3d printing
To say that it’s rocky out in the metal 3D printing world may be a bit of an understatement. Almost a decade ago, Desktop Metal was one of the early…
Daedalus, which is building precision-manufacturing factories powered by AI, raises $21M
A fledgling startup founded by one of OpenAI’s first engineering hires is looking to “redefine manufacturing,” with AI-powered factories for creating bespoke precision parts. Daedalus, as the company is called,…
Researchers showcase a speedy new approach to printing metal
Metal 3D printing is already a multi-billion-dollar global industry. The additive manufacturing approach is poised to disrupt many facets of construction and will only continue to grow for the foreseeable…
Mighty Buildings raises $52M to build 3D-printed prefab homes
Mighty Buildings, a startup building tech for prefabricated, ostensibly environmentally-friendly homes, today announced that it raised $52 million in a funding round co-led by Waed Ventures and Bold Capital with…
Stratasys rejects Nano Dimension acquisition offer, agrees to talk to 3D Systems
Some of the biggest names in additive manufacturing are about to merge — we’re just not entirely sure who. One name we can say for certain is Stratasys — long…
After Stratasys and Desktop Metal announce merger plans, 3D Systems proposes acquisition
It’s been a wild few weeks for some of the biggest names in 3D printing. Last week, Stratasys announced plans to merge with Desktop Metal, and now another industry bigwig…
Relativity Space’s first launch fails to reach orbit, but proves its 3D-printing rocket tech works
Relativity Space has launched its first rocket, roughly eight years after it founded the 3D-printed space launch company.
Austin-based ICON awarded $57.2 million NASA contract for lunar construction tech
ICON, a construction tech company that’s raised more than $400 million in funding, has landed a new contract from NASA to develop new systems to build on the moon and…
Pantheon Design alleviates supply chain uncertainty with factory-grade 3D printing
In the midst of the pandemic, Pantheon Design, a maker of industrial 3D printers from Vancouver, BC, suddenly found itself getting orders from factories in the Midwest, the center of…
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Sugar Lab buys back its tech to take 3D-printed foods mainstream
The 3D printing world can print in concrete, plastic, metal and pretty much everything else that starts off gooey and turns solid after a while. That includes a bunch of different types of foods, as Sugar Lab demonstrates. The company was originally acquired by 3D Systems in 2013, but co-founders…
Firehawk’s rocket engines and 3D-printed fuel hit testing milestones ahead of first launch
Although today’s rocket engines are advanced and powerful, they tend to rely on traditional — and naturally volatile — fuels. Firehawk Aerospace has a safer and more stable new solid…
Kav spools up a 3D printing factory for bike helmets in Silicon Valley
I’m not a doctor, but I’ve been led to believe that heads and brains are important parts of human infrastructure, and protecting them makes a lot of sense. The other…
As 3D printing merger closes, MakerBot CEO steps up and Ultimaker CEO steps down
Following this week’s closing of the Ultimaker/MakerBot merger, the combined company is announcing a new name. The entity will be known as [drumroll please] UltiMaker. As far as merged names…
Mantle is launching a new series of $350,000 machines that can 3D-print the mold inserts that are used to produce injection-mold plastics. It’s hard to overstate how important this will…
Boston Micro Fabrication — BMF among friends — is one of the biggest names in 3D-printing teeny-tiny things. The company just announced a Series C to continue its journey, as…
Munich-based AM Ventures just closed a $100 million fund focusing specifically on the early growth stages of industrial and commercial 3D printing applications. Investing internationally, the firm went from a…
Toy and games maker Hasbro is bringing your face to an action figure near you with its newest partnership. It’s using a new 3D-printing material and workflow from 3D-printer company…
Markforged acquires Digital Metal for $40M as 3D printing space continues to evolve
Metal and carbon fiber company Markforged (best known for its Digital Forge platform) announced today that it acquired Digital Metal to further increase its lineup of machines that can produce…
Investors discuss how labor shortage is shaking up the construction tech stack
The pandemic wasn’t the only challenge to hit the construction industry. The rising cost of raw materials coupled with labor shortage has left the industry scrambling for solutions to bridge…
Prusa buys 3D-printer seller Printed Solid to expand US footprint
Lots going on in the world of desktop 3D printers — that’s not a sentence I thought I’d be writing anytime soon. Days after MakerBot and Ultimaker announced merger plans,…
Daily Crunch: Key Twitter executives depart following Elon Musk ownership deal
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Desktop 3D printing firms MakerBot and Ultimaker this morning announced plans to merge. The new single company will be backed by NPM Capital and MakerBot-owner Stratasys and co-led by existing…
Anker today launched a 3D printing brand named AnkerMake. Its first printer, the AnkerMake M5 just made its Kickstarter debut, with a $499 price tag. The diminutive price packs in…
China’s EV chassis maker PIX raises $11M to build its own smart vehicles
The autonomous driving industry in China has enjoyed a boom over the past two years, with both institutional and corporate investors pouring money into a driverless future. Companies thriving in…
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To Servi man
A nice secondary effect of writing this newsletter is getting an influx of responses when I write on a specific topic. Last week it was agtech. I expressed a bit of disappointment in the category. So many robotics firms have either failed or been acquired. That’s just kind of how…
Ford is now using robots to operate 3D printers without human help
Ford’s Advanced Manufacturing Center has developed an interface that allows machines from different suppliers to speak to each other in the same language and operate parts of the production line…
Diamond Age picks up $50M to lay the foundation for the future of houses built by robots
Hot on the heels from its $8 million fundraise just a few months ago, Diamond Age is back for a top-up, with a $50 million Series A financing to continue…
MIT spinoff, OPT, ramps up production of its 3D-printed nasal swab
If you’ve heard of OPT Industries (and odds are you haven’t), it’s due to the MIT spinoff’s roll in printing a novel nasal swab. It’s the kind of thing that…
Stämm Biotech raises $17M for its next-generation, 3D printed bioreactor
In the past year, there’s been a lot of hype around biomanufacturing — from growing cell-based meat to microbe-powered medicine manufacturing. But none of synthetic biology’s darlings can exist without…
ICON raises $185M in Tiger-led round to build more homes with its 3D printing tech, now approaching $2B valuation
ICON, which creates homes using 3D printing, has raised an additional $185 million in a round led by Tiger Global Management, TechCrunch has learned exclusively. The financing is said to…
