InventWood: Revolutionizing Wood Production to Create Steel-Strong Materials

Though it might seem like a plot from a science fiction tale, its roots are traced back to a lab in Maryland.

In 2018, Liangbing Hu, a materials scientist at the University of Maryland, unveiled a technique to convert ordinary wood into a material stronger than steel. At first, it appeared to be yet another remarkable discovery destined to stay within the confines of the lab.

“Many people reached out to him,” noted Alex Lau, CEO of InventWood. “He thought, ‘This is amazing, but as a university professor, I’m not sure what to do next.’”

Rather than giving up, Hu committed the following years to refining the technology, reducing the production time from over a week to merely a few hours. Eventually, it was fit for commercial application, leading him to license the technology to InventWood.

This summer, the startup is poised to commence its initial production of Superwood.

“Currently, we’re focusing on skin applications with our innovative commercial plant — albeit on a smaller scale,” Lau detailed. “In the long run, we aim to tackle the foundational structures of buildings. Concrete and steel account for 90% of carbon emissions in construction.”

To establish the factory, InventWood has secured $15 million through the initial closing of a Series A funding round, spearheaded by the Grantham Foundation, with participation from Baruch Future Ventures, Builders VC, and Muus Climate Partners, which the company revealed exclusively to TechCrunch.

InventWood’s Superwood starts with standard timber, which is mainly made up of cellulose and lignin. The aim is to enhance the cellulose content in the wood. “Cellulose nanocrystals are indeed stronger than carbon fiber,” Lau pointed out.

The company employs “food industry” chemicals to modify the molecular structure of the wood, followed by compression to strengthen the hydrogen bonds among cellulose molecules.

“We could quadruple the material’s density; while one might assume it would be four times stronger due to the added fibers, it’s actually about ten times stronger due to the enhanced bonds created,” Lau clarified.

The final product boasts 50% greater tensile strength than steel and a strength-to-weight ratio ten times superior, according to the company’s assertions. It also features a Class A fire rating, making it highly flame-resistant and immune to rot and pests. By incorporating specific polymers, it can be fortified for outdoor applications such as siding, decking, or roofing. The initial products from InventWood will focus on facade materials aimed at commercial and upscale residential structures, Lau shared.

The compression process also intensifies the colors. “The outcome resembles more vibrant, tropical hardwoods,” he added.

Ultimately, InventWood imagines utilizing wood chips to produce structural beams of any size without needing finishing. “Imagine I-beams looking like this,” Lau said, showcasing a piece of Superwood. “They’re breathtaking, akin to walnut or ipe. These are the natural colors; no stains have been used.”