Dutch 3D printing company Additive Industries has received a €14 million investment from shareholder Highlands Beheer.
The metal Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) 3D printer manufacturer will use the capital to expand its product portfolio, accelerate the technology roadmap, and strengthen working capital.
“This substantial investment confirms the long-term commitment of Highlands to the growth ambitions of the company. It allows Additive Industries to make yet another significant step on its mission to revolutionize the productivity for the additive manufacturing of high quality metal parts,” said co-founder and CEO Daan Kersten.
Additive Industries and 3D printing
Founded in 2012, Additive Industries is known for PBF 3D printing, and launched its flagship MetalFAB1 3D printer in 2015. The system can be used with any metal powder, although it does include presets for commonly used metals such as titanium and aluminum.
Some of the additional funding will be used to further develop the scalable metal additive manufacturing system, which can be expanded from a print capacity of three modules up to a maximum of eleven. The larger version of the MetalFAB1 also contains two cores, enabling more than one material to be processed, without risk of contamination.
Using its MetalFAB1 3D printer, Additive Industries has been exploring the potential of automating its production process. The company combined expertise with the SMS Group in November 2017, to develop a system that enables the series production of end-use parts. Moreover, Additive Industries’ Scale4Series manufacturing plant, produces parts that can be printed and post-processed automatically, with this goal in mind.
Additive Industries collaborated with steelmaking company ArcelorMittal last month, to expand its technology’s applications, and develop large-scale spare part printing for the steel industry. Utilizing Additive Industries’ metal 3D printing technology, ArcelorMittal produced on-demand, end-use spare parts for its facilities, focusing on large and intricate components.
Growth and change at Additive Industries
Owned and run by the Wintermans family, Highlands Beheer has a portfolio of 59 companies which was largely built through revenue from its Agio Cigars business. Jonas Wintermans decided to diversify the business portfolio in 2012 by co-founding Additive Industries, and Highlands has been investing in the company’s growth ever since. In February 2019 for instance, the Highlands Beheer provided a €10 million loan to Additive Industries alongside fellow shareholders BOM Brabant Ventures.
As part of the latest deal, Highlands also acquired the shares of Additive Industries co-founder and CEO Daan Kersten, who will leave the company on June 30th. Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Mark Vaes will assume the role of CEO until a successor is found.
“Since our inception in 2012 we have been working relentlessly on building a system that is unlike any other. I am convinced that with the continued support of our clients, our partners, our team and our shareholders we can now push our innovation roadmap even more,” said Mark Vaes, CTO of Additive Industries.
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Featured image shows the Additive Industries’ MetalFAB1 3D printers on its production floor. Photo via Additive Industries.
