# Mike Zimmerman

> Mike Zimmerman is the founder and CEO of Z-Polymers, the Lowell, Massachusetts company behind Tullomer, a melt-spun super polymer marketed as stronger than PEEK and stainless steel yet light enough to print on a desktop 3D machine. A career materials scientist with a PhD in mechanical engineering, he spent nearly 15 years at Bell Labs and Saint-Gobain before founding a string of deep-tech ventures including Quantum Leap Packaging and the solid-state battery company Ionic Materials. He has also taught materials science at Tufts University for more than three decades.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Z-Polymers
- **Organizations:** Z-Polymers, Tufts University, Ionic Materials, Quantum Leap Packaging (QLP), Bell Laboratories, Saint-Gobain, Imperial College London
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, S.M. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
- **Known for:** Founder of four deep-tech materials startups, Invented Tullomer, a melt-spun super polymer with mechanical strength reported at over four times PEEK and exceeding stainless steel, Developed solid polymer electrolyte technology at Ionic Materials, featured on PBS NOVA

## Career timeline

- **1980s-1990s** — Bell Laboratories - developed materials and processes for semiconductor packaging and fiber-to-the-home technology; reached Consulting Member of Technical Staff (top 1%)
- **1990s-2000s** — Saint-Gobain - Scientific Director for North America, overseeing long-range research and university relationships
- **1990s** — Founded Quantum Leap Packaging (QLP), inventing liquid crystal polymer technology for high-frequency semiconductor packaging and 5G films (acquired by Interplex)
- **2012** — Founded Ionic Materials, developing solid polymer electrolytes for solid-state batteries (featured on PBS NOVA 'Search for the Super Battery')
- **2021** — Founded Z-Polymers in Lowell, Massachusetts to commercialize the Tullomer super polymer
- **2024-2026** — Launched Tullomer as both 3D printing filament and high-performance fiber; partnered with Dynamism for distribution

## Achievements

- Founder of four deep-tech materials startups
- Invented Tullomer, a melt-spun super polymer with mechanical strength reported at over four times PEEK and exceeding stainless steel
- Developed solid polymer electrolyte technology at Ionic Materials, featured on PBS NOVA
- Reached Consulting Member of Technical Staff at Bell Labs (top 1% of the technical community)
- Professor of the Practice in Materials Science at Tufts University for 30+ years
- Visiting Professor at Imperial College London

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Z-Polymers closed seed funding (around $530,000 total raised) as it scaled Tullomer fiber and filament.
- **2026-02** — Promoted Tullomer's mechanical strength exceeding stainless steel on LinkedIn.

## Links

- Website: https://z-polymers.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-zimmerman-6079603
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Z-PolymersInc

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mike-zimmerman
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-22