Freeform raises $67M Series B to scale up laser AI manufacturing

Freeform, an innovative startup focused on advancing the manufacturing of metal components through 3D printing, has successfully completed a $67 million Series B funding round. This significant investment is aimed at enhancing its manufacturing platform, which has captured the attention of several prominent tech investors, including Apandion, AE Ventures, Founders Fund, Linse Capital, Nvidia’s NVentures, Threshold Ventures, and Two Sigma Ventures. The CEO and co-founder, Erik Palitsch, revealed that the new funding will facilitate the upgrade of their existing GoldenEye printing system. This current model employs 18 lasers to fuse metal powders into high-precision components. The upcoming version, known as Skyfall, is set to revolutionize the process by utilizing hundreds of lasers, dramatically increasing production capacity to thousands of kilograms of metal parts each day. Palitsch and co-founder Thomas Ronacher, who previously collaborated at SpaceX developing rocket engines, recognized the shortcomings of existing industrial machines for metal printing. They founded Freeform in 2018 with the vision of creating a platform tailored for mass manufacturing, emphasizing higher throughput and flexibility, along with advanced software controls. Notably, Freeform’s platform is characterized as “AI native,” thanks in part to a partnership with Nvidia, which provides access to cutting-edge GPU technology. Palitsch explained, “We’re running real-time physics-based simulations to understand every aspect of the manufacturing workflow.” This data, gathered from both sensors in the manufacturing environment and simulations, enables Freeform to continuously enhance production quality and efficiency. While specific customer details remain undisclosed, Palitsch mentioned that Freeform is already supplying hundreds of essential parts to various clients. The company is also looking to expand its workforce by hiring up to 100 new employees and increasing its facility size to tackle its growing backlog of contracts. The manufacturing-as-a-service sector is witnessing a surge in interest from venture capitalists, particularly as companies explore automated production for vehicles, robotics, and energy systems. Notably, competitors like Hadrian have reached valuations of $1.6 billion in similar endeavors, while VulcanForms and Divergent are also raising significant funds for their metal printing innovations.