Inside Italian defence tech (2026)
Jul 17
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Gloucester, United KingdomGloucester, United Kingdom
iComat
Manufactures steered-fibre carbon composite parts for aerospace, defence and space using its patented Rapid Tow Shearing process, producing components up to 65% lighter than conventional composites at production scale.
Founded 201850-100 employeesAthens, Greece2 open positionsWebsiteLinkedIn
Advanced Materials
Products & Solutions
RTS Manufacturing Service
iComat's core commercial offering: end-to-end manufacture of steered-fibre composite parts using the Rapid Tow Shearing process. Customers engage through three stages: Discover (design exploration and prototyping with digital tools and RTS deposition), Validate (low-to-mid volume production using all available processing routes including autoclave, press, RTM and HDF curing, machining and inspection), and Deploy (a dedicated RTS production line installed near the customer's facility and operated by iComat). The model eliminates upfront capital expenditure for the customer while delivering industrial-scale throughput.
Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS)
The patented fibre-steering process at the heart of iComat's manufacturing. RTS pre-steers carbon fibre tapes into a flat 2D preform, which is then stamped into its final 3D geometry without defects, solving the core limitation of conventional automated fibre placement. The process enables composite structures with fibres optimised for actual structural load paths rather than straight-fibre approximations, delivering weight reductions of up to 65% versus conventional laminates. iComat describes RTS as the only defect-free fibre steering technology available at production scale.
Videos
Advanced Engineering Show 2021
iCOMAT Short presentation clip
Lay Flat and Form
About
iComat is a Bristol-founded, Gloucester-based manufacturer of advanced carbon fibre composite structures, spun out of the University of Bristol in 2019 by Dr Evangelos Zympeloudis and Dr ByungChul (Eric) Kim. The company holds the patent on Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS), a process that steers carbon fibre tapes along curved paths during layup without generating defects, something that eluded composite manufacturers for 50 years.
Offices
Gloucester, United KingdomBacked by
8VCNATO Innovation FundSyensqo VenturesVelocity Partners VC
Customers & Partners
Joby AviationBAE SystemsEuropean Space Agency (ESA)HyundaiJaguar Land RoverPall Corporation
Timeline
2024-06
Raised $22.5 million Series A led by 8VC and co-led by the NATO Innovation Fund, with participation from Syensqo Ventures and Velocity Partners VC.
2020
Awarded a European Space Agency grant to apply RTS technology to space launcher structures.
2019
Founded by Dr Evangelos Zympeloudis and Dr ByungChul Kim as a University of Bristol spinout.
Open Positions (2)
iComat
Manufactures steered-fibre carbon composite parts for aerospace, defence and space using its patented Rapid Tow Shearing process, producing components up to 65% lighter than conventional composites at production scale.
Founded 201850-100 employeesAthens, Greece2 open positionsWebsiteLinkedIn
Advanced Materials
Products & Solutions
RTS Manufacturing Service
iComat's core commercial offering: end-to-end manufacture of steered-fibre composite parts using the Rapid Tow Shearing process. Customers engage through three stages: Discover (design exploration and prototyping with digital tools and RTS deposition), Validate (low-to-mid volume production using all available processing routes including autoclave, press, RTM and HDF curing, machining and inspection), and Deploy (a dedicated RTS production line installed near the customer's facility and operated by iComat). The model eliminates upfront capital expenditure for the customer while delivering industrial-scale throughput.
Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS)
The patented fibre-steering process at the heart of iComat's manufacturing. RTS pre-steers carbon fibre tapes into a flat 2D preform, which is then stamped into its final 3D geometry without defects, solving the core limitation of conventional automated fibre placement. The process enables composite structures with fibres optimised for actual structural load paths rather than straight-fibre approximations, delivering weight reductions of up to 65% versus conventional laminates. iComat describes RTS as the only defect-free fibre steering technology available at production scale.
Videos
Advanced Engineering Show 2021
iCOMAT Short presentation clip
Lay Flat and Form
About
iComat is a Bristol-founded, Gloucester-based manufacturer of advanced carbon fibre composite structures, spun out of the University of Bristol in 2019 by Dr Evangelos Zympeloudis and Dr ByungChul (Eric) Kim. The company holds the patent on Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS), a process that steers carbon fibre tapes along curved paths during layup without generating defects, something that eluded composite manufacturers for 50 years.
Offices
Gloucester, United KingdomBacked by
8VCNATO Innovation FundSyensqo VenturesVelocity Partners VC
Customers & Partners
Joby AviationBAE SystemsEuropean Space Agency (ESA)HyundaiJaguar Land RoverPall Corporation
Timeline
2024-06
Raised $22.5 million Series A led by 8VC and co-led by the NATO Innovation Fund, with participation from Syensqo Ventures and Velocity Partners VC.
2020
Awarded a European Space Agency grant to apply RTS technology to space launcher structures.
2019
Founded by Dr Evangelos Zympeloudis and Dr ByungChul Kim as a University of Bristol spinout.
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