‘Superwood’: US firm creates timber 10 times tougher than steel, resists water, fire
The material keeps wood’s natural warmth, texture, and charm, but is engineered to resist fire, rot, pests, humidity, and extreme weather.
A Abiotech startup from the U.S. is aiming to reshape the construction industry with the launch of a groundbreaking new material that mimics the look and feel of natural wood while outperforming high-grade steel in strength and durability.
Maryland-based firm InventWood, revealed that their engineering wood product called Superwood is a result of molecular-level transformation that turns natural wood into a material up to a dozen times stronger and 10 times tougher than its original form.
According to the company, which recently closed a USD 15 million Series A funding round to begin commercial shipments from its production facility in Frederick between July and September 2025, the material boasts a strength-to-weight ratio nearly 10 times greater the steel.
The fire-resistant, water-repellent, rot-proof and pest-resistant tech reportedly emerged from research led by Liangbing Hu, PhD, a materials scientist and distinguished professor at the University of Maryland, whose former work focused on carbon nanotube innovation.