Massachusetts startup company, Metal Desktop, is aiming to simplify the metal 3D printing process and increase its utility in both the design and manufacturing phases of production. Recently, the company received some significant financial backing from both Google and BMW – a whopping $45 million in investments. Lowe’s Ventures was also a main contributor to the funding. Upon receiving the investment, Metal Desktop’s total-equity-raised has grown to nearly $100 million in total.
The company has committed to using this money to further advance its technological capabilities and production scale before the upcoming product launch, expected later this year. Although Metal Desktop remains quite secretive with its technological specifications and abilities, according to CEO and co-founder, Ric Fulop, we can expect it to geared towards obtaining the company’s goal “to accelerate the adoption of metal 3D printing in manufacturing through the creation of innovative technology that produces complex parts at scale…We believe metal 3D printing will make a profound impact on the way companies manufacture rapid prototypes and volume production across all major industries”
The leadership team at Desktop Metal
While 3D printing polymers is still a maturing concept, with materials and processing still being developed, there has been significant advances that have provided much more consistency to the process. The process differs from traditional 3D printing methods, enabling the printing of both aluminum and steel. This can be especially helpful to companies such as BMW, who could benefit greatly from this by being able to metal 3D print automobile parts. One of the main things Metal Desktop’s researchers are working to improve is the cost-effectiveness and simplicity of the process.
As mentioned earlier, their flagship product, the Desktop Metal solution, is set to launch later this year. The system is designed to provide solutions to the current issues of 3D printing, such as cost, speed, quality and accuracy. Their research team contains various professionals with years of combined experienced, as well as some of the world’s brightest minds with 4 MIT professors on staff. “Just as plastic 3D printing paved the way for rapid prototyping, metal 3D printing will make a profound impact on the way companies both prototype and mass produce parts across all major industries,” Fulop said. “We are fortunate to have the backing of a leading group of strategic investors who support both our vision and our technology.”