After successfully releasing the BigRep ONE, which is claimed to be the largest FDM 3D printer on the consumer market (with a 1m³ volume), the Berlin-based tech startup BigRep has certainly caught the attention of some potential investors with their large-scale 3D printing capabilities. In fact, their latest Series A financing round has brought upon a flurry of funding to help one of Germany’s fastest growing hardware startups improve their research and development, global market leadership, and expand upon their sales and distribution model. The Series A financing round brought in funding from new investors Koehler Invest GmbH and venture capital firm b-to-v, who join a list of existing shareholders such as KFW-Bankengruppe and ERP-Srartfonds. All together, BigRep will have over €7 million in investment thanks to their successful financing round.
“We are thrilled to have found further investors with Koehler and b-to-v who appreciate the capacities of our large-scale serial 3D printing solutions and share our vision,” says BigRep CEO René Gurka. “As the 21st century’s key industry, 3D printing will substantially change global supply chains and production processes.”
Koehler Invest GmbH is a family-run group that has become heavily involved in investing money into new tech startups, and they are firm believers that both 3D printing technology and BigRep are heading in a positively expansive direction. “We have thoroughly studied the market for 3D printing and are positive that BigRep is one of the best positioned providers in the rapidly growing segment for industrial clients,” says Kai Furler, the Koehler Paper Group CEO.
The other new investor to come abroad the tech startup, b-to-v, is locally sourced with offices in both St. Gallen and Berlin. The venture capital group was actually partially involved (through their Lead Investor Dr. Christian Reitberger) with the initial seed funding of BigRep. “BigRep’s aim is to reduce the entry barriers for industrial 3D printing through lower operating costs, establishing a coherent software environment, and smart filament material innovations,” says Dr. Reitberger. “BigRep will access new customer groups for additive manufacturing and provide industry insiders with a wider applicability in everyday use, too.”
The €7 million bump from highly-invested groups can give the tech startup an opportunity to make their BigRep ONE even bigger and better. With plans to invest the newly acquired funds on product development and expanding international reach, BigRep and their large-format printer may make 3D printing an even bigger deal than it already is.
