Materials usually live in the background. Quiet, unglamorous, absolutely unforgiving. Software gets the applause, hardware gets the photos, but nothing flies, reenters, or survives heat without chemistry that does not blink when physics gets aggressive. Cambium Biomaterials did not raise its voice to get attention. It raised the floor.
Founded in 2019 by Simon Waddington and Stephan Herrera, Cambium Biomaterials was built by people who have already seen what breaks at scale. Simon Waddington brought decades across petrochemicals, specialty polymers, biotech ops, and venture creation. Stephan Herrera came with a rare mix of scientific fluency and narrative discipline after years covering biotech before running strategy and government affairs from the inside. This was never about novelty. It was about speed, control, and materials that perform when the margin for error hits zero.
This week, Cambium Biomaterials closed a $100M Series B led again by 8VC, with participation from Lockheed Martin Ventures, MVP Ventures, Veteran Ventures Capital, GSBackers, J17 Ventures, Vanderbilt University, Alumni Ventures, Gaingels, Inevitable Ventures, JACS Capital, Jackson Moses, plus family offices that do not chase noise. Same lead investor from seed to Series B does not happen by habit. It happens when execution keeps pace with ambition.
The proof lives in product and pull. ApexShield 1000 is already cutting carbon manufacturing cycles by up to 80%, taking processes that used to drag for months and compressing them into something closer to reality. Laser eye protection systems are moving into full commercialization. Navy programs, DARPA collaboration, BioMADE participation, and multiple Programs of Record are not marketing lines. They are filters, and most companies do not pass.
Then came the SHD Group acquisition, which quietly changed the math. AI-driven molecular design now feeds directly into aerospace qualified manufacturing across the US, UK, and EU. That means prototype to production in days, not quarters, with ITAR compliant, allied nation supply chains baked in instead of bolted on. In a world where supply fragility is strategic risk, that integration is not optional.
James Griffin and Tim Gardner now run technology and informatics with resumes built on shipping systems, not theorizing about them. Brett Schneider and Chris Pederson bring board level experience scaling advanced materials businesses when complexity spikes. Joe Lonsdale and the 8VC team keep leaning in because this is what happens when materials stop being the bottleneck and start being the advantage.
Startups, Startup Funding, Venture Capital, Series B, AI, Advanced Materials, Defense, Defense Tech, Aerospace, Carbon, Decarbonization, Deep Tech, Compliance, Technology, Innovation, Tech Ecosystem, Startup Ecosystem, DCTalks.
