Digital textile production technologies firm Kornit Digital has announced the acquisition of multi-material 3D printing vendor Voxel8.
Acquiring Voxel8 for an undisclosed amount, Kornit Digital believes the incoming multi-material 3D printing technology will help to enable ‘unique, high-value decortative and functional applications’ for leading global brands.
Founded in 2014 by a team of scientists and engineers at Harvard University, Voxel8’s 3D printing technology controls the precise dosing of elastomeric materials with its ActiveMix printhead to ‘enable radical changes’ in material properties across a single print. The technology, which powers the ActiveLab 3D printing system, has proved capable of producing footwear, sports performance and other apparel products, as well as being used in wearables, medical and textile reinforcement applications.
As a result of the acquisition, Voxel8’s 3D printing technology will be integrated into its new parent organisation’s product roadmap, where Kornit Digital expects it to ‘transform numerous market segments.’
“Voxel8 offers direct 3D print-on-part capabilities, advanced software that can be easily integrated with any production floor software workflow and versatile chemistry enabling on-the-fly formulation of high-performance elastomers to change the material properties of the resulting printed structures by multiple orders of magnitude,” commented Kornit Digital CTO Kobi Mann. “This means reflective, high-density, silicone and metallics, as well as compression elements for sports and therapeutics, protection elements like cushioning and impact resistance, and functionality applications like anti-slip, waterproofing, and other qualities combining form and function that are key to Kornit’s vision of digitising production in every conceivable manner.”
“Voxel8’s innovative technologies and talent will help us accelerate the execution of our 4.0 strategy to digitise sustainable, on-demand textile production,” added Kornit Digital CEO Ronen Samuel. “With this advanced and proven 3D technology, we will disrupt the business of fashion, empowering completely new creative decorative concepts and never-before-seen functional textile applications, while exploring new lucrative opportunities in the functional apparel and footwear markets.”
Since spinning out of Harvard University, Voxel8 has moved through two funding rounds which allowed the company to further develop and then establish its 3D printing technology on the market. It has attracted the attention of Eddy Ricami for high-fashion applications, while the company’s technology is also being used to support the production of upcoming Hush Puppies products. Now part of the Kornit Digital family, Voxel8 is expecting its technology to impact many more fashion and footwear brands.
“Voxel8 shares Kornit’s vision of transforming the textile industry and couldn’t be more excited to be part of the journey to build the operating system of sustainable fashion on demand,” offered Voxel8 President and CEO Fred von Gottberg. “We look forward to working together to embed Voxel8’s technology into Kornit’s customer offerings, which will collectively provide endless possibilities of enhanced applications and solutions.”
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