Investment highlights Autodesk’s dedication to innovation in 3D
printing
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 9, 2015--
Autodesk,
Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today announced its $10 million investment in Carbon3D
from the Spark
Investment Fund. Carbon3D’s innovative Continuous Liquid Interface
Production technology (CLIP) addresses the current speed, mechanical
properties and material choice limitations of the 3D printing industry,
and promises to connect the digital thread from design through
prototyping to 3D manufacturing by enabling the production of commercial
quality parts.
In late 2014, Autodesk launched the Spark Investment Fund with the aim
of investing up to $100 million in entrepreneurs, innovators and
startups who push the boundaries of 3D printing. The Spark Investment
Fund is the first venture fund exclusively dedicated to driving the
overall growth of the 3D printing ecosystem.
“We started the Spark Investment Fund to help drive the 3D printing
industry forward,” said Carl Bass, Autodesk president and CEO. “Carbon3D
embodies the innovation that’s required to change how products are made.
The incredible speed of its CLIP technology makes 3D printing accessible
for true manufacturing, beyond the prototyping and the one-offs we see
it being used for now."
Current layer-by-layer 3D printing technology is slow and often produces
parts that are mechanically weak due to their shale-like layers. Using a
tunable photochemical process instead of the traditional mechanical
approach, Carbon3D’s CLIP technology eliminates these shortcomings to
rapidly transform 3D models into physical objects. By carefully
balancing the interaction of UV light, which triggers photo
polymerization, and oxygen, which inhibits the reaction, CLIP
continuously grows molecularly solid objects from a pool of resin at
speeds of up to 100 times faster than conventional 3D printing
technology.
“By working at the intersection of hardware, software and molecular
science, we are aiming to fundamentally address the issues that have
held 3D printing back from becoming a manufacturing process,” said Dr.
Joseph DeSimone, CEO and co-founder, Carbon3D. “We’re honored to have an
industry powerhouse like Autodesk recognize the transformative nature of
our CLIP technology and engage with us in such a significant way.”
Following their technology preview launch on stage at TED
2015 and to the scientific community on the cover of Science
Magazine, Carbon3D is focused on productizing the CLIP technology and
will have an industrial machine available within the next 12 months.
About Carbon3D
Carbon3D, a Silicon Valley based company, was founded in 2013 in Chapel
Hill, NC. Working at the intersection of hardware, software and
molecular science, Carbon3D is delivering on the promise of 3D printing,
allowing commercial customers to go beyond basic prototyping to achieve
3D manufacturing. The Continuous Liquid Interface Production technology
(CLIP) was introduced simultaneously at TED 2015 and to the scientific
community on the cover of Science Magazine (Science, March 2015).
Carbon3D is backed by some of the top investors in the world including
Sequoia, Silver Lake Kraftwerk, Autodesk Spark Investment Fund,
Northgate Partners, Piedmont Capital Partners, and Wakefield Group.
About Autodesk
Autodesk helps people imagine, design and create a better world.
Everyone—from design professionals, engineers and architects to digital
artists, students and hobbyists—uses Autodesk software to unlock their
creativity and solve important challenges. For more information visit autodesk.com or
follow @autodesk.
Autodesk and the Autodesk logo are registered trademarks of Autodesk,
Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other
countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to
their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product
and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time
without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical
errors that may appear in this document.
© 2015 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
Source: Autodesk, Inc.
Autodesk, Inc.
Jennifer Gentrup, 415-547-2435
jennifer.gentrup@autodesk.com