These advanced composites combine outstanding heat resistance with exceptional damage tolerance. They’re also 25 percent lighter than aluminium, offering a powerful combination of strength, resilience, and low weight. CEO and co-founder Rahul Shirke and his team are developing, producing, and testing these next-generation materials for high-impact applications in aerospace and defense, where performance at the edge is non-negotiable.
From Lab to Launchpad
The idea to start Arceon began because of research at TU Delft in 2018. Founder Rahul Shirke had spent years working on advanced ceramic composites. He recognized a gap between what the materials could do in theory and what the market could actually access. Most CMCs were either very expensive and took months to be produced.
So, together with Bernhard Heidenreich and Rahul Sharma, he founded Arceon to bring his scientific research to the market. By developing novel production techniques and managing the whole value chain from raw formulation to final component, Arceon began building tough, usable, and affordable CMCs. These can be used in prototypes for heat shields, nozzles, and other high-performance components where failure is not an option. Current clients include private customers in the space and defense industry.
Material as a Service
Rather than acting as a conventional supplier, Arceon is a co-development partner. Clients face challenges like thermal load, structural requirements, and integration requirements. Arceon develops the material system to match them.
Of course, that involves formulation, prototyping, testing, and redesign. The startup handles each step in-house, at its facility in Delft, where a growing team of engineers and material scientists work closely with customers to tailor CMCs to specific use cases.
We see ourselves as enablers when we tailor a material that works where others fail, whole new possibilities open up.”
Built for space
Arceon’s components end up inside thermal protection systems, propulsion systems and military-grade hardware — places where extreme temperature, pressure, and corrosive elements are a given. For example, in one case, Arceon helped design a ceramic composite for a propulsion system where no metal could survive. In another, their composites replaced a costly, multi-part assembly with a single component that could endure both mechanical load and chemical exposure.
YES!Delft’s Accelerator Program
Arceon joined the YES!Delft accelerator program in 2020. The ecosystem provided the means to take off for a startup rooted in hardcore materials science. The team gained access to expert mentoring, hands-on guidance in business development, and introductions to early clients who were willing to explore bold new materials. Just as important was the sense of community. Being surrounded by other deep-tech founders facing similar challenges gave Arceon the support and perspective needed to scale up.
At YES!Delft, Arceon began moving from a research-first mindset to one driven by real-world application. That meant stepping back from the lab bench to ask sharper questions: What problems are we solving? Who are we solving them for? And how can we bring our technology to market faster? With help from the program’s coaches and experts, the team refined its value proposition, tightened its development cycles, and focused on high-impact sectors like space and defense.
YES!Delft challenged us to think like entrepreneurs. We had to translate deep tech into real value, and that’s when things started moving.”
– Rahul Shirke, CEO and co-founder of Arceon.
What’s Next
The long game is clear: Arceon aims to become a European leader in high-performance ceramic composite components. That means continuing to invest in R&D, expanding production, and growing a base of industrial clients who rely on their materials to go further. This year means working on their current projects and raising funds to take the following steps.
Arceon’s next investment round is well underway, with a strong start and momentum building. There’s still time to get on board before the round closes. Interested in joining their journey? Reach out now, or connect with the team for future opportunities.
Your dream can become a reality too!
As long as you want to make a change, don’t miss the opportunity to boost your startup by joining the YES!Delft Validation Program or Accelerator Program. However, if working for a startup resonates more with your ambition, we got you! Check out vacancies placed by our startups.
Be the change, as change starts with you.
