VELO3D Boosts Metal 3D Printing Innovation with $28M Funding and New Large-Format Sapphire System

VELO3D, a prominent provider of metal additive manufacturing solutions, has recently announced the successful closure of a $28 million Series D funding round. This significant investment saw new participants Piva and TNSC joining the existing roster of investors, including Bessemer Venture Partners, Playground, and Khosla Ventures. This latest influx of capital elevates VELO3D’s total funding to an impressive $138 million. Securing such substantial funding during a period marked by the global COVID-19 health pandemic and widespread economic uncertainty speaks volumes about the robust confidence investors have in VELO3D’s pioneering technology and its transformative potential within the industrial landscape. This investment underscores a strong belief in the company’s ability to drive innovation and address critical manufacturing challenges across various high-value sectors.

The funding announcement arrives on the heels of another major development: the launch of VELO3D’s new large-format metal 3D printer, introduced just two weeks prior. This advanced system represents the next generation of its acclaimed Sapphire platform, significantly expanding manufacturing capabilities by enabling the production of parts up to 1 meter in height. The company strategically developed this new machine to unlock novel applications, particularly within the demanding fields of oil services and aerospace. Knust-Godwin, an established client of VELO3D, is poised to be the inaugural adopter of this cutting-edge platform, leveraging its capabilities to manufacture sophisticated end-use components crucial for the oil and gas industry. This partnership highlights the immediate industrial relevance and impact of VELO3D’s expanded technological offerings.

Unlocking New Possibilities with Support-Less Metal Additive Manufacturing

VELO3D’s Innovation: Expanding Machine Options, Compatible Alloys, and Software Capabilities

VELO3D’s technology has garnered considerable interest across various industrial sectors primarily due to its revolutionary support-less approach to metal additive manufacturing. This distinctive feature fundamentally redefines design freedom in additive manufacturing, liberating engineers and designers from the restrictive constraints imposed by the internal support structures typically indispensable in most metal AM processes, such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion. Traditional metal 3D printing often necessitates these supports to prevent part deformation during the build process, especially for overhanging geometries or complex internal channels. However, the removal of these supports is a tedious, costly, and often manual post-processing step, which can limit part complexity, introduce human error, and extend production timelines significantly.

By eliminating the need for internal supports, VELO3D’s proprietary technology dramatically reduces the human element involved in post-processing, thereby enhancing overall manufacturing reliability and repeatability. This is a critical advantage for industries where part consistency and performance are paramount. The ability to print complex geometries without supports allows for unprecedented design complexity, enabling the creation of intricate internal lattices, optimized fluidic channels, and lightweight structures that were previously impossible or prohibitively expensive to produce. Furthermore, the reduction in manual support removal translates directly into faster lead times, lower labor costs, and a more streamlined manufacturing workflow. This innovative approach not only saves valuable material that would otherwise be used for supports but also minimizes the risk of damage to delicate features during the post-processing phase, ultimately delivering higher quality, more robust end-use parts.

Accelerated Commercial Success and Strategic Vision

VELO3D made its groundbreaking Sapphire 3D printer commercially available in 2019, and its first year of market introduction proved to be exceptionally successful. The company generated nearly $30 million in sales and acquired seven new customers, a significant number of whom have already placed repeat orders. This rapid commercial traction and strong customer retention are powerful indicators of the immediate value and impact VELO3D’s technology brings to its industrial partners. Benny Buller, Founder and CEO of VELO3D, elaborates on this success: “Customers in industries such as aerospace, oil & gas, and power generation are now able to achieve part quality for their mission-critical applications with performance levels that weren’t possible before with 3D metal printing.” This statement highlights the profound advantage VELO3D’s support-less technology offers in meeting the stringent quality and performance demands of the most critical applications, where failure is not an option. The ability to produce complex, high-performance components with unparalleled fidelity and consistency truly sets VELO3D apart in the competitive metal additive manufacturing market.

Strategic Investment Fuels Future Expansion and Market Leadership

The substantial new capital infusion from the Series D funding round is earmarked for strategic expansion across several key areas, designed to bolster VELO3D’s market position and accelerate its technological leadership. A primary focus will be on broadening VELO3D’s product portfolio to include a wider array of machine options, catering to diverse industrial needs and production scales. This will likely involve developing systems with varying build volumes, processing speeds, and specialized features. Concurrently, a significant portion of the investment will be channeled into expanding the range of compatible alloys. Material versatility is crucial for additive manufacturing, as different industries and applications require specific material properties for optimal performance. By qualifying new high-performance alloys, VELO3D can address a broader spectrum of demanding applications in aerospace, energy, and defense.

Furthermore, the capital will be used to enhance both software and hardware capabilities. This encompasses advancements in VELO3D’s intelligent pre-print software, which is critical for preparing complex geometries and ensuring successful support-less builds, as well as refining the in-situ monitoring and closed-loop control systems of its hardware. These improvements are vital for maintaining and improving the precision, reliability, and repeatability that define VELO3D’s offering. The company’s long-term financial strategy anticipates that this strategic injection of fresh capital will be instrumental in helping them achieve sustainable profitability by mid-2022. This ambitious target underscores the company’s confidence in its technology, market traction, and efficient operational scaling. By continuously investing in innovation and expanding its ecosystem, VELO3D aims to solidify its position as a leading force in the industrial metal additive manufacturing sector, driving the adoption of high-performance, complex parts across global industries.

The Future of Industrial Additive Manufacturing with VELO3D

VELO3D’s recent achievements—a significant funding round and the launch of a game-changing large-format 3D printer—signal a pivotal moment for the company and the broader additive manufacturing industry. By consistently pushing the boundaries of what is possible in metal 3D printing, especially through its unique support-less technology, VELO3D is not just optimizing existing manufacturing processes; it is enabling entirely new design paradigms and applications for mission-critical parts. The strong investor confidence, coupled with rapid commercial success and a clear strategic roadmap for expansion, positions VELO3D as a key player in the ongoing industrial revolution driven by advanced manufacturing. As industries continue to seek more efficient, reliable, and flexible production methods, VELO3D’s innovative solutions are poised to play an increasingly vital role in shaping the future of high-performance manufacturing globally.