Materia, Inc.

Materia, Inc. is a scientific publishing company focused on the materials science community, operating on an innovative Diamond open access model. Founded in 2017, the company aims to address challenges in traditional academic publishing, such as high costs and access barriers, by providing a community-focused platform. Its flagship publication is the journal Matter, published in partnership with Cell Press, a division of Elsevier.

History

The company was established in 2017 by a group of scientists and publishing professionals, including founding editor Stuart Cantrill, who previously served as chief editor of Nature Chemistry. The founding vision was to create a more equitable and efficient publishing venue for the global materials science community, responding to growing dissatisfaction with the traditional Subscription business model. In 2019, Materia launched its premier journal, Matter, through a strategic partnership with the renowned publisher Cell Press. This collaboration provided the new venture with the distribution network and editorial systems of a major Scientific journal publisher while maintaining its distinctive operational philosophy.

Products and services

The core product is the monthly journal Matter, which publishes high-impact peer-reviewed research across the breadth of materials science, from fundamental Nanotechnology to applied Biomaterials and Energy storage. The journal's scope includes original research articles in formats such as Preprints and Research Articles, alongside review pieces and opinion-led Perspectives. Beyond the journal, the company provides a full-service Academic publishing platform that handles the entire workflow from submission and Peer review to production and dissemination, all built around its Diamond open access principle where neither authors nor readers pay fees.

Technology and research

Materia leverages the established Editorial Manager submission system and the online hosting platform of its partner, Cell Press, to ensure robust technical infrastructure for authors and readers. The company's research focus is inherently interdisciplinary, curating work that bridges Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, and the Life sciences. A key technological and philosophical commitment is to the Diamond open access model, which it implements without charging Article processing charges, distinguishing it from many other Open access journals. This model is supported by its partnership structure and a lean operational approach.

Business model and partnerships

The company operates on a unique Business model centered on its Diamond open access publishing, which is funded through its strategic alliance with Cell Press and Elsevier, rather than author or reader payments. This partnership allows Materia to benefit from the global sales, marketing, and technological resources of a major Publishing corporation while maintaining editorial independence and its fee-free ethos. The model is designed to be sustainable by integrating the journal into the existing Cell Press portfolio, sharing infrastructure costs, and leveraging the prestige of the Cell (journal) family brand to attract high-quality submissions.

Recognition and awards

Since its launch, the journal Matter has quickly gained recognition within the Academic community, earning a notable Impact factor shortly after becoming eligible for Clarivate indexing, which signifies its rapid adoption and citation impact. The company's innovative approach to publishing has been highlighted in discussions about reforming Scientific communication at forums like the Annual Meeting of the American Chemical Society. While the company itself does not typically receive corporate awards, the research it publishes is frequently featured in media outlets like Science Daily and has been recognized by institutions such as the National Science Foundation.