MITO Materials

Cover Block

Attribute	Value
Company Name	MITO Materials (formerly MITO Material Solutions)
Tagline	Developer of nano-additive and graphene-based modifiers for composites and thermoplastics.
Headquarters	Indianapolis, United States
Founded	2015
Stage	Seed
Business Model	B2B
Industry	Deeptech
Technology Type	Hardware (Material Science)
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (2)
Funding Label	Seed (total disclosed ~$8,220,000)

Links

• Website: https://mitomaterials.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mitomaterials

Executive Summary

MITO Materials is a deeptech startup commercializing a patented platform for functionalized nano-additives, a bet that advanced material science can be a drop-in upgrade for established polymer and composite supply chains [MITO Materials]. Founded in 2015 by Haley Marie Keith and Kevin Keith, the company emerged from research at Oklahoma State University funded by the National Science Foundation, grounding its technology in academic rigor before moving to an industrial facility in Indianapolis [CompositesWorld]. Its core products, hybridized graphene oxide and a cornstarch-based additive, are engineered to disperse without clumping, allowing manufacturers to enhance strength, durability, and sustainability in parts for automotive, aerospace, and wind energy without retooling production lines [Graphene-Info, 2026].

The founding team, a husband-and-wife duo named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Manufacturing, combines leadership and technical development roles, with Kevin Keith serving as CTO [Inside INdiana Business, 2026; news.okstate.edu, 2026]. The company has raised approximately $8.22 million in total funding across multiple seed rounds, with strategic backing from specialty chemicals firm Ingevity Corporation, which also placed a director on MITO's board [Tracxn; MITO Materials]. The business model is classic B2B advanced materials, selling additive formulations into capital-intensive, performance-driven manufacturing sectors.

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Company details, founding story, and core technology confirmed by primary sources and trade publications. Funding total corroborated by a financial data aggregator.

Taxonomy Snapshot

Axis	Classification
Stage	Seed
Business Model	B2B
Industry / Vertical	Deeptech
Technology Type	Hardware
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (2)
Funding	~$8.22M total disclosed

How the Company Got Here

MITO Materials began as a university research project before its formal launch. The company's foundational nano-additive technology was developed at Oklahoma State University with research funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) [CompositesWorld]. The co-founders, Haley Marie Keith and Kevin Keith, were students at the university when they launched the company in earnest in 2018 [news.okstate.edu, 2026]. The company was legally incorporated in 2015 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana [mitomaterials.com].

Key milestones trace a path from academic validation to commercial scaling. Early non-dilutive funding included approximately $400,000 in grant awards from NASA, NSF, VentureWell, and Oklahoma State University, alongside prize money from business plan competitions [Upside.fm]. The company secured its first institutional seed round of $1 million in August 2020, led by Evergreen Climate Innovations [Startup Intros]. A significant strategic step came in 2024 with a $2.5 million seed investment led by Ingevity Corporation, a specialty chemicals company, which also placed a representative on MITO's board of directors [Tracxn; MITO Materials].

Public recognition for the founders includes being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Manufacturing and Industry [news.okstate.edu, 2026]. The company has also established a production facility in Indianapolis, marking a transition from lab-scale development to commercial manufacturing [CompositesWorld].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Founding details and key funding rounds are corroborated by multiple independent sources including CompositesWorld, Tracxn, and the company's own announcements.

Product and Technology

The core proposition is a drop-in additive that promises to upgrade existing composite materials without forcing manufacturers to overhaul their production lines. MITO Materials sells engineered nano-additives, primarily functionalized graphene oxide and a cornstarch-based product, designed to disperse uniformly within polymer resins to enhance mechanical properties [MITO Materials].

The initial commercial product is a hybridized Graphene Oxide and an Epoxide POSS additive named “E-GO” [MITO Materials]. A second offering, MITO ACRE, is marketed as a renewable, cornstarch-based additive that can replace non-renewable fillers like mica [knowde.com, 2026]. The company claims its patented functionalization technique solves common dispersion challenges, preventing agglomeration to improve durability, flexibility, and strength in the final composite part [MITO Materials]. These additives are infused into resin systems for components in aerospace, automotive, wind energy, and sporting goods [Graphene-Info, 2026].

Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Product claims and descriptions are consistently reported across the company's website, industry trade press, and distributor listings.

Where the Demand Sits

The market for advanced composite materials is being reshaped by a push for lightweight, durable, and sustainable alternatives across heavy industries. The global composites market was valued at approximately $101.8 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $151.4 billion by 2028 [MarketsandMarkets, 2023]. The market for graphene-based materials was valued at $1.1 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to $5.5 billion by 2033 [Future Market Insights, 2023].

Metric	Value
Global Composites Market (2023)	$101.8B
Graphene Materials Market (2023)	$1.1B

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing drawn from third-party analyst reports; specific demand drivers inferred from industry coverage and company positioning.

Competitive Landscape

MITO Materials operates in a specialized niche of the advanced materials sector, where competition is defined by material science expertise, intellectual property, and the ability to scale production of high-performance additives.

Company	Positioning	Stage / Funding	Notable Differentiator
MITO Materials	Developer of functionalized graphene and bio-based nano-additives.	Seed (~$8.2M)	Drop-in additive platform focused on dispersion.
Toray Advanced Composites	Global manufacturer of high-performance composite materials.	Public subsidiary	Vertically integrated production.
Syensqo	Specialty polymers and composite materials.	Public multinational	Broad portfolio of engineered polymers.
Zoltek	Producer of commercial-grade carbon fiber.	Part of Toray Group	Scale and cost leadership in carbon fiber.
Technical Fibre Products	Manufacturer of non-woven veils and mats.	Private company	Specialization in engineered fiber veils.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor profiles are based on general industry positioning; specific differentiators for MITO are confirmed by company sources.

Opportunity

The prize for MITO Materials is a foundational position in the next generation of advanced materials, enabling lighter, stronger, and more durable products across trillion-dollar industrial supply chains. The company's core wedge is not inventing new resins but functionalizing nano-additives that disperse effectively in existing polymer systems [MITO Materials].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Opportunity framing is extrapolated from cited product claims and investor composition.

Sources

1. [MITO Materials] Home | MITO Materials | https://mitomaterials.com/
2. [CompositesWorld] Mito Material Solutions cuts ribbon on new facility in Indianapolis | https://www.compositesworld.com/news/mito-materials-solutions-cuts-ribbon-on-new-facility-in-indianapolis
3. [Graphene-Info, 2026] An interview with MITO Material Solutions' CEO, Haley Marie Keith | https://www.graphene-info.com/interview-mito-material-solutions-ceo-haley-marie-keith
4. [Inside INdiana Business, 2026] Special All-Women Edition: Inside INnovation - MITO Material Solutions | https://www.insideindianabusiness.com/videos/special-all-women-edition-inside-innovation-mito-material-solutions
5. [news.okstate.edu, 2026] Oklahoma State University news article on Forbes 30 Under 30 | https://news.okstate.edu/articles/engineering-architecture-technology/2026/mito-material-solutions-forbes-30-under-30.html
6. [Upside.fm] UP046: MITO Material Solutions // chemical additives for tougher composites | https://upside.fm/mito/
7. [Startup Intros] Tech startup MITO Material Solutions announces oversubscribed $1m Series Seed funding round | https://startup-weekly.com/Tech-startup-MITO-Material-Solutions-announces-oversubscribed-1m-Series-Seed-funding-round/
8. [Tracxn] MITO Materials - 2026 Company Profile, Team, Funding & Competitors | https://tracxn.com/d/companies/mito-materials/__NcAWf2InWFoTgLVYIQ1_IJ6W52Jp0cZvmNh49nKXHgY
9. [knowde.com, 2026] MITO ACRE product listing | https://www.knowde.com/stores/mito-material-solutions/products/mito-acre
10. [MarketsandMarkets, 2023] Composites Market by Fiber Type, Resin Type, Manufacturing Process, End-use Industry and Region - Global Forecast to 2028 | https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/composites-market-200051282.html
11. [Future Market Insights, 2023] Graphene Market Outlook (2023 to 2033) | https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/graphene-market