DECARBONIZING

ADHESIVES

Materials that
Make a Difference

Founded in 2020, Silvis Materials is revolutionizing the $48B binders’ market that feeds into a $54B adhesive market. Our patent-pending, 100% bio-based binder is a game changer. Developed at our private lab on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, our low-cost, drop-in, and biodegradable material delivers unprecedented decarbonization. Imagine: up to 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for building products and 40% for packaging. We're not just reducing emissions, we're enabling the recycling of previously unrecyclable materials, including single-use packaging and diverse building components. Our sustainably sourced cellulose, derived from qualified biomass and tree sources, is the foundation of this transformative technology.

Dive into the future

A solitary olive tree on a sun-drenched hillside with white limestone rocks and distant mountains

With Silvis Materials

Our Technology

What We Do

Silvis Materials offers a groundbreaking, patent-pending binder solution that is 100% bio-based, cost-effective, and seamlessly integrates into existing processes. Our 'plug-and-play' technology, produced through an entirely green process, delivers superior sustainability with compostable and biodegradable properties, while enabling the recycling of industrial materials.

By leveraging a collaborative co-development model and existing supply chains, Silvis Materials is poised for rapid market entry and widespread adoption across diverse industrial applications.

Markets

Our unique technology, validated by 100+ customer interactions, targets a $28 billion formaldehyde resin market and expands into a $13+ billion adjacent space. With proven applications in building products and packaging, we're also tapping into the $38.8 billion industrial binder and $62 billion adhesive markets.

We're actively scaling and seeking collaborative partners to leverage this vast opportunity.

Why Now?

Binder and adhesives industries are at a crossroads, facing critical environmental and regulatory pressures that demand immediate and decisive action. Climate change, with its increasingly visible and disruptive effects, has placed immense pressure on industries to reduce their carbon footprints.

The adhesives sector, heavily reliant on fossil fuels, is a significant contributor, with up to 80% of its industrial emissions stemming from these sources. This reliance is no longer sustainable, as both regulatory bodies and increasingly conscious consumers are demanding a shift towards environmentally friendly alternatives.

Adding to this urgency is the EPA's recent determination, under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA), that formaldehyde poses an unreasonable risk to human health. This ruling, made in March 2024, signals an impending regulatory crisis for a vast array of industries that depend on formaldehyde-based adhesives and bonding agents.

These industries, encompassing everything from construction and furniture manufacturing to packaging and textiles, represent a combined market value exceeding $500 billion.

Failure to innovate and transition to sustainable solutions will result in:

Increased regulatory burdens and potential fines
Loss of market share to competitors offering greener alternatives
Damage to brand reputation and consumer trust
Significant disruption to critical supply chains

In essence, the adhesives industry must embrace a paradigm shift, moving away from traditional, unsustainable practices and embracing innovative, eco-friendly solutions. The window of opportunity to address these challenges is rapidly closing, making the development and adoption of sustainable adhesives an urgent priority.

Silvis Binders

Eliminate nearly 100% of greenhouse gas emissions associated with petroleum-based adhesives through raw material replacements

Contribute to cleaner oceans and protection of marine ecosystems

Drive a circular economy through increased recycling and reduced landfill waste

Eliminate toxic adhesive exposure, safeguarding public health

Transform end-of-life materials into valuable resources

Sustainability

The Silvis Vision

Imagine a future where building products and packaging contribute to a healthier planet. That's the Silvis vision.

Silvis binders reduce emissions caused by today's fossil-based alternatives by up to 80% in building products and packaging.

Many adhesives are becoming highly regulated, including the most common (formaldehyde-based binder) used in building products. Formaldehyde has been deemed a Class 1 carcinogen responsible for 57.6 M metric tons of CO2e annually.

Abstract flowing wooden forms in warm earth tones representing sustainable materials

Benefits of Silvis Materials

Carbon Sequestration

Trees absorb CO2 during growth, offsetting emissions in pulp production, and in theory can be carbon negative.

Renewable Powerhouse

Sourced from plant waste (biomass), and sustainable forestry.

Emissions Reduction

Lower energy consumption, lower GHG emissions.

Circular Economy

Transforming waste into valuable resources.

Pollution Prevention

Cleaner solutions for a healthier environment, with lower emissions, recycling, and reduced land and ocean waste.

Silvis is flexible about using industrially available sources tailored to specific client needs, such as biomass, pine, eucalyptus, and other sources. Silvis binders are also compostable and biodegradable, allowing for reuse and recycling of many products that are otherwise tossed into landfills.

Join us in building a sustainable future, where innovation drives both profit and positive change.

Our Journey

The Beginning

Silvis began in 2020, and was driven by the question: could we create a binder from nature? Though initial research revealed a premature market, the concept was revived in August 2020.

Fueled by passionate founders, free lab space, and invaluable support from Techstars, ORNL, Plug and Play, MIT e14 Fund, GFI Partners, TVx Boulder, and generous friends and family, Silvis rapidly developed its first prototype by 2022.

Momentum surged, leading to a 2023 NSF SBIR Phase I grant, enabling team expansion and the establishment of our Boulder lab. This success paved the way for a $1M NSF SBIR Phase II grant, matching funds from LaunchTN and supported by the state of Colorado, culminating in our patent-pending, market-ready material.

2020-2024

2025 and Beyond

The Present & Future

Join the Silvis revolution! We're forging powerful partnerships in packaging and building products to scale our groundbreaking binder solutions.

If you're ready to transform industries and drive sustainable innovation, connect with us on our contact page.

And for impact-driven investors passionate about sustainability and circularity, connect with us and let's build a greener future together!

Press Coverage

See what the media is saying about Silvis Materials' innovative approach to sustainable binders and our mission to reduce carbon emissions.

"Silvis Materials recognized among Colorado's most promising startups, demonstrating exceptional growth and innovation in sustainable materials."
Colorado Startups2024Read More
"Silvis Materials and ORNL collaborate to revolutionize sustainable building materials with bio-based adhesives, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint in construction."
EIN Presswire2024Read More
"The National Science Foundation awards Silvis Materials $1 million to advance their innovative solutions for reducing emissions in packaging and building industries."
EIN Presswire2023Read More

"Female-founded Silvis Materials receives additional state grant to develop sustainable fossil-free binders, furthering their mission to de-carbonize industrial materials."
EIN Presswire2023Read More
"Silvis Materials awarded $400,000 in NSF SBIR Phase I and OEDIT funding to advance their work in reducing emissions and protecting the climate through sustainable industrial products."
EIN News2022Read More

Press Inquiries

Meet the Team

Our diverse team of creatives, technologists, and strategists work together to push the boundaries of what's possible.

Patty Ferreira

CEO and Co-Founder

Patty Ferreira

CEO and Co-Founder

Patty drives corporate strategy and brings 30 years in product management, development, and strategy to Silvis. She revolutionized and patented automotive packaging with recyclable plastics, and holds an MBA from MIT, and advanced degrees in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry.

Dr. Dhrubo Laskar

CTO and Co-Founder

Dr. Dhrubo Laskar

CTO and Co-Founder

Dhrubo drives the company’s technology strategy and innovation with over 25 years’ experience in bio-based technologies, and is a recognized leader in cellulose, lignin, and bio-renewables. He holds a PhD in Chemistry, is patented, and highly published in the field.

Kim Hedberg

Chief Sustainability Officer

Kim Hedberg

Chief Sustainability Officer

Kim leverages 30 years of consulting experience, specializing in grant acquisition strategic planning, and sustainable finance, allowing her to blend scientific rigor with business acumen. She holds advanced degrees in Hydrology and Business.

Dr. Chi-Linh Do-Thanh

Director of R&D

Dr. Chi-Linh Do-Thanh

Director of R&D

Chi-Linh brings cutting-edge organic synthesis and solvent chemistry to the team as he focuses on advancing Silvis’s research initiatives. He completed post-doctoral research with world-renowned chemist Sheng Dai at UTK and ORNL and holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from UTK.

Dr. Andrew Goodwin

Advisor

Dr. Andrew Goodwin

Advisor

Andrew is an associate professor at University of Colorado Boulder, with research that focuses on the interplay between chemical and materials properties, providing expertise and testing services for Silvis as a subcontractor to our NSF Awards.

Dr. Sheng Dai

Advisor

Dr. Sheng Dai

Advisor

Sheng Dai is a corporate fellow and distinguished professor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who has made pioneering contributions to functional materials research as one of the most cited researchers in the world.

Jim Franklin

Advisor

Jim Franklin

Advisor

As a strategic thinker and seasoned entrepreneur, Jim mentors Silvis on strategy and leadership decisions based on his wealth of experience as a board member of many startups and CEO of Sendgrid which had a $3 billion exit.