Canopy was founded in late 2021 to solve critical supply chain issues in the space industry. Founders Matt Shieh and John Howard noticed that high-temperature materials used in extreme space environments such as space launch and re-entry were critically constrained. This set forth the motion to transform legacy manufacturing processes across industries to support humanity’s reach for the stars.
We’re not just crafting materials – we’re crafting certainty for those who dare to reach beyond.
Co-founder & CEO
Co-founder & CTO
Chief Commercial Officer
Head of Advanced Composites
Head of Additive Manufacturing
Advanced Manufacturing Engineer
Advanced Programs Engineer
Materials & Process Engineer
Business Development Associate
Hypersonic Lead
Marketing Manager
Strategy & Business Development
Engineering Tech
Operations Lead
October 2021
Canopy was founded
January 2022
Selected for University of Chicago Polsky Center’s New Venture Challenge
March 2022
Signs Space Act Agreement with NASA Ames
June 2022
3rd place out of 60+ teams in University of Chicago Polsky Center’s New Venture Challenge
August 2022
Raised $1.8M pre-seed funding
September 2022
Selected for Techstars LA Space Accelerator
October 2022
AFWERX STTR Phase 1 “Thermal spray coatings for high throughput manufacturing of hypersonic thermal protection systems" for $75k
November 2022
Canopy awarded NASA SBIR Ignite Phase 1 for $150k
March 2023
First commercial sales
April 2023
Canopy awarded NASA ACO for over $700k in funding,
Canopy establishes 18,000 sq. ft facility in Littleton, CO
June 2023
AFWERX STTR Phase 2 “Thermal spray coatings for high throughput manufacturing of hypersonic thermal protection systems" for $1.2M
August 2023
Canopy awarded NASA SBIR Ignite Phase 2 for $850k
December 2023
Canopy signs contract with Missile Defense Agency (MDA) developing hypersonic technology
March 2024
Canopy’s awarded United States Air Force (SBIR) Phase II award developing Next-Gen Smart Thermal Protection Systems Development