Xolo received a huge investment, and this is a really big deal.
Xolo is a Berlin-based company working on a radical new form of 3D printing known as “volumetric 3D printing”.
Volumetric printing is like a CT scan in reverse. A projector rotates around a cylindrical vat of resin (or the vat itself rotates for simplicity). The projector shines light into the photopolymer resin from all angles, projecting patterns representing the view of the 3D object from each angle.
Gradually the resin polymerizes and the object becomes solid.
The difference here is that the process is not layer-by-layer and is extremely rapid. The object forms basically simultaneously at all points in 3D space. Some estimates have estimated volumetric printing potential at 100X today’s 3D print speeds. You would produce objects in minutes or seconds instead of hours or days. This has already been proven with prototype equipment.
That is a complete game-changer for the industry, if it can be made to work effectively and at scale in commercial settings.
That’s what Xolo has been doing. Their version of volumetric 3D printing is called “xolography”, and they’ve been developing the first commercial volumetric 3D printer, the Xube.
At this point, Xolo is a small startup company. But this week they announced a massive €8M (US$8.5M) Series A investment. Previously, the company had received only Seed level investments.
“Series A” investments are typically large and targeted at startup companies that have a working product for which they need cash to scale up. Often startup companies are riddled with tech staff, but require greatly expanded marketing and sales when they get close to product launch.
Xolo co-founder and CEO Dirk Radzinski said:
“Xolography represents a fundamental shift in the 3D printing industry. From hardware to materials, everything is being rethought. Our investors understand the importance of this paradigm shift and support us with their financial strength, expertise and network towards making it a success.”
This is a key milestone in 3D printing. It is the moment when objective investors put their money on the line because they believe, having presumably seen more details than the public, volumetric 3D printing is going to succeed.
I am very certain the key 3D printer manufacturers are watching volumetric developments closely, particularly from Xolo, which seems to be ahead of other players in the race for commercialization at this point.
The list of investors in this Series A round doesn’t include any of the other major players in 3D printing, but I have a suspicion they may in future rounds, assuming all goes well for Xolo.
It may even be possible that one or more of them may wish to acquire Xolo. This has been the strategy for Stratasys, for example. That company lived off the original FDM patent for 20 years, then merged with Objet, whose PolyJet patents lasted more years. Then more recently they acquired Origin and several other companies, extending their capabilities.
I’m wondering if they, or other 3D print companies with cash may be quietly speaking with Xolo about future opportunities.
Volumetric is coming, watch out.
Via Tech.EU
