Hustler Words – InventWood, a Maryland-based startup, is poised to revolutionize the construction industry with its groundbreaking Superwood material. This isn’t your grandfather’s lumber; Superwood boasts tensile strength exceeding steel by 50%, while offering a tenfold improvement in strength-to-weight ratio. Developed from a process initially conceived by University of Maryland materials scientist Liangbing Hu, the technology has been refined over several years, reducing production time from over a week to a mere few hours. This summer will see the launch of InventWood’s first commercial batches.
The company’s initial focus is on exterior applications, utilizing Superwood for building skins. However, the long-term vision is far more ambitious. CEO Alex Lau explains, "Eventually we want to get to the bones of the building. Ninety percent of the carbon impact from buildings is concrete and steel in the construction of the building." This ambitious goal is fueled by a recently secured $15 million Series A funding round, led by the Grantham Foundation and joined by Baruch Future Ventures, Builders VC, and Muus Climate Partners, as exclusively reported on hustlerwords.com.
The secret behind Superwood’s exceptional properties lies in a novel treatment process. Starting with ordinary wood, InventWood employs "food industry" chemicals to modify the lignin, enhancing the hydrogen bonds between cellulose molecules. This process, coupled with compression, results in a material that is not only significantly stronger but also boasts enhanced fire resistance, pest resistance, and rot resistance. With polymer impregnation, it becomes suitable for outdoor applications such as siding, decking, and roofing.
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The initial product line will feature facade materials for commercial and high-end residential projects. The compression process intensifies the wood’s natural colors, resulting in a visually appealing material that resembles rich tropical hardwoods. Future plans include creating structural beams of any dimension from wood chips, eliminating the need for finishing. Lau envisions I-beams with the beauty of walnut or ipe, showcasing the material’s inherent aesthetic appeal. Superwood promises a future where strength, sustainability, and beauty converge in the construction industry.
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