WHY CURRENT ADHESIVES CAN'T KEEP UP
Today's drone and UAV manufacturers join carbon fiber composite parts using two-part epoxy adhesives. These adhesives need to be heated by conduction through the entire mold structure -- a process that takes 4 to 5 hours per cure cycle and requires the whole assembly to be heated, not just the bond line. The result: long cycle times, high energy costs, thermal stress on surrounding materials, and throughput that falls well short of what production schedules require. The industry has been stuck here because there hasn't been a reliable way to heat the adhesive from the inside -- until now.
The Opportunity
The global industrial adhesive market is projected to grow from $11 billion to $24 billion by 2030, driven by the shift from mechanical fasteners to adhesive bonding in lightweight vehicle and drone manufacturing. The drone and UAV sector alone is expected to exceed $7 billion in the same period. Yet manufacturers still rely on two-part epoxy systems that require hours of heating and curing. Sphota is building the technology to close that gap.
Self-Heating Adhesives for Composite Joining
Sphota's SHEN (Self-Heating Energetic Nanocomposite) additives are blended into standard bond adhesives at concentrations below 1% by weight. When activated by laser, microwave, or direct heat, the SHEN particles release controlled exothermic energy from inside the adhesive -- curing the bond line without heating the entire structure. This means faster cure times, lower energy consumption, and stronger joints with no changes to existing manufacturing processes. The additives are synthesized using Sphota's patented Laser Ablation Synthesis in Solution (LASiS) platform, which is designed for kilogram-scale production without expensive precursors or multi-step processing.
Why Now
Three converging trends are creating an inflection point for advanced adhesive technology. The shift to composites is accelerating. Drones, EVs, wind turbines, and aerospace platforms are moving to carbon fiber and multi-material hybrid structures that can't be joined with traditional welding or mechanical fasteners. Cycle time pressure is intensifying. As production volumes scale, manufacturers need adhesive solutions that cure in minutes, not hours. The industry benchmark of 24-hour cycle times is increasingly hard to meet with current materials. Nanomanufacturing is reaching commercial readiness. Sphota's LASiS platform, developed through over a decade of DoD-funded research, can now produce SHEN particles at kilogram scale -- making the technology viable for industrial deployment for the first time.
LASiS
LASiS: Patented Nanomanufacturing at Scale
Sphota's SHEN particles are synthesized using our proprietary Laser Ablation Synthesis in Solution (LASiS) platform — a high-speed, scalable manufacturing technique originally developed through DoD-funded research at the University of Miami.
Current TRL: 3, advancing to TRL-5. Collaborations include the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Multiple issued and pending patents.
Our Team
Ben Herkenhoff
Dr. Dibyendu Mukherjee
Shubham Garg
CEO
CTO — Professor, University of Miami
Lead researcher
Leading commercialization strategy and fundraising for Sphota. Background in business development with experience translating deep-tech research into market-ready products.
20+ years in laser-based nanomanufacturing. PI on multiple DoD-funded research programs. 20+ peer-reviewed publications in energetic nanomaterials.
Leading experimental synthesis and validation of SHEN additives for aerospace composite applications.
PROGRESS
2021 -- Founded: Sphota Materials incorporated in Miami, FL. Core SHEN technology licensed from University of Miami research. 2021-2024 -- DoD-Funded R&D: SHEN materials developed and validated through Department of Defense-sponsored research programs at the University of Miami. 2025 -- National Lab Partnerships: Collaboration established with Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for independent testing and validation. 2025 -- Patents Filed: Multiple utility patents filed covering SHEN synthesis, formulation, and application methods. 2026 -- Scale-Up in Progress: Kilogram-scale production demonstrated via upgraded LASiS platform. Advancing from TRL 3 to TRL 5. Next -- Commercial Pilot: Targeting first commercial pilot with a drone/UAV OEM partner.
Backed by Rigorous Research
University of Miami
ORNL
DoD-Sponsored Research
20+ Publications
Patents Filed