Beyond the Lab: How MXenes and Self-Healing Materials are following the new advanced materials playbook

This is the fourth and final part of the four-part series which will dive deeper into Advanced Materials. This series would not have been possible without the research conducted by Sanjana Vijay, Research Analyst Intern at Speciale Invest, whose effort significantly shaped its content.

If graphene was the opening act of modern materials innovation—overflowing with potential but tempered by commercial reality—then MXenes and self-healing materials are more grounded sequels. These materials, while scientifically remarkable, are being shaped as much by market alignment and integration strategy as by their physical properties.

MXenes, a class of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides, are proving to be quietly transformational in thermal and electronic performance. Meanwhile, self-healing materials offer the promise of longevity—surfaces and structures that can restore themselves after damage.

Neither is mainstream yet. But both are making progress with a different kind of narrative: one driven less by hype and more by fit, focus, and discipline. For investors, their trajectories offer valuable insights into how the next decade of advanced materials investing might unfold—not just as science, but as strategy.

MXenes: The Quiet Challenger

Discovered in 2011, MXenes are a family of atomically thin materials derived from layered carbides, nitrides, or carbonitrides. With exceptional conductivity, thermal stability, and tunable surface chemistry, MXenes offer performance that often matches—or exceeds—that of graphene.

In the lab, the results are compelling. But commercial deployment is still early-stage. That’s not due to a lack of capability, but rather due to the complexity of integration—a common barrier in materials innovation.

Where MXenes stand apart is in their go-to-market strategy. Instead of trying to overhaul entire product systems, leading players are targeting narrow, defined roles—like thermal interface materials in EV batteries or EMI shielding layers in aerospace and defense. These are areas where performance requirements are high, margins support material innovation, and switching costs are manageable.

This insertion-based approach avoids the trap that caught many early graphene players: the assumption that the world would reorganize itself around a new material. In contrast, MXenes are finding traction where they slot into existing manufacturing with minimal disruption—where validation, not reinvention, is the pathway to adoption.

Self-Healing Materials: Designed for Resilience

If MXenes are about conductivity and performance, self-healing materials bring a different value proposition: durability and lifecycle extension. These materials—ranging from polymer gels and microcapsule-embedded composites to elastomers that reform broken bonds—repair themselves after physical damage.

The concept resonates because it’s intuitive: concrete that seals its own cracks, phone screens that heal scratches, medical implants that restore their function. The pitch doesn’t require technical translation. For industries that face high maintenance costs or operational downtime—infrastructure, mobility, healthcare, and packaging—the economic benefit is immediate and measurable.

What’s noteworthy is how many startups are framing their value not in scientific novelty, but in total lifecycle economics. A coating that adds five years to a bridge’s lifespan, or a gel that eliminates the need for surgical reintervention, doesn’t just sound good—it saves money. This has made it easier to engage not only with R&D leaders but also with CFOs, procurement heads, and infrastructure asset managers.

Early applications gaining traction include:

• Smart coatings for EVs and aerospace

• Bio-based hydrogels for tissue repair and wound care

• Self-repairing concrete with microvascular networks

These are use cases where failure is expensive and replacement is complex, making resilience a strategic differentiator.

The Investment Landscape: Focus Over Frenzy

Unlike the platform-era exuberance that accompanied graphene, the capital flowing into MXenes and self-healing materials has been more measured and focused.

• In MXenes, much of the progress is emerging from university spinouts and IP-backed ventures. These teams are advancing through academic-industry partnerships, especially in sectors like energy storage and aerospace. Success here will depend on identifying OEM partners who can validate the materials within existing component architectures—like roll-to-roll coatings or battery stack films—without requiring fundamental design changes.
  

• In self-healing materials, we are seeing early-stage startup activity across the U.S., Germany, and parts of Asia. These companies are often tackling single verticals—transport, infrastructure, or healthcare—with well-defined material formats (gels, capsules, films). Their emphasis is on demonstrated field performance, and in many cases, alignment with sustainability mandates or regulatory pressure for long-life assets.
  

Crucially, the quality of capital deployment is improving. Investors are backing domain-specific solutions—not general-purpose material platforms. And the most credible companies are solving one hard problem, not claiming to reinvent the entire materials stack.

Strategy Over Science: Lessons from Graphene

If there is one shared advantage MXenes and self-healing materials have over graphene, it is historical hindsight.

Emerging materials companies today are:

• Engaging with industrial users earlier

• Designing for compatibility, not transformation

• Selecting verticals where material cost is a fraction of the system value

• Optimizing for manufacturability from the outset

These are strategic decisions—not scientific ones—and they are increasing the likelihood of successful commercialization.

What Signals Matter for Investors

For venture and strategic investors evaluating this space, the most important signals aren’t always technical. They’re commercial and operational. Here’s what to look for:

In MXenes:

• Demonstrated integration into known components like battery films, EMI shields, or thermal pads

• Process compatibility with existing formats like conformal deposition or roll-to-roll systems

• Strong IP position backed by university research or materials process know-how
  

In Self-Healing Materials:

• Quantified durability improvement over cycles

• Third-party validation in industrial or clinical environments

• Clear economic ROI in maintenance reduction or lifecycle extension

In both domains, companies that lead with narrow, well-defined use cases and prioritize manufacturability are better positioned than those with diffuse, exploratory ambitions.

Looking Ahead: Investing in Durability, Not Hype

The future of advanced materials investing is being shaped by a new mindset: practicality over promise.

MXenes and self-healing materials aren’t aiming to rewrite the rules of physics or replace every existing material. They are focused on enhancing performance where it matters, fitting into current systems, and extending the useful life of products and infrastructure.

That’s not as flashy as sweeping disruption. But it’s far more sustainable.

It means fewer hype cycles and more lasting adoption. Fewer pivots and more pilots. It means companies building their value not on what a material could do—but on where it fits, who it serves, and how it scales.

Final Thought: A New Playbook for Advanced Materials

MXenes and self-healing materials may not be household names. But they are quietly reshaping the advanced materials playbook—one built not on breadth, but on focus. Not on potential alone, but on strategic precision.

In this new paradigm, success comes to those who:

• Solve one hard problem

• Fit into one critical system

• Outperform everything else—reliably, economically, and at scale

As we look forward, that might be the most investable proposition of all.

If you’re building in next-generation advanced materials, please do write to us on info@specialeinvest.com

We at Speciale Invest believe in supporting breakthrough technologies that have the potential to solve pressing global problems. As early stage investors, we like to get our hands dirty early on and support founders in their zero to one journey with patient capital, business development opportunities and hiring. We enjoy and thrive on the risk that comes with backing deep-tech startups at the pre-product stage and help through product-market fit, early customers and scale-up. To know more about Speciale’s investments in disruptive technologies, please check our portfolio ‍