions gradually without dispersing nanoparticles into the environment and retains activity even after exposure to high temperatures (up to 450 °C).

It shows efficacy against bacteria, fungi, and viruses (including SARS-CoV-2) on substrates such as textiles, filters, and high-traffic surfaces.

Moreover, it supports roll-to-roll and batch manufacturing, integrates AI-augmented process monitoring, and adheres to stringent scientific validation.

7. Nano Powder Synthesis – Anti-Microbial Surface-Coating Products

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: Limassol, Cyprus

Based out of Cyprus, Nano Powder Synthesis is a startup that provides a line of antimicrobial surface-coating products, NanoColoro. It embeds positively charged nano-metal particles like zinc and silver into paint and polish formulations.

This attracts negatively charged microbial cell membranes and then disrupts their integrity and genetic material through ion release and electrostatic interaction.

Moreover, it offers continuous antimicrobial protection for at least five years, integrates with various substrate types, and enhances durability against heat, cold, and moisture while avoiding ultraviolet or ozone-based treatments.

The company thus provides building owners and facility operators with a hygienic, long-lasting surface solution that reduces microbial contamination and supports safe indoor environments.

8. Cyanoskin – Algae-based Coating for Carbon Capture

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: London, UK

UK-based startup Cyanoskin advances a living paint technology based on an algae-infused coating. It works by applying a photosynthetic layer onto building facades, where the embedded algae grow and thicken under light, absorbing atmospheric CO2 through natural photosynthesis.

It offers continuous carbon capture, self-sustaining growth (using nutrients in its formula), and the ability to track CO2 uptake via built-in sensors and a digital dashboard.

Moreover, it uses entirely natural ingredients, does not emit odours, and develops over time rather than degrading like conventional paint.

The company provides a scalable, low-cost carbon sequestration solution that transforms urban surfaces into active CO2 sinks and helps building owners meet net-zero goals.

9. AIVAM – Smart Varnish Technology

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: Grunwald, Germany

German startup AIVAM develops a smart varnish technology. It integrates a thin layer of sensor-coating, AI-Varnish, onto nearly any surfacemetal, plastic, or foil. And it links to a low-power electronics backend to detect damage, temperature changes, moisture, or human proximity.

It features touch and proximity sensing, scratch and dent detection, and temperature-moisture monitoring, all without bulky hardware or high energy draw.

It uses minimal power, supports remote or urban deployment, and preserves the aesthetics of coated surfaces. The company thus enables transport operators in security-sensitive sectors to monitor structural integrity in real time, enhance safety, and reduce the risk of undetected damage.

10. Resimac – Solvent-Free Epoxy, Polyurethane & Silicone Resins

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: Cape Town, South Africa

South African startup Resimac offers a coating product range that employs solvent-free epoxy, polyurethane, and silicone resin technologies to protect industrial assets. It applies these resin systems by preparing substrates, applying primers or top-coats, and curing the materials to form dense, adherent films.

This shield equipment from corrosion, chemical attack, abrasion, heat, and UV exposure. Moreover, it offers features such as high-temperature-resistant coatings, chemical-resistant coatings, surface-tolerant primers, and systems compatible with marine, oil & gas, power generation, and manufacturing sectors.

The company delivers these engineered polymer solutions to increase operational asset life, reduce maintenance intervals, and enhance protection across demanding industrial applications.

Discover All Emerging Smart Coatings Startups

The smart coatings companies and startups showcased in this report are only a small sample of all startups we identified through our data-driven startup scouting approach. Download our free Industry Innovation Reports for a broad overview of the industry or get in touch for quick & exhaustive research on the latest technologies & emerging solutions that will impact your company in 2026!