News (Sponsor type)

The winners of the JEC Composites Startup Booster 2026 were announced on Wednesday 11 March, at JEC World, recognising the most promising emerging companies reshaping the future of composites and advanced materials.

Now in its ninth edition, the JEC Composites Startup Booster is the world’s leading startup competition dedicated exclusively to composites. The competition serves as a dedicated launchpad for innovative ideas, aiming at pairing high-potential startups with partners and investors who can bring their products to market. This year’s edition drew more than 160 applications from around the world, with 20 finalists selected to pitch live in front of an expert jury.

"As we approach the 10th anniversary of the JEC Composites Startup Booster, it is inspiring to see how the program has become a global platform for breakthrough technologies in composites. Startups play a critical role in pushing the boundaries of innovation in the composites and advanced materials sector. The 2026 edition once again demonstrates the incredible creativity and technological excellence emerging from entrepreneurs around the world. These winners represent the next generation of solutions that will shape the future of our industry," said Benjamin Debusschere, Head of Event Programs, JEC.

For the second consecutive year, JEC World also hosts a dedicated Investor Day on March 11, bringing together venture capitalists, some fifty startup founders and investors of all profiles for one-on-one meetings, show floor visits and exclusive networking sessions. The event gives investors – whether already active in the sector or exploring composites for the first time – privileged access to one of the most promising markets in advanced materials, while giving startups the opportunity to build the connections and secure the funding they need to scale.

Following two competitive pitch sessions, a jury of five senior industry and investment experts selected the three winners of the 2026 edition:

Grand Winner:
Soarce (USA)
Making composites stronger with nanofibers 8x stronger than steel
www.soarceusa.com

Runner-up Winner:
nebumind (Germany)
Turning production data into action
www.nebumind.com

Sustainability Winner:
Plastalyst by AC Biode (Luxembourg/Japan)
Recycling the most difficult wastes at low temperatures
https://acbiode.com

The 2026 winners were selected by a panel of senior experts from across the composites and investment ecosystem:

• Jawad BADREDDINE, Open Innovation Manager, Safran Corporate Ventures
• Jelle BLOEMHOF, Head of Composite Manufacturing Technologies, Airbus
• Aline ROTZETTER, Senior Investment Manager, Emerald Technology Ventures
• Mike SALCICCIOLI, Proxxima Market Development Manager, ExxonMobil
• Chris SKINNER, Vice President of Strategic Marketing and R&D, Owens Corning

A decade of innovation

Next year will mark a significant milestone: the 10th anniversary of the JEC Composites Startup Booster. Since its launch in 2017, the programme has grown into a truly global platform, spotlighting more than 1,300 startup projects from over 60 countries, bringing together 158 finalists and crowning 37 winners across editions held in Europe, the United States and Asia.

The competition is organised with the support of leading innovation partners Airbus, Proxxima™ (an ExxonMobil product) and Owens Corning.