If the financing success that 3D printing pens are obtaining is any indication, future generations will begin their path toward the “blended reality” creative ecosystems envisioned by HP by 3D drawing in the air. These pens lower the barrier of entry into 3D creativity as they are extremely affordable and do not require any previous CAD skills.
Their technology is also advancing fast, with CreoPop 3D completing a mid-six-digit round of financing led by Silicon Valley-based 500 Startups. The stereolithography-based 3D printing pen was also selected as a finalist in the Innovative World Technologies Category for the 7th Annual SXSW Accelerator competition.
3DPI first covered CreoPop back in June 2014, when the company, based in the labs of the National Design Center in Singapore, first announced it. It has since gone through a very successful run on Indiegogo, raising 464% of its initial $40.000 goal, and can now be pre-ordered with different packages (ranging from $119 to $1,699) from the CreoPop website.
“Of the 40 successful exits we’ve had so far, one was the 3D printing company MakerBot, which was acquired by Stratasys for USD 400 million,” said Khailee Ng, Managing Partner of 500 Startups. “We strongly believe in the 3D printing sector. CreoPop specifically will not only bring this game changing technology to wider commercial applications, but also into households. I grew up using Lego blocks to make 3D objects. This generation will grow-up using CreoPop.”
Like the Polyes Q1 system, CreoPop uses a photosensitive resin-based ink which is polymerized by LED diodes surrounding the nozzle of the pen. And, by using cool resins, the pen has much lower energy requirements than thermoplastic based 3D pens such as the 3Doodler. CreoPop has also developed a large selection of inks, which include elastic, magnetic, glow-in-the-dark, thermosensitive, and body paintable materials.
While the several hundred thousand dollars obtained from private and personal financing will undoubtedly come in handy, becoming a finalist at the Oracle-sponsored SXSW Accelerator Awards will also give CreoPop a significant boost. And Andreas Birnik, CEO of CreoPop, says of the honor, “We join the ranks of some of the world’s most successful technology companies and we are also proud to place Singapore on the global technology start-up map.” First stop: Austin, Texas, next March 13th through the 17th for SXSW Interactive.
