Midwest Composites Kenaf and Palm Fibre Biocomposites

Midwest Composites is a Malaysian sustainable composite materials company founded in 2020 and headquartered in Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan. It helps manufacturers decarbonize parts by replacing synthetic glass and carbon fibre with natural fibres from agricultural waste, such as kenaf and oil palm empty fruit bunch, without giving up performance.

The company offers consulting, design for manufacturing, rapid tooling, prototyping, testing and production of natural fibre, glass fibre and carbon fibre parts. Processes include VARTM vacuum infusion, light RTM, compression molding, resin casting, open molding and in-house 3-axis CNC tooling. Customers are in mass transit, automotive, aerospace and drones, defence and consumer goods, with projects such as kenaf bus engine covers, a 2.4 m kenaf and palm UAV fuselage and agricultural drone parts.

• Natural fibre biocomposites: kenaf and oil palm based composites replacing glass or carbon fibre.
• Advanced composites: glass and carbon fibre parts for structural and aesthetic uses.
• Closed-mold processes: VARTM vacuum infusion and light RTM with lower emissions than open molding.
• Compression molding: rapid curing of complex fibre-reinforced parts in larger quantities.
• In-house tooling: 3-axis CNC machining of tooling blocks for fast direct composite molds.
• End-to-end services: consulting, design for manufacturing, prototyping, testing and production.

Vietnamese bus and electric vehicle makers could prototype interior panels, engine covers or body parts in kenaf-based composites. Agricultural drone producers could test natural fibre airframe parts, and furniture or gift manufacturers could turn rice straw, coir or other local crop waste into composite products through joint development.

Midwest Composites gives manufacturers a lower-carbon alternative to synthetic fibre composites using renewable agricultural waste. Its composites offer a good strength-to-weight ratio, weather and corrosion resistance and can be molded into complex shapes. One team covers design, tooling, prototyping and production, shortening the path from concept to finished parts.

Automakers, bus builders and drone makers are under pressure to cut weight and embodied carbon, and bio-based composites are gaining interest as a replacement for glass fibre. Southeast Asia produces large volumes of kenaf, oil palm, jute and other crop residues, giving the region a local feedstock base for natural fibre composites.

Founded in 2020; headquartered in Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Startup World Cup 2024 regional winner, MakiChalle 2024 grand winner, ERIA OneASEAN Startup Impact Award 2024 winner, Startup Wheel Vietnam Top 50, SusHi Tech 2026 semi-finalist and MassChallenge UK 2026 finalist; took part in PETRONAS FutureTech 3.0 and Hyundai Cradle demo day.