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Pillar VC partners with unstoppable founders from the moment of inception, providing the first capital. The firm is committed to helping founders grow with their companies, investing in their personal and professional development with connections, coaching, and community. From university spinouts led by first-time founders to serial entrepreneurs, backing the next generation of big, meaningful companies in Boston. Pillar VC is open to high-potential ventures of any type, with the bulk of our portfolio related to machine intelligence, AI, hardware, enterprise software, blockchain, quantum, digital health, and synthetic biology.

Pillar VC

Fluent Metal

Fluent Metal is developing production-grade liquid metal printing technology for more functional, sustainable, and economical metal parts. Our innovative approach allows for high scalability and process tunability, making high-quality metal AM more attainable than ever. Our mission is to revolutionize metal additive manufacturing by offering cost-effective and reliable metal 3D printing technology, fostering innovation across industries.

<div>Fluent Metal offers an on-demand liquid metal printing solution that enables users to manufacture parts in a single-step process. The company uses wire as a starting material and deploys a proprietary drop-on-demand approach which deposits molten metal drop-by-drop using an inkjet-like printhead and parallel throughput. This reportedly enables the production of more complex shapes such as fully enclosed voids and internal channels using less starting material and less energy than powder-based technologies.&nbsp;</div>

Additive manufacturing makes objects by systematically adding material via a CAD program

Additive Manufacturing

Fluent Metal on LinkedIn: Fluent Metal launches out of stealth with new liquid metal 3D printing…

<div>
 
 Fluent Metal offers an on-demand liquid metal printing solution that enables users to manufacture parts in a single-step process. The company uses wire as a starting material and deploys a proprietary drop-on-demand approach which deposits molten metal drop-by-drop using an inkjet-like printhead and parallel throughput. This reportedly enables the production of more complex shapes such as fully enclosed voids and internal channels using less starting material and less energy than powder-based technologies.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 Moreover, the solution is compatible with several metals and is reportedly&nbsp; designed to operate safely on manufacturing floors and prototype shops, without the need for clean rooms. The solution can also adjust printing parameters in real-time without requiring excess retooling or process adjustments.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 
 In March 2024, 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27601">
 Fluent Metal raised USD 3.2 million 
 </a>
 in venture capital funding led by E15
 
</div>

Desktop Metal provides a range of additive manufacturing (AM) solutions including the sale of 3D printers with related software and materials as well as other related services targeting applications including rapid prototyping, pilot runs, mass production of tools, end-use parts, and aftermarket parts. The company mainly serves industries such as automotive, consumer goods, heavy industry, education, machine design, healthcare, and manufacturing tooling.Desktop Metal’s products include 1) Production System, a metal 3D printer for mass production; 2) X-Series, a binder jet 3D printer with patented Triple ACT (advanced compaction technology) and specialty materials including metals and ceramic; and 3) Shop System, a metal binder jetting system targeting metal 3D printing at machine shops, which also includes <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/12724">Shop System+, and Shop System Pro packages </a>introduced in August 2022 and <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14160?industryIds=71">Shop System Forust Edition, </a>a high-speed 3D printer for upcycled wood parts; 4) Studio System 2, an office-friendly metal 3D printer; 5) Fiber; a composite 3D printer using thermoplastic material such as nylon and 6) <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/12867?industryIds=71">Figur G15, </a>a printer platform based on patent-pending Digital Sheet Forming (DSF) technology that fabricates sheet metal into parts with a high level of surface finish with little to no post-printing.Desktop Metal also offers <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/12723">Live Sinter software </a>—a sinter simulation software that allows the design of sinter-ready, printable parts.. In March 2023, it launched <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16892?industryIds=71">Live Suite, </a>a premium software package to offer advanced design capabilities for metal, polymer, and ceramic parts. In September 2023, it launched <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22343">Live Monitor, </a>an Industry 4.0 solution for users to monitor and use real-time data to improve efficiency.Desktop Metal has grown through the acquisition of several companies including binder jetting technology company ExOne (November 2021), AM company AIDRO hydraulics &amp; 3D printing (September 2021), powder-based material AM company Aerosint (July 2021), provider of printed elastomers for AM Adaptive3D (May 2021), and polymer AM company EnvisionTEC (January 2021) to expand its material and printer offerings.In October 2023, the company sold Belgian additive manufacturing solutions provider <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23189">Aerosint SA </a>to motion technology company Schaeffler. Desktop Metal maintained its collaboration with Schaeffler in advancing binder jet 3D printing technology, while retaining the option for future commercial utilization.In July 2024, the entire company was <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/31161">acquired by Nano Dimension</a> for ~USD 183 million in an all-cash transaction. Key customers and partnershipsDesktop Metal operates through an internal sales team and a network of 200+ distribution partners (value-added resellers) in over 65 countries. Its customers include small and medium enterprises as well as Fortune 500 companies. The company received a major <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14615?industryIds=71">contract </a>from the US Department of Veterans Affairs in November 2022. In October 2022, Desktop metal partnered with <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13694?industryIds=71">Siemens </a>to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing at scale specifically targeting large-scale manufacturers. The company also entered into materials-related partnerships with Carbon in July 2023 to make Flexcera resins available to users of Carbon's 3D printers as well as with Henkel in August 2022 to validate Henkel's materials for DM printers. In March 2024, Desktop Metal expanded its partnership with Evonik, a chemical manufacturer, to integrate the latter’s INFINAM solution into its portfolio of polymers.

Desktop Metal

Carbon sells 3D printers along with related software and material for additive manufacturing to allow mass customization and on-demand inventory management. With a range of patented engineering and dental resins, Carbon targets automotive, consumer goods, dental (healthcare), and other industrial use cases. Carbon’s product portfolio includes several types of 3D printers named M1, M2, and M3 (an advanced end-to-end idea-to-production platform introduced in January 2022) as well as L1 and a parts washer. Carbon’s materials portfolio includes rigid, elastomeric, and dental materials. Carbon’s design software platform was launched targeting product designers globally in 2022. It offers regular software updates to its printers to continuously improve the processes and the outcome. With the acquisition of design software company <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/12722">ParaMatters </a>in August 2022, Carbon expanded its software capabilities to include topology optimization capabilities, allowing users to speed up the design iteration process and create complex, high-performance part designs.The company also offers print analytics solutions, allowing real-time review of production data and part traceability from design to print stage. Adding to its proprietary pool of materials, in February 2022, Carbon introduced a flame retardant photopolymer resin that ensures durability and the long-term stability of printed parts.Carbon uses patented Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology that uses digital light projection and engineering-grade materials to develop parts with mechanical properties and a surface finish. DLS is driven by Carbon’s Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP) technology, which uses ultraviolet (UV) light to cure liquid plastic resin into solid parts. Unlike traditional resin-based 3D printing (which reportedly makes weak parts), Carbon’s printed parts are baked in an oven, exposing the parts to a second heat-activated programmable procedure for improved strength.&nbsp;In November 2024, the company&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/36173">launched the EPU Pro platform</a>, a single-part, dual-cure elastomer resin. EPU Pro offers a range of stiffness options with durometers from 50A to 90A. It incorporates foaming agents for suede-like textures and features enhanced printability for complex geometries.Key customers and partnershipsCarbon had a presence in 17 countries as of January 2024, with plans to expand to other international markets in the future. The company also operates through a network of design firms and contract manufacturers that specialize in Carbon’s technologies. Carbon connects customers with these partners if they have a prototype that needs to be made.Carbon has entered several partnerships with other AM companies including Desktop Metal to bring its Flexcera resins to the Carbon Digital Manufacturing Platform (July 2023), Henkel to combine materials and printing expertise (October 2020), and Shapeways to offer access to Carbon’s 3D printing technology and materials (March 2019).Funding and financialsIn June 2019, Carbon raised USD 260 million co-led by Madrone Capital Partners and Baillie Gifford, bringing the company’s total funding to USD 683.4 million. Carbon planned to use this capital to expand R&amp;D, establish its first advanced development facility (ADF), and support international growth in Europe and Asia.&nbsp;

Carbon

<div>
 
 Markforged is a seller of 3D printers with material and software solutions for tooling, fixtures, functional prototyping, and high-value end-use production. It targets various industries including aerospace, automotive, consumer packaged goods, electronics manufacturing, medical, and industrial equipment. The company launched an 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22057">
 on-demand parts platform
 </a>
 called Digital Source in September 2023, which facilitates the licensing and 3D printing of manufacturer-certified parts, eliminating the need for physical inventory management for manufacturers.
 
 
 Markforged&rsquo;s line of 3D printers includes a metal printer, a series of industrial composite printers, and a series of desktop composite printers, using metal (a range of metals from stainless steel to copper), plastics, and continuous fiber. The company also offers several software solutions including Eiger, a cloud-based digital repository, and Blacksmith, which connects part design, production, and inspection using AI. It also offers software to scale up AM operations by giving role-based access control to team members. In November 2022, Markforged introduced 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14613">
 new simulation features 
 </a>
 for its software, the Digital Forge, enabling customers to replace tooling and end-use metal parts with optimized 3D-printed advanced composite parts.
 
 
 Markforged uses several patented technologies. For example, for thermoplastic printing, the company uses a combination of fused filament fabrication (FFF) printing and continuous fiber fabrication (CFF) technologies that harness the heat of the nozzle to make a thermoplastic layer; for metal printing, it uses atomic diffusion additive manufacturing (ADAM), which is a specialized form of FFF.
 
 
 In April 2022, Markforged acquired engineering software developer Teton Simulation to expand its AM solutions by integrating technologies. In August 2022, it also 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/12725">
 acquired Digital Metal,
 </a>
 a Swedish developer of binder jetting technology, to enable Markforged to produce high-throughput metal additive parts.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 Markforged claims to own the largest fleet of cloud-based industrial 3D printers (with a 13,000+ connected installed base and 10 million+ parts printed, as of January 2024). Markforged has served the top nine global manufacturing companies and top 10 aerospace companies, including notable clients (disclosed) including RPG industries, Caldwell, and Cashco, Inc. Another notable customer is Phillips Corporation, which became the first customer of Markforged&rsquo;s FX20 industrial composite printer, introduced in November 2021. Markforged also entered into technology partnerships with Siemens and Indian tech company TechNova. It has remote teams in over 70 countries and 100+ channel partners across the US, Canada, Europe, UK, Asia, and Australia.&nbsp;
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 Markforged was listed on the NYSE (MKFG) in July 2021 through a SPAC deal, receiving approximately USD 361 million in gross proceeds. The company had planned to use the new funding to accelerate innovation and expand its customer base.&nbsp;
 
 
 In 2022, Markforged achieved a revenue of USD 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16891?industryIds=71">
 101.0 million,
 </a>
 recording a growth of 10.7% YoY. Revenue growth was driven by strong demand for the FX20 printer which was commercialized in 2022. However, it reported an operating loss of USD 87.1 million in 2022 compared to a loss of USD 61.0 million in 2021 on the back of increased spending on research and marketing activities. Markforged guided revenue in 2023 to reach USD 90 million&ndash;95 million. The company also expects to achieve an operating loss of USD 59 million&ndash;61 million translating to a loss per share of USD 0.26&ndash;0.28 in 2023.
 
 
 In November 2023, Markforged announced that it has undergone a 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23946">
 restructuring
 </a>
 process, along with other cost-cutting measures, citing ongoing economic challenges, projected to result in operating cost savings ranging from USD 9 million to USD 12 million in 2024. The majority of these savings were attributed to a reduction in headcount by around 10%.
 
 
 
</div>

Markforged

3D Systems sells 3D printers with related materials and software for concept modeling, prototyping, rapid tooling, and digital manufacturing. The company targets aerospace and defense, automotive, jewelry, semiconductor, and turbomachinery industries as well as dental and medical devices in healthcare.&nbsp;3D Systems’ range of 3D printers is supported by several software solutions for reverse engineering, fast designing, workflow integration, inspection, fleet monitoring, and remote diagnostic applications. In December 2024, 3D Systems&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/37192">sold its Geomagic software portfolio</a> to Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence Division for USD 123 million, enabling 3D Systems to focus on its core software platforms and accelerate strategic software development.The company has obtained over 1,000 patents and uses printing technologies for plastic and metal including stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), multi-jet printing (MJP), color-jet printing (CJP), and direct metal printing (DMP), using materials like plastic, elastomer, wax, metal, and biocompatible materials. In September 2022, 3D Systems introduced <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/12834">CuNi30 </a>–a new corrosion-resistant, copper-nickel alloy targeting marine, offshore oil and gas, and chemical and nuclear industries. In November 2023, the company received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its material <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24163">NextDent Base </a>used in dental applications.&nbsp;3D Systems has made several acquisitions including Swedish 3D printing company <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18122">Wematter </a>(May 2023), German AM solutions provider for healthcare Kumovis (February 2022), polymer-based 3D printer developer Titan Additive (February 2022), and digital manufacturing solutions provider Oqton (September 2021) to expand operations.&nbsp;In June 2024, the company&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/30572">launched the EXT 800 Titan Pellet,</a> a compact polymer additive manufacturing system that enables users to produce functional prototypes, tooling, fixtures, sand casting patterns, thermoforming molds, and end-use parts. It features a build volume of 800 mm x 600 mm x 800 mm and support for a wide range of high-temperature engineering materials including ABS, PC, nylons, PEI, PEKK, TPE, and TPU. It went on to&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/35812">launch the PSLA 270 printer along with Wash 400/400F and Cure 400 post-processing solutions</a>, in November 2024. The PSLA 270 is a projector-based SLA 3D printing solution that enables users to print medium-size parts, whereas the Wash 400/400F and Cure 400 systems are designed for cleaning and curing resin-printed parts.&nbsp;Key customers and partnerships3D Systems sold printers through a partner network and solution sales specialists spanning 68 countries, as of January 2024. In November 2022, the company partnered with AM materials developer <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14512">Advanced Laser Materials (ALM) </a>to accelerate the use of its DuraForm PAx material enabling ALM’s customers to use a unique copolymer compatible with available selective laser sintering (SLS) technologies.In July 2024, the company entered into a&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/31297">strategic partnership with Precision Resource</a> to develop an end-to-end solution for manufacturing parts using AM technology. As part of the partnership, 3D Systems offered two of its DMP Flex 350 Dual&nbsp;3D printers to expand Precision Resource’s portfolio of precision metal forming processes at the company’s California facility.&nbsp;In August 2024, 3D Systems entered into an&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/32547">exclusive reseller agreement with Australian additive manufacturing firm Core Additive,</a> to expand operations in Australia.&nbsp;

3D Systems

Formlabs sells 3D printers with related material and software as well as post-processing solutions for rapid prototyping, rapid tooling, manufacturing aids, models and props, and end-use parts production. The company targets engineering and product design, manufacturing, research and education (for on-demand experimentation), model making and entertainment, jewelry, dental, and medical applications.&nbsp;Formlabs’ 3D printers include a range of off-the-shelf desktop printers and industrial printers (Form 3 range and Fuse range). The company also provides tailored AM solutions depending on the factory setting for scaled operations. Its software PreForm functions through automatic algorithms that allow any employee to print without being specially trained and includes a dashboard to manage printers, material movement, and teams in one place. The company’s post-processing solutions automate the rinsing and post-curing processes, which are capable of handling large parts and high-volume production. In January 2023, Formlabs launched the&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15507?industryIds=71">“Automation Ecosystem”</a> comprising three new products, 1) Form Auto, 2) High Volume Resin hardware packages, and 3) fleet control software. In September 2023, Formlabs launched an&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21893">open material platform</a> allowing access to third-party materials, customizable print settings, and open material printing.&nbsp;&nbsp;Formlabs uses technologies like low-force stereolithography (LFS) and selective laser sintering (SLS), which leverage various types of resins and nylon powder. In February 2024,<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26962"> the company released the beta version of “Formlabs Texture Engine,"</a> a tool that enables users to apply textures and patterns to 3D models in preparation for printing. Users can import their CAD models into the engine, apply a displacement map to the model to define and apply the required texture, and import the model back into the CAD tool for a final review or immediate 3D printing.In April 2024, the company<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/28615"> released a new 3D printer named Form 4</a> to handle rapid and large-scale 3D printing projects. The system leverages low force display (LFD) technology to cure the parts at higher speeds (up to 100 mm per hour). Additionally, the company also launched the biocompatible version of Form 4, Form 4B, that leverages stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing technology. The company went on to launch two new entries into this series (Form 4L and Form 4BL) I<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/35000">n October 2024</a>. Form 4L features a build volume nearly 5x larger than Form 4, print speeds of up to 80 mm/hour, and compatibility with over 23 materialsIn July 2024,&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/31457">Formlabs acquired Micronics</a>, a 3D printer startup, for an undisclosed amount to integrate the latter’s team into its own to leverage its expertise in developing SLS 3D printers.In September 2024, the company introduced a series of new materials for a variety of applications. These include: 1)<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25337"> Polypropylene Powder and Premium Teeth Resin</a> (January), 2)&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/33314">BEGO TriniQ Resin</a> (September), which enables permanent and provisional restorations for dental applications, 3)&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/33356">a new clear cast resin</a> (September), which offers accuracy within 0.25 mm for investment casting applications, and 4)&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/35813">the “Creator Series”</a> of resins designed for hobbyist-grade LCD and DLP 3D printers. &nbsp;Key customers and partnershipsFormlabs’ customers, including Google, Ford, New Balance, Dame, TaylorMade, Gillette, and the US Naval Academy, have printed over 40 million parts as of May 2022. The company also operates through a network of over 50 ambassadors from 13 countries (as of May 2022) that use Formlabs products.In October 2022, Formlabs partnered with <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13850?industryIds=71">3DPrinterOS</a> to bring 3D printer fleet management and cloud support capabilities to Formlabs’ printers. In May 2023, Formlabs partnered with Hawk Ridge Systems to expand access to its 3D printing solutions in North America and MLC CAD Systems to further expand its presence in the US market.&nbsp;

Formlabs

Renishaw offers a range of 3D printers for metal printing using metal powder bed fusion (laser melting) technology. Its flagship printers, the Ren500 series, comprises RenAM 500 Flex, an open powder 3D system; RenAM 500 Q, a laser power bed cost effective system; and the RenAM 500 Ultra, which incorporates the patented TEMPUS technology (a scanning algorithm for 3D printers to maintain quality).

Renishaw offers various AM software solutions for it's 3D printers. The software offerings include 1) InfiniAM Central, a remote AM software with the ability to monitor operations in real time; 2) InfiniAM Spectral, a energy input and melt-pool emissions monitoring solution for AM systems; 3) QuantAM build preparation software, a file preparation software tool for specifically Renishaw additive manufacturing (AM) systems; and 4) QuantAM Dental, a 3D printing software for dental additive manufacturing systems.

The company offers metal powders including titanium alloy Ti6Al4V, nickel alloys inconel 625 and 718, cobalt chromium, and aluminium alloy AlSi10Mg. 

In October 2024, Renishaw introduced five new processable materials for its RenAM 500 series of metal additive manufacturing systems. The new materials are commercially pure copper, H13 tool steel, Hastelloy X alloy, super duplex stainless steel, and AlSi7Mg aluminum alloy. The company also added powder layer thicknesses to its current processable materials, including 90 μm titanium grade 23, 70 μm stainless steel 316L, and 120 μm Inconel 718 parameters. Notably, Renishaw incorporated Plastometrex's proprietary PIP (Profilometry-based Indentation Plastometry) testing method in its material data sheets.

Companies that develop hardware and software for post-printing operations like cleaning, surfacing, and coloring.

Companies that use additive manufacturing technology to manufacture components, parts, products, on-demand. This includes contract manufacturers and companies that operate their own manufacturing plants.

Uses advanced robotic arms in printers, backed by software that helps automate the process

Uses AI for advanced design and prototyping

Uses advanced software, robotics, and cloud connectivity to improve printing operations

Enables customization of 3D printed parts based on individual customer requirements

Use of recyclable materials and reducing material waste leads to sustainability

<div>
 
 Fluent Metal, a company providing liquid metal printing solutions, has successfully raised a venture capital funding of USD 3.2 million. The funding was led by E15 and saw participation from Pillar VC, taking the company's total funding to USD 5.5 million.
 
The company offers a unique on-demand liquid metal printing solution. The novel technology empowers users to manufacture various parts in a singular step. Fluent Metal's solution is compatible with several types of metals and is known to use significantly less starting material and energy in comparison to powder-based technologies. Furthermore, the company makes use of an inkjet-like printhead and parallel throughput to manufacture more complex shapes, including fully enclosed voids and internal channels.&nbsp;
 
</div>

Fluent Metal

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