Skip to main content

Tekna

MaterialsSherbrooke, Quebec, CanadaFounded 1990· One of 1000 Materials companies tracked by AMPulse

Produces high-purity metal powders for additive manufacturing and microelectronics, and designs inductively coupled plasma (ICP) systems and wind tunnels.

CEO / Founder
Claude Jean
Team Size
201-500
Stage
Public
Total Funding
$106.1M
Latest Round
Post-IPO
Key Investors
Arendals Fossekompani ASA; Canadian Federal Government; Lugard Road Capital (Luxor Capital Group); Norron; Andenæsgruppen; Blackcrane Capital; Storebrand and Delphi funds

Technology & Products

Key Products

Metal powders (Titanium, Aluminum, Tungsten, Tantalum, Nickel, Nanopowders); Spheroidization Systems (Tek Sphero); Nanopowder Synthesis Systems (Tek Nano); Plasma Atomization Systems; Induction Plasma Spray Systems (Tek Spray); Inductively Coupled Plasma Wind Tunnels (ICPT), Huels Plasma Wind Tunnel (HPT), Segmented Plasma Wind Tunnel (SPT).

Technical position · AMPulse analysis

Patented inductively coupled plasma (ICP) atomization and spheroidization technology; NADCAP-certified metallic powder manufacturing (first in AM industry, 2025).

Patent position

Tekna filed 2 patent families in 2022-2024, down from 9 in 2019-2021, a 78% drop that far outpaces the 28% decline in tracked AM filings across the same patent offices, and its 16-family total trails named peers like GE Additive (219) and Linde (99). AMPulse analysis

Filing momentum
2 families filed 2022–2024, 9 in 2019–2021 (-78%); all tracked AM filings in the same offices -28%
Filed in
US 69%CN 13%EP 13%WO 6%
Named competitors, AM patent families
GE Additive 219Linde 99Carpenter Technology 75Puris 2

16 AM patent families in total. Recent years are still being published, so read a filing change against the same-office figure.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Vertically integrated production of spherical metal powders (titanium, aluminum, tungsten, tantalum, nickel) using proprietary plasma atomization technology, combined with sale of the plasma systems themselves.

How They Differentiate

Vertical integration (own plasma system IP + powder production) vs competitors who often use third-party atomization equipment; NADCAP-certified powder manufacturing.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Aerospace, defense, medical device, and additive manufacturing companies requiring high-purity spherical metal powders; industrial and research customers for plasma systems.

Industry Verticals

Aerospace, Defense, Medical, Additive Manufacturing, Microelectronics, Critical Minerals

Competitors

AP&C (Advanced Powders & Coatings, GE Additive); Praxair Surface Technologies/Linde; Carpenter Technology (Puris/LPW)

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Q1 2026: strong revenue growth driven by additive manufacturing demand; titanium powder orders from a U.S. defense customer increased sixfold (reported 22 Jul 2026); secured USD 8.1M multi plasma system order from a new US critical minerals customer (30 Jun 2026).

Major Milestones

1990: founded; 2025: Tekna Advanced Materials Inc. became first AM company worldwide to receive NADCAP accreditation for metallic powder manufacturing; listed on Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE:TEKNA); won Canadian Federal Court of Appeal patent case vs AP&C.

Notable Customers

U.S. Department of Defense-linked customer (titanium powder orders); new US critical minerals customer (plasma system order)

https://www.tekna.com

Recent coverage of Tekna

AM patents

AM-relevant patents linked to this company.

Patents
21
Granted
12
Families
16

Leading domains: material (21), process (21), equipment (5)

Filings by year: 2024: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 5 · 2017: 1

  1. Process and apparatus for producing powder particles by atomization of a feed material in the form of an elongated member10688564 · US
  2. Process and apparatus for producing powder particles by atomization of a feed material in the form of an elongated member11110515 · US
  3. ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING POWDERS WITH IMPROVED PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, METHOD OF MANUFACTURE AND USE THEREOF2020220143 · WO
  4. Process and apparatus for producing powder particles by atomization of a feed material in the form of an elongated member09718131 · US
  5. Process and apparatus for producing powder particles by atomization of a feed material in the form of an elongated member11951549 · US

Funding rounds

  • GrantCAD $21.1M2018-06Lead: Canadian Federal Government · Source: Global Trade Alert

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

Tekna Plasma Systems occupies a specialized position in the metal additive manufacturing supply chain as a producer of high-purity metal powders via induction plasma technology. Founded in 1990 and based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, the company has built over three decades of experience in plasma processing, differentiating itself from competitors through a highly automated industrial process capable of producing both micron and nanopowders at scale.

The company's core technology is a proprietary induction plasma system that spheroidizes and purifies metal powders, yielding materials suitable for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and other metal AM processes. Key products include titanium alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V, nickel superalloys like Inconel 718, and other advanced metal powders. Tekna also sells optimized induction plasma systems to industrial customers who wish to produce their own powders.

Tekna's target customers include tier-1 aerospace suppliers, medical device OEMs, and automotive component manufacturers. Notable clients include a U.S. aerospace tier-1 supplier and Asian manufacturers using metal injection molding (MIM). The company has also partnered with Université de Sherbrooke on research and development. With annual revenue of approximately $19.8 million and over $106 million in total funding from investors including Arendals Fossekompani and Luxor Capital Group, Tekna ranks 14th among 67 active competitors in the metal powder space.

A key strategic moat is Tekna's intellectual property in titanium powder production, validated by a successful patent dispute against AP&C Advanced Powders & Coatings Inc., a division of GE Additive, in which AP&C's patents were invalidated. The primary competitive risk is the commoditization of metal powders as more players enter the market and as powder recycling technologies improve, potentially eroding Tekna's pricing power.