Nakul Bende, PhD | Fusion Materials Engineer & Polymer Scientist

About me

I specialize in making the "impossible" manufacturable. With over a decade of experience bridging the gap between fundamental research and commercial scale-up, I thrive on bringing innovative materials from the lab to the market. My expertise sits at the intersection of polymer formulation, soft matter mechanics, and rapid scale-up + GTM for hard-tech.

Currently, I’m at Commonwealth Fusion Systems, working with an elite multidisciplinary team to realize SPARC—the world's first net-positive fusion device. Specifically, I lead the development of structural and electrical polymer applications for SPARC. Tokomaks for fusion present a unique and punishing set of requirements: cryogenic exposure, high structural loads, intense irradiation, and many first-of-a-kind implementations.

When I’m not engineering solutions for extreme environments, I’m a relentless tinkerer: deep-diving into data visualization, 3D printing complex CAD designs, and exploring the synergy between microelectronics and photography.

Highlights of my journey so far

Education: Polymer Science
Graduate School : UMass Amherst
Undergrad: IIT Roorkee

Currently at: Commonwealth Fusion Systems
Originally from: Jabalpur, India
Location: Massachusetts, USA

Checkout my resume and portfolio for more details

years of experience Materials research and commercialization, hardware-software optimization and product development

Citations on published peer-reviewed journal articles and research

journal articles Photochemistry, Soft matter Physics and Stimuli-responsive polymers, DLP-based projection lithography

years of STEAM outreach at Museums, Schools and Communities

Resume

Nakul Prabhakar Bende, PhD

Materials scientist and engineering leader specializing in bridging fundamental research with commercial scale-up.

Key Highlights

Led development of Rigid 10K at Formlabs from inception to commercialization. Rigid 10K is going to International Space Station
Led tech transfer and licensing deal on Barricade between Avient and Cooper Standard
Selected for Leadership Development Program at Avient, received certified training on technical & management skills
Interfaced as a materials expert between 4 interdisciplinary groups (physicists and mathematicians) during grad school, personally accomplishing 6 journal papers, 5 conference presentations, and an invited talk at MIT
Developed scientific instruments including an optical projection lithography system, a uniaxial tester, and a laser scanner, along with continued contributions to DIY communities
Highly motivated STEAM educator: organize education modules in schools, museums, and universities

Education

University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA, USA

PhD, Polymer Science and Engineering

2012 - 2017

Advisor: Prof. Ryan Hayward

Thesis: Fabrication and mechanics of stimuli-responsive polymer films and shells

MS, Polymer Science and Engineering

2011 - 2012

Bachelor and Master of Technology, Polymer Science and Technology

Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR), UT, India

Master thesis work in collaboration with Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Ohio

Professional Experience

Formlabs, Somerville, MA

Materials Team Lead: Settings and Optimization

2022 - Present

Leading a team of scientists, engineers and technicians to optimize print reliability, speed and post-processing on our current and future SLA printers
Led materials integration for Form 3L: a large format SLA 3D printer

Materials Scientist

2018 - 2022

Led formulation and commercialization of Rigid 10K, a high-performing engineering resin marketed for injection molding, wind tunnel testing, and functional prototyping
Apply background in polymer physics and chemistry for development of photopolymer-based resin systems for Formlabs engineering resin portfolio
Leverage the small team structure to develop relationships with customers, suppliers, and manufacturers; deliver results on a tight timeline
Rotated as a subject matter expert to Settings and Optimization team

Avient [formerly PolyOne], Avon Lake, OH

Senior R&D Engineer, Corporate Research and Development

2017 - 2018

Project lead on a silane-crosslinked TPO (BarricadeTM): developed formulations, executed lab-scale reactive extrusion runs, and led pilot level scale-ups
Led a team of scientists to evaluate an external technology which led to a multi-million dollar tech acquisition

R&D Leadership development program

2017 - 2018

Developed technical and managerial skills as a Leadership Development Program candidate; completed certified courses including Project Management, Influencing at All Levels, Lean Six Sigma, Polymer Extrusion and Simulation, Polymer Injection Molding