BCN3D
BCN3D R19
Left, the Sigma R19, and right, the Sigmax R19.
BCN3D has announced it has officially spun out of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) having raised $3 million through seed funding.
Investment has been generated by Accurafy4, JME VC, and Victoria, and will enable the company to further the development of its product range and Independent Dual Extruder (IDEX) 3D printing technology. So far, BCN3D says it has sold more than 5,000 3D printing systems, with some going to the likes of BMW, Samsung, Louis Vuitton, Nissan, NASA, HTC, and Seat.
BCN3D’s 3D printing portfolio includes the Sigma R19 and Sigmax R19 platforms, the latter of which bring offered as a professional solution. These systems are suitable for prototyping and functional validation, as well as manufacturing tooling, jigs and fixtures.
The company introduced the two desktop-sized platforms to market in September 2018, as it prepared to spin off into its own entity. Last January it was announced the role of CEO would be filled by Xavier Faneca, with Roger Uceda focusing on technology development.
The pair have since been joined on the executive team by Roger Antunez, Pol Domenech, Marc Felis, Jose Antonion, and Eric Pallares, and quite significantly, have received financial backing from multiple venture capital groups.
“With this funding, we will be able to ramp-up our production to meet the market demand and cut down the long delivery periods we have experienced in the past due to production limitations,” commented Faneca.
“We have high expectations on the company’s commercial growth and their ability to create market dominance through new technology development,” offered Francois Minec, lead investor at Accurafy4. “At Accurafy4 we are now delighted to join the company and we will make our best efforts to maximise BCN3D’s global impact and develop strategic partnerships.”
“Technology transfer is, along with research and training, our greatest commitment related to the challenges of industry 4.0 and additive manufacturing. The project of BCN3D has been developed within our technological centre, CIM-UPC, and it’s an example of how knowledge can generate value and have a social impact,” added Francesc Torres, Rector at UPC. “We are very proud of this new step for BCN3D and we will support their growth from the university.”
