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Who we are.
A team of engineers developing bioinspired dry adhesive and gripping solutions.

Setex Technologies is a spin out of Carnegie Mellon University and the first commercial manufacturer of micro-fibrillar polymer-based dry adhesive materials for a wide range of product applications. Our gecko- inspired Setex® products address challenges current adhesives and gripping materials cannot. Setex® technology enables visionary product designers to implement creative, first-to-market designs and solve tough, costly manufacturing problems.

 

Our expertise has been developed over the years. Encouraged by the results of nearly a decade of academic research in understanding and synthesizing biologically inspired adhesives, Dr. Metin Sitti, a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, and his student Dr. Burak Aksak, founded and spun out Setex Technologies, formerly known as nanoGriptech from the University in 2009. Since then, Setex Technologies’ team of subject matter experts has secured multiple research awards from numerous organizations, including the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, and the PA NanoMaterials Commercialization Center.

Our Story

What lets a gecko lizard hold on to a wall or stick to a ceiling?

Setex was born from this scientific curiosity: to mimic the microscopic fiber hairs called setae on a gecko’s toes, which help them defy gravity. We developed our unique, patented gecko-inspired Setex materials to deliver products and solutions that stick, grip and fasten with unmatched flexibility and under the most challenging circumstances.

Our technology works with dry intermolecular forces, not wet chemicals. Our adhesives leave no residue and are customizable in strength. Our gripping surfaces hold fast, even under wet or oily conditions. Our fastening solutions allow us to affix, remove and reaffix.

Setex brings a renewed sense of calm, with gripping and adhesive products that allow virtually anything to stay in place so we can continue to comfortably move around life and always stay in control.

Pat Clarkson, Product Development Engineer

Our Mission

Our mission is to be the leading innovator developing
and delivering adhesive, gripping, fastening and
stabilizing products and solutions.

Our Vision

Our vision is to keep things in their place
to help people stay in control.

Partnering with Our Customers

Setex Technologies has R&D facilities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to design, prototype and evaluate different materials to meet our customers’ specifications.
To create the most successful solutions, we partner with our customers to understand their applications, including material requirements and manufacturing parameters.

As our working relationships evolve, our product development activities can include:

  • Selecting or developing micro-patterns to meet adhesive of friction performance specifications
  • Material selection to meet application requirements
  • Prototyping and testing
  • Mass production and delivery
Nick Kirsch, Manufacturing Technical Engineer

Leadership Team

Our team includes a combination of scientific knowledge and business savvy. From engineering to manufacturing, sales and operations, we are a team of passionate experts in our chosen fields. We are innovators who thrive in bringing first-to-market technology across various product categories. But more importantly, we are a team built in the spirit of collaboration with a shared ambition to bring our technology and vision to market to help everyone stay in control™.

Nicholas Kuhn - CEO

Nicholas Kuhn

CEO
Paul Glass - CTO

Paul Glass

CTO
Burak Aksak - VP R&D

Burak Aksak

VP R&D
Elliot Geikowsky

Elliot Geikowsky

Sr. Manager R&D
Aimee DeLuca - VP Engineering

Aimee DeLuca

Director of Product Management
Claire Hoelmer - Operations Manager

Claire Hoelmer

Director of Operations