Cambium
A deep-tech company developing next-generation, AI-designed high-performance biomaterials engineered for extreme environments in defense and aerospace. Cambium was founded in 2020. The company is led by Simon Waddington. Based in El Segundo, USA. Team size: 51-200. Total funding raised: $127.0M. Latest round: Series B. Key investors include 8VC, Lockheed Martin Ventures, MVP Ventures, Veteran Ventures Capital, Gaingels, GSBackers, J17 Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Inevitable Ventures, JACS Capital, Jackson Moses, Vanderbilt University.
- Founded
- 2020
- Headquarters
- El Segundo, USA
- Team size
- 51-200
- Total funding
- $127.0M
Value proposition
Delivers superior thermal resistance and structural integrity through bio-manufactured materials that outperform traditional petroleum-based synthetics while securing domestic supply chains.
Products and solutions
ApexShield 1000™: Carbon-carbon thermal protection systems accelerating fabrication for solid rocket motors and hypersonic applications., High-temperature phthalonitrile resins, prepregs, and adhesives (Tg >400°C) for extreme structural environments., Laser & directed-energy protection materials (including aircraft transparencies/optical sensors; expanding form factors under 2026 USG contract)., Advanced composite prepregs, films, and adhesives via SHD (a Cambium company) for aerospace, motorsport, marine, and industrial markets., AI-driven materials discovery platform: molecular design of novel monomers/polymers fused with in-house manufacturing and test loops.
Unique value
Cambium bridges the gap between synthetic biology and heavy industry, using biological organisms as 'factories' to create complex molecules that are difficult or impossible to synthesize through traditional petro-chemistry.
Target customer
U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), aerospace OEMs, space exploration companies, and manufacturers of hypersonic and high-speed flight systems.
Industries served
Defense, Aerospace, Space Exploration, Energy, Marine, Motorsport, High-performance Automotive, Advanced Manufacturing
Technology advantage
Combines AI-driven molecular design with synthetic biology to drastically reduce the R&D cycle for new materials. This 'computational-to-biological' pipeline allows for rapid prototyping of materials with specific thermal and mechanical 'envelopes' required for next-gen hardware.
How they differentiate
Cambium differentiates through a 'computational-to-biological' pipeline that designs materials specifically for extreme thermal and mechanical environments (e.g., hypersonics), whereas competitors often focus on commodity chemicals or consumer-grade bio-plastics.
Main competitors
Solugen, Checkerspot, Hexcel Corporation
Key partnerships
U.S. Department of Defense / U.S. government (Air Force, Navy, Programs of Record; laser/directed-energy protection contracts), DARPA (contract for AI-accelerated discovery of extreme-temperature materials, Nov 2025), SHD Group (acquired Dec 2025; operates as SHD, a Cambium company — global prepreg/composites manufacturing), Lockheed Martin Ventures (strategic investor), 8VC (lead investor across Seed/A/B), Ginkgo Bioworks (historical 2021 biomaterials collaboration)
Notable customers
U.S. Department of Defense (Air Force, Navy, Programs of Record), DARPA, U.S. government laser/directed-energy protection programs, Lockheed Martin (via Lockheed Martin Ventures strategic relationship), Hundreds of aerospace, motorsport, marine, and industrial customers via SHD
Major milestones
Acquired SHD Group (Dec 2025), creating global AI-materials + qualified prepreg manufacturing footprint across US/UK/EU, Closed $100M Series B led by 8VC (Jan 5, 2026) to scale product pipeline and manufacturing, Awarded DARPA contract to use generative AI for extreme-temperature polymer composites (Nov 2025), US government contract to expand laser/directed-energy protection to larger form factors (aircraft transparencies/sensors) (Mar 2026), Secured strategic investment from Lockheed Martin Ventures (2023)
Growth metrics
Acquired SHD Group (Dec 2025) for global qualified prepreg/adhesives capacity; closed $100M Series B (Jan 2026) to scale US/UK/EU manufacturing; company states 200+ team serving hundreds of high-performance customers; LinkedIn company size still listed 51-200.
Market positioning
Specialized defense-tech and aerospace materials challenger providing high-performance alternatives to petroleum-based composites.
Geographic focus
North America, United Kingdom, and EU (El Segundo HQ; SHD manufacturing sites in US, UK, and Slovenia; Western defense and industrial customers)
Patents and IP
Holds proprietary IP regarding bio-synthetic pathways for high-performance polymers and specific bio-composite formulations (specific patent filings are typically maintained as trade secrets or protected under defense-related non-disclosure).
About Simon Waddington
Simon Waddington is a seasoned deep-tech executive and serial entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in materials science and biotechnology. Before founding Cambium, he was the Chief Operating Officer at Evolva, where he led the commercialization of high-value ingredients. His foundational career includes serving as Product Development Manager for Zeneca’s biopolymers division and as a Senior Research Scientist at ICI Advanced Materials. He holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Liverpool and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Latest news about Cambium
Official website: https://www.cambium-usa.com/