Executive summary

Silicone does not chemically adhere to a multitude of materials including thermoplastics, metals, glass, and more. Adhesives that adhere to both silicone and other materials are difficult to come by, volatile, and often toxic. This would not be a problem is silicone was not the primary soft material in a myriad of industries from soft robotics to med-tech. In 2021, researchers at SUTD’s Digital Manufacturing and Design Laboratory ran straight into this problem when designing their soft robots. Unfazed, they sought their own solution and thus the first Hybrid Adhesive was formulated.

Since its initial formulation, Hybrid Adhesives have been rigorously tested and continually innovated on. The result is a versatile adhesive that works to adhere silicone to a variety of materials with a high interfacial strength and a tuneable elastic modulus – all while being non-toxic before and after curing. Given these attributes along with its ability to be extruded and 3D-printed, Hybrid Adhesives is the only option on the market for multi-material automated assembly including silicones.

Hybrid Adhesives is now looking to enter the med-tech market, where silicones are ubiquitous in tubing, soft surfaces, and many other use cases. Currently, the industry uses complex mechanical fits or complicated chemical bonding processes which heavily encumber manufacturing and make repairs virtually impossible. Hybrid Adhesives stands ready to overhaul these processes and significantly reduce costs. Adhesives and Sealants represent a 147-billion USD market globally, with over 2% of it being for silicone (3.55-billion USD). Hybrid Adhesives has begun its foray into this market and seeks additional funding and connections to accelerate this process.