Fabric8Labs Raises $19M for Metal 3D Printing

Fabric8Labs Secures $19.3 Million in Series A Funding

Fabric8Labs announced this morning a successful funding round of $19.3 million. This Series A investment was spearheaded by Intel Capital, with participation from Lam Capital, TDK Ventures, SE Ventures, imec.xpand, Stanley Ventures, and Mark Cuban.

This latest funding follows a $4 million seed round completed in mid-2018. The company is based in San Diego and is focused on advancements in the field of metal 3D printing.

A Growing Market for Metal Additive Manufacturing

The metal 3D printing sector has seen significant growth recently. This is demonstrated by the decisions of companies like Desktop Metal and Markforged to become publicly traded through SPAC mergers in the last two years.

Fabric8Labs highlights that its process offers advantages such as reduced costs and lower energy consumption.

Electrochemical Deposition: A Novel Approach

“Our process differs fundamentally from conventional methods, as it doesn’t rely on powder or thermal processes,” explains CEO Jeff Herman in a statement to TechCrunch. “Instead, we utilize electrochemical deposition, which operates at ambient temperature and requires considerably less power.”

Herman further elaborates that the process employs an aqueous solution, formulated from readily available and inexpensive metal salts. This combination of affordable raw materials and energy efficiency is expected to substantially lower the overall cost of ownership and the cost per manufactured part.

Future Plans and Technology Development

The newly acquired funding will be allocated to expanding the company’s team, with plans to double its headcount by year-end. Resources will also be directed towards further development of the existing technology.

Fabric8Labs intends to demonstrate its capability to produce high-resolution components using copper. While the company aims for broad market availability, it acknowledges that achieving this goal will be a process spanning several years.

Addressing Scalability in Additive Manufacturing

Scalability is a common challenge in the realm of additive manufacturing. Herman asserts that Fabric8Labs’ technology is designed for large-scale implementation.

“Our technology is inherently scalable,” states the executive. “We envision deploying our technology on a large scale within the factories of the future, offering process capabilities and economic advantages uniquely suited for high-volume production.”

Herman suggests that a factory utilizing Fabric8Labs’ technology could incorporate 50 or more automated systems, sharing substantial feedstock reservoirs, mirroring established large-scale electrochemical processes currently in operation.