BASF Venture Capital is leading the Series A investment round in additive manufacturing (AM) company, Essentium, Inc., to drive the transition from 3D printing to scalable AM.
BASF and Essentium have been working together on advanced fused filament fabrication (FFF) solutions using Essentium’s proprietary FlashFuse technology for high mechanical strength in the build direction for extrusion printed parts. The two companies are now extending their strategic partnership to establish a consistent global materials supply chain supportive of Essentium’s new High Speed Extrusion (HSE) platform.
Belgian 3D printing company, Materialise is one of the co-investors in the Series A investment round in Essentium, Inc. This will allow users to take advantage of the speed of the HSE technology while having immediate access to the full Materialise software capabilities for professional 3D printing. BASF and Materialise are joined by a syndicate of private venture investors.
Essentium is addressing AM at scale by developing an industrial platform built for the production floor, providing its FlashFuse electric welding technology, and engineering-grade, multi-layer filaments for demanding applications. Together, the three partners intend to innovate solutions with advanced combination of hardware, software and materials.
“Our joint investment strengthens our co-operations with both Essentium and Materialise and accelerates the innovation potential of this powerful team to the benefit of BASF’s customers,” said Markus Solibieda, Managing Director of BASF Venture Capital.
“With this strategic investment, Essentium and BASF are focusing on improved supply chain performance, material consistency and accessibility. Essentium is also delighted to begin a new partnership with Materialise as the three companies focus efforts toward a new era for smart solutions in the global additive extrusion space. Together, we believe manufacturers everywhere will be able to accelerate production due to increased access to our new solutions, bolstered by a holistic, customer-centric approach,” comments Dr. Blake Teipel, CEO of Essentium, Inc.
“Materialise, Essentium and BASF share a vision for growth in the 3D printing industry that builds on the creation of meaningful applications in an open and vibrant ecosystem”, said Bart Van der Schueren, CTO of Materialise. “This partnership helps to promote a more open market model, which will fuel the adoption of 3D printing in the industrial field by offering users more control, more choice in materials and ultimately lower cost and higher volumes.”
