About Adept Materials
Adept Materials’ mission is to increase the durability, comfort, and energy efficiency of the materials around us.
Our Team
Derek Stein, Ph.D.
Founder & CEO
Dr. Stein is the founder and CEO of Adept Materials. He invented the company’s core material technology at Brown University, where he holds a Professorship in Physics and in Engineering. Dr. Stein has expertise in nanotechnology, materials science, and thermodynamics. He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard University and his B.Sc. in Physics from McGill University.
Ilya Rushkin, Ph.D.
Principal Chemist
Dr. Rushkin leads the development of Adept’s climate-regulating material formulations. He has 25 years of experience in formulating coatings and launching successful products. He previously worked at Saint-Gobain, Desktop Metal, Canon Nanotechnologies, and Bell Laboratories. He Dr. Rushkin holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Sarah "DQ" Stolt
Research Engineer
Ms. Stolt develops and tests products and systems of materials incorporating Adept's proprietary technology. She also oversees Adept's environmental certifications and regulatory compliance. Ms. Stolt previously worked at Desktop Metal and Trillium Flow Technologies. She earned her Engineering degree from Northeastern University.
Doycho Karagyozov, Ph.D.
Technical Project Manager
Dr. Karagyozov leads the testing and technology validation programs for Adept's multi-functional products. He is an expert in test and measurement with prior startup experience. He previously worked at the technology startup Elenion that was acquired by Nokia. Dr. Karagyozov earned his Ph.D. in Physics from New York University.
Our Directors & Advisors
Mr. Cromie is Managing Director at Point Cove LLC. He previously was a Partner at Atlas Holdings LLC, a private equity firm with a focus on basic industries. Mr. Cromie has served on the boards of directors of multiple businesses and led the successful launching of several new companies, including RedBuilt LLC, a designer and manufacturer of roofing and flooring systems.
Mr. Galvez founded the material technology company NBD Nano and led that company as CEO until it was acquired by Henkel in 2022. He is currently VP of Business Development at Henkel. Mr. Galvez brings years of experience in deep tech startups and venture capital. He holds a degree in Biology from Boston College.
Ms. Colburn co-founded the direct-to-consumer paint company Backdrop, which was acquired by Schumacher & Co. in 2021. She is developing the financial model and supply chain for Adept's direct-to-consumer market launch.
Dr. Weston is an expert in building science and building materials. She worked at Dupont for over three decades, driving the technical development of air barrier and WRB products and earning the title of DuPont Laureate, that company’s highest technical distinction. Dr. Weston serves on the ASHRAE Energy and Air Barrier building code committees. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Caltech.
Mr. Ritter has broad experience in business strategy, marketing, operations, and team building. He previously worked at the New York Times, McKinsey, and Google X. Mr. Ritter is currently pursuing dual Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Environmental Management at Yale. He holds a degree in Economics from Brown University.
Mr. Pierce has decades of experience in overlaid panel, plywood, paper, and coated paper manufacturing. He has held leadership positions at several businesses, including President and CEO of Winston Plywood & Veneer and President of Olympic Panel Products LLC.
Mr. Grupe has experience developing and commercializing construction products. He spent more than 38 years with United States Gypsum Company (USG), working in their Research Center and culminating his time with USG in a corporate executive level technical position.
Our Story
Adept Materials was founded to make building smore sustainable and comfortable. Buildings represent a very big piece of the energy pie – about 40% of U.S. primary energy use. We can make deep cuts in energy use for heating and cooling by improving building envelopes. The challenge is doing that without compromising durability, comfort, or affordability.
The company founder co-directed Team Techstyle Haus in the 2014 Solar Decathlon Europe, a prestigious international competition that challenges teams of students to design, build, and operate solar-powered homes that are performant and comfortable. A collaboration between Brown University, the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Applied Sciences in Germany, Techstyle Haus was described as a "home that sips energy" by The New York Times.
From The New York Times:
"The prototype net-zero house required about $500,000 in materials and was engineered to run on 65 percent less heating and cooling energy than traditional homes of equivalent size. The walls are made of weatherproof fiberglass and Teflon Sheer fill fabric that has been stretched over steel ribbing and can withstand winds up to 130 miles per hour."
But there were tradeoffs. Making a building envelope more energy-efficient involves increasing its insulation and airtightness so it effectively traps heat. But that same building envelope will tend to trap more moisture, which increases the risks of mold, rot, and other forms of moisture damage that can lead to structural damage, poor air quality, and reduced comfort.
We urgently need technologies that enable buildings to adapt to conditions in ways that enable energy efficiency, comfort, and durability increase together. We also need to embark on a process of consolidating building layers and automating installation practices, which can drive down costs while increasing reliability.
Inspiration first came from biology. A leaf allows a plant to regulate its temperature and moisture content by controlling water transport through microscopic capillaries in its body and nanoscopic pores in its surface. Adept Materials’ technology relies on similar physical processes.
Inspiration next came from physics. The diode is the fundamental building block of modern electronics. It allows electricity to flow in one direction more easily than the other. Adept Materials’ technology acts like a “vapor diode” because it allows water vapor to move more easily in one direction than the other.
Adept Materials developed its technology to solve fundamental problems of building envelopes. The technology is versatile and can solve other problems related to managing moisture and heat.
Our History
For nearly a decade, Adept Materials has refined its technology and is now preparing for commercialization.
New product development
AkzoNobel Paint the Future Global Startup Challenge
Closed seed round and won U.S. Department of Energy Phase I
E-ROBOT Prize
Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator
CertainTeed / Saint Gobain inNOVAte 2019 Challenge Winner
Joined Greentown Labs
Cleantech Open Northeast Regional Finalist
Company founded as “Techstyle Materials, Inc.”
