Sugru

Sugru is a branded moldable silicone rubber adhesive developed for people who want to repair, improve or customize objects they already own. It is supplied in airtight, moisture-resistant packaging as a pliable compound that resembles modeling clay. Once removed from its packaging, users can shape it by hand and generally have about thirty minutes to position and finish it before it begins to set. At room temperature, the material cures in approximately twenty-four hours into a flexible, rubber-like form. The product was conceived by Irish product designer Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh while she was studying product design at the Royal College of Art. In 2003, she experimented with mixtures involving ordinary silicone sealants and sawdust as part of her design work. Her broader objective was to create a material that would make repair and customization accessible, inexpensive and creative rather than requiring replacement or specialist fabrication. Development continued for approximately seven years, involving retired scientists associated with Dow Corning, a silicone specialist and researchers in the materials department at Queen Mary, University of London. Sugru adheres to a range of surfaces, including metals, ceramics, glass, fabrics, leather, plywood and some plastics. After curing, it has a slightly soft, flexible and grippable surface, making it useful for forming handles, bumpers, grips, feet, seals and protective covers as well as for joining or patching materials. It is waterproof, dishwasher-safe and thermally insulating within the service range described by the manufacturer. The material is not resistant to isopropyl alcohol, has not been tested for food-contact safety and is not recommended for direct contact with food or drink. The brand was developed and marketed by FormFormForm, a London-based company. Its name is derived from the Irish word “súgradh,” meaning play, reflecting the product’s emphasis on experimentation and hands-on making. The company built a customer base through direct sales, demonstrations, maker-oriented communication and crowdfunding. In 2015, it raised more than its initial CrowdCube target of £1 million, continuing to collect more than £3 million in the campaign. In 2016, it secured an additional £4 million investment from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks. FormFormForm was acquired by Tesa SE in May 2018. Tesa, a Beiersdorf subsidiary specializing in adhesive products, gave Sugru access to a larger international adhesive-products group while preserving the brand’s distinctive positioning around creative repair and small-scale modification. Sugru occupies a niche between conventional household adhesives, sealants, modeling compounds and do-it-yourself repair accessories. Its principal differentiation is the combination of hand-moldability, adhesion and room-temperature self-curing in a packaged product intended for ordinary consumers.

Sugru originated in the work of Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh, an Irish product designer who studied at the Royal College of Art. In 2003, while working on design projects, she explored mixtures based on silicone sealant and sawdust. These early experiments led to the idea of a material that could be shaped like modeling clay but would later cure into a durable, flexible rubber. Ní Dhulchaointigh’s aim was not simply to create another glue. She wanted to give users an accessible way to repair, improve and personalize objects rather than discard them or rely on specialist workshops. The central technical challenge was to combine hand-moldability, adhesion and self-curing in a stable product that could be packaged and sold to consumers. Development took approximately seven years. The work involved business grants, retired scientists associated with Dow Corning, a silicone expert and the materials department at Queen Mary, University of London. The resulting compound was formulated as a non-slumping silicone rubber adhesive. It remains workable for a limited period after opening and cures at room temperature, allowing users to make small repairs and modifications without dedicated tools or heat-curing equipment. The product was developed and marketed by FormFormForm in Hackney, London. Sugru’s name comes from the Irish word “súgradh,” meaning play, and the brand’s communication emphasized experimentation, practical creativity and user-generated repair ideas. Its applications included attaching, reinforcing, sealing, gripping, padding and forming replacement parts or protective elements. This gave the product a position between adhesive, sealant, modeling compound and household repair accessory. FormFormForm reported more than 100,000 customers and annual sales of US$2 million in 2012, according to the cited reference material. In 2015, the company used CrowdCube to raise capital for expansion. It set an initial target of £1 million, reached the target in four days and continued to raise more than £3 million. In December 2016, it secured a further £4 million investment from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks. A major ownership change occurred in May 2018, when FormFormForm was acquired by Tesa SE, the German adhesive company and Beiersdorf subsidiary. The acquisition placed Sugru within a larger adhesives group while retaining the product’s recognizable consumer-oriented identity. Sugru’s continuing distinction is its tactile, moldable format: unlike liquid glues or rigid tapes, it can be shaped around irregular surfaces and cured into a resilient silicone form. The material has been offered in multiple colors and is designed to adhere to surfaces including aluminum, steel, copper, ceramics, glass, fabric, brass, leather, plywood and some ABS plastics. Its cured form is waterproof, dishwasher-safe and thermally insulating, although it is not resistant to isopropyl alcohol. The product has not been tested for food safety, and manufacturer guidance advises against food or drink contact. Safety documentation cited in the reference material describes it as not hazardous under specified United States and European classification frameworks while noting possible irritation or skin-sensitization concerns.

1. 2018Acquisition by Tesa

   Tesa SE acquired FormFormForm, bringing the Sugru brand into the Beiersdorf group.

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2. 2016Additional investment

   FormFormForm secured a further £4 million investment from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks.

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3. 2015CrowdCube fundraising campaign

   The company launched a CrowdCube campaign with a £1 million target, reached that target in four days and went on to raise more than £3 million.

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4. 2012Reported customer and sales scale

   FormFormForm was reported as having more than 100,000 customers, annual sales of US$2 million and a staff of 30.

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5. 2003Initial product concept

   Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh began exploring moldable silicone-based repair materials while studying product design at the Royal College of Art.

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Creative repair, customization and hands-on making with a moldable silicone adhesive.

• Sugru Original FormulaMoldable silicone adhesive

  Sugru Original Formula is a hand-moldable silicone rubber adhesive supplied in sealed packaging. It remains workable for roughly thirty minutes after opening and cures at room temperature in about twenty-four hours. Users can apply it to repair, join, reinforce, grip, pad or customize objects. Once cured, it forms a flexible, waterproof and slightly grippable rubber-like material that adheres to numerous common surfaces.

• Sugru repair kitsRepair and craft kits

  Sugru repair kits package the moldable adhesive for practical household repairs and creative modification projects. Depending on the kit format, the product can be used for protective bumpers, grips, seals, hooks, feet, cable management and small replacement or reinforcement parts. The kits extend the brand beyond a single adhesive packet by presenting common use cases for do-it-yourself users.

• 2018Acquisition by Tesa SEM&A

  FormFormForm had developed Sugru as a specialized consumer adhesive brand and required a larger corporate platform for continued growth.

  What changed. Tesa SE acquired FormFormForm in May 2018.

  Aftermath. Sugru became part of Tesa, the adhesive-products company owned by Beiersdorf, expanding its connection to an established international adhesives group.

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• 2015Use of crowdfunding to finance expansionStrategy

  FormFormForm sought capital while expanding a consumer product built around creative repair and maker-oriented use cases.

  What changed. The company launched a CrowdCube campaign with a £1 million target. The target was reached in four days, and the campaign ultimately raised more than £3 million.

  Aftermath. The campaign provided substantial additional funding and demonstrated support from the brand’s customer and maker community.

  Crowdfunding raised. £1 million target → More than £3 million raised (2015)

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• 2018FormFormForm acquired by Tesa

  German adhesive company Tesa SE acquired FormFormForm, the company behind Sugru.

  M&A
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• 2016Sugru secures further bank investment

  FormFormForm obtained a further £4 million investment from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks.

  Other
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• 2015Sugru exceeds its CrowdCube funding target

  FormFormForm launched a CrowdCube campaign seeking £1 million and reached that target within four days, ultimately raising more than £3 million.

  Other
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1. Sugru