3D printed electronics firm Nano Dimension has signed and closed a definitive agreement to acquire NanoFabrica, a company bringing to market micro 3D printing solutions.
Per the agreement, Nano Dimension will pay NanoFabrica shareholders between $54.9 and $59.4 million, with between $23-27.5m being paid in cash depending on NanoFabrica meeting certain performance milestones and the company’s founders continuing to work for a defined period after the deal closes. Approximately $32m will be paid in American Depositary Shares of Nano Dimension, of which 30% cannot be sold for various periods up to 24 months after the acquisition.
NanoFabrica was founded by Dr Jon Donner, who has a PhD in nano optics and currently sits as the company’s CEO, and Eyal Shelef, who has more than 35 patents to his name and 16 years’ of experience working for HP in its digital printing R&D division. As they bring their team of scientists and engineers over to Nano Dimension, as well as their micro 3D printing capabilities, the company believes it will be able to better achieve its ambitions and do so more quickly.
“Today is an exciting day for NanoFabrica and for the entire field of precision manufacturing,” Donner, who will become General Manager of the NanoFabrica Division of Nano Dimension, commented. “We have set out on a mission to transform this traditional analogue non-environmentally-friendly industry and by joining the segment leader, Nano Dimension, we will be able to fulfil our mission statement much faster and in more elaborate fashion. By combining the advanced capabilities of deep learning together with our manufacturing systems, we hope to improve printing speed by five times and yield by 20 times. Henceforth, by integrating our ultra-precise miniaturisation capability with Nano Dimension’s HiPEDs (Hi-Performance Electronics Devices), we shall become a transformative power in our vertical markets.”
NanoFabrica’s technology is capable of producing highly precise components with ultra-fine details to the standards required in the aerospace, electronics, automotive and medical industries. These are seen as key markets for Nano Dimension, who believes, by bringing the two companies together, they can significantly enhance the technology they bring to market.
Nano Dimension CEO Yoav Stern said: “NanoFabrica fits Nano Dimension’s vertical original equipment manufacturers’ target markets, and as such will be leveraged by the distribution channels and go-to-market efforts of both. In parallel, our mutual vision is to merge the technologies of our micro-electronic 3D fabrications machines for Hi-PEDs with NanoFabrica’s micro-mechanic 3D printing. The future of Hi-PEDs and miniaturised high-performance printed circuit boards is interlaced with micro-mechanical printing applications to fit the adage ‘the next big thing is small.’
“In addition, NanoFabrica’s machines fit the larger picture of Nano Dimension’s vision, aiming to establish ‘Industry 4.0’ solutions, which entail building an artificial intelligence/machine learning distributed digital fabrication application rather than just building machines as capital equipment. The AI/ML/DL Distributed Electronic Fabrication Application will be furnished by additional edge devices in the form of NanoFabrica’s 3D-micro-printing systems. Eventually, the end goal is to reach a capability for maintaining an inventory of high-end PCB devices, micro-mechanical parts and Hi-PEDs in digital form: print them as you need them, where you need them, only the quantity you need, in the best quality at competitive prices, as it is done in highest yield and throughput possible for that point in time, specifically in high mix/ low volume scenarios.”
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