Compressive strength is the most commonly used property for characterising the performance of concrete materials. In this study, semi-adiabatic temperature evolutions and compressive strength developments of a series of mortar and concrete mixtures were experimentally investigated. In order to predict compressive strength, it was correlated to the initial temperature rise induced by early-age hydration. The results indicate that both properties are strongly dependent on the raw materials and the water to cementitious materials ratio. Estimated results of temperature rise and strength from the modified equations match well with the measured data. A linear relationship between compressive strength and the peak value of temperature rise is developed and presented. The linear correlation exists for all mixture components and proportions of concrete materials in this study. In conclusion, predicting the strength of concrete materials from their early-age hydration-induced temperature evolutions is enabled.