Tekna Turns Profitable on Aerospace and Defense Metal Powder Demand

The numbers

Tekna reported second-quarter revenue of CAD 10.6 million, up 18% from CAD 9 million a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA reached CAD 1.4 million, compared with a CAD 2 million loss in the same period last year. The company also posted a small net profit of CAD 100,000, reversing a CAD 3.9 million loss a year ago.

What is driving the growth

The Materials business, which produces high-purity spherical metal powders for additive manufacturing, is the main driver. Revenue there rose 20% to CAD 7.9 million, with aerospace and defense demand leading the way. Contribution margin in Materials jumped to 54% from 38% a year earlier.

CEO Claude Jean said customers that previously bought Tekna powders for research and prototyping are now placing larger, repeat orders. That shift matters because qualifying materials for aerospace, defense, or medical production takes time. Once a powder is approved for production, customers rarely switch suppliers.

Orders and backlog

In July, Tekna disclosed that 2026 orders for Ti-6Al-4V powder from a long-standing U.S. defense contract manufacturer had surpassed CAD 3 million, more than six times the roughly CAD 500,000 supplied in all of 2025. The company also reported a record CAD 28.5 million backlog, extending revenue visibility into 2027.

What it means for metal AM

Printer sales show where additive manufacturing is growing, but powder demand shows whether those printers are actually being used. Tekna's results suggest that a growing number of aerospace and defense programs have cleared the qualification hurdle and are now in serial production. The company works with 57% of the 69 aerospace and defense OEMs it has identified as potential customers, including Airbus, Boeing, and Dassault.