CMID - Component & Material Identity aus Berlin | B2B | Data Analytics

We give each material and component an identity to securely link data for effective reuse. For a truly sustainable construction industry.

Achievements

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Prototype

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Revenue

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What we offer

We create the interface between digital data and physical materials by assigning each component a unique, permanent identity. This ID is linked to the properties of the material, like a “fingerprint” or a “biometric photo”. Without using QR codes, chips or other visible identification symbols, the ID enables solid traceability and a link to data that is tamper-proof and resistant against change. A link that can be established whenever and wherever it is needed.

Our unique system seamlessly integrates into material production lines through a fast, scalable process. Once allocated our ID offers a universally recognizable material identity that boosts sustainability, compliance, and data- driven decision-making – accessible right from your smartphone.

Target group

We address the construction and real estate sector—one of the world’s largest industries, with enormous ecological and economic impact. Our primary target group are building material and component manufacturers. They face increasing pressure to provide transparent, verifiable product information—on ingredients, emissions, and origin—driven by regulation (e.g. EU Green Deal), customers, and investors. CMID helps them meet these demands efficiently, enabling digital product passports, ESG compliance, and new circular business models. In addition, construction companies and real estate developers benefit from improved material transparency and traceability. Urban miners and recyclers can identify and recover valuable resources more effectively. Regulators and financiers gain access to reliable, tamper-proof data for better risk and impact assessment. As digital, circular practices become mandatory, demand for secure, scalable identification solutions is growing rapidly. We start in the German and European market, but our technology is globally scalable and transferable to sectors like infrastructure or industrial manufacturing.

Challenges

The biggest challenge ahead is transforming a highly fragmented, conservative industry like construction into a digitally connected, circular ecosystem. While there is growing awareness and regulatory pressure for sustainability, most material data is still siloed, unreliable, or lost after a building’s initial use phase. Convincing industry players to adopt a fundamentally new way of working—where every material has a digital identity and long-term traceability—is not just a technical task, but a cultural one. We need to build trust, prove real-world scalability, and show that circularity isn’t just good for the planet—it also makes economic sense. That means navigating long sales cycles, aligning diverse stakeholders, and scaling a deeptech solution that works reliably in complex, physical environments. But we see this as more than a hurdle—it’s our mission. And with the right partners and support, we’re ready to lead the change.

Our Story

The idea for CMID emerged from real-world frustration and a vision for lasting change. After years of working in design processes and the construction industry, we repeatedly encountered the same problem: once components left their original context, their data (ingredients, certifications and history) was lost. Although digital tools such as BIM offered partial solutions, none could guarantee long-term traceability across life cycles. QR codes and RFID chips were easily damaged, removed or forged. We realised that without a secure, persistent connection between materials and their data, true circularity would remain out of reach.

That’s when we asked a fundamental question: What if the material could carry its own identity? Inspired by the idea of making materials 'speak for themselves', we developed a technology that uses the unique surface structure of a material — like a fingerprint — to create a tamper-proof digital identity. This technology works with a simple smartphone and can withstand wear and tear, damage, and even partial loss of the material.

CMID was founded to turn this concept into reality, with strong backing from institutions such as the Fraunhofer Institute, the AHEAD Accelerator and the TUM Venture Lab Built Environment. Thanks to their support, we have developed a robust, scalable solution and received enthusiastic feedback from industry stakeholders, particularly material manufacturers and construction companies, who recognise its immediate value. Several pilot projects are now planned to test our technology in real environments and validate its impact across the value chain.

We are driven by the belief that every material deserves an identity because knowing what something is, where it comes from and how it can be reused is essential for building a sustainable future.