The 2022 Formnext Start-up Challenge Winners are selected by a jury looking for enterprises that are “new, creative, viable, and [have] above all, sustainable business ideas from the world of Additive Manufacturing.”
This year the winners are Photosynthetic (Netherlands), Lattice Medical (France), Rivelin Robotics (UK), SphereCube (Italy), and Alpha Powders (Poland). A further award, the AM Ventures Impact Award, went to Lattice Medical.
You can meet the winners in Frankfurt this week at Formnext: Hall 11.0, D72.
Also, read more in our series on the 2022 Formnext Start-Up Challenge winners here.
3D Printing Industry: Please introduce yourself and your company?
Julien Payen: I am Julien Payen, CEO, and co-founder of Lattice Medical. Lattice Medical is an implantable medical device company that develops and manufactures a breakthrough technology in the field of autologous adipose tissue reconstruction.
Lattice Medical has developed the implantable medical device Mattisse, 100% resorbable, which allows a natural breast reconstruction for women who have suffered from breast cancer. Building on this expertise, Lattice Medical [launched] its new project, Lattice Services, in 2020, which brings together all its know-how in tissue engineering and biomaterials dedicated to the design, manufacture, and distribution of medical-grade, implantable and absorbable 3D filaments.
Lattice Services also provides services for the design of innovative devices using 3D printing, as well as a service for the extrusion of custom medical filaments from your biomaterials.
3D Printing Industry: What is the problem your business solves?
Julien Payen: One in eight women suffer from breast cancer, and two hundred and forty thousand of them have a full mastectomy every year for their cancer treatment. And yet, only 20% of women have access to breast reconstruction.
The current solutions are not adapted – silicon implants bear long-term risks, and autologous surgeries request to undergo several invasive surgeries leading to pain and stigmatizing sequelae. We introduce a Breast Revolution with the Mattisse implant, a bioabsorbable tissue-engineered chamber, allowing an autologous & natural reconstruction by regenerating small vascularized flap harvested around the breast area. [Plus] a full resorption after 18 months [with only] a single surgery of one hour and a half, simplifying autologous procedures by avoiding microsurgery. Once implanted, Mattisse regenerates a small flap harvested locally in the breast area during three to six months.
Once regenerated, the implant slowly disappear for full resorption over eighteen months. The patient recovers a full breast with its own tissue, without silicon implant, without any scars and sequelae.
With Lattice Services, we wanted to put the expertise we have acquired through Lattice Medical to extend the use of 3D Printing in the medical industry. Our medical filaments and 3D printing services aim to bring innovative solutions, rapid prototyping, and production for the future of medical devices.
3D Printing Industry: How does your company fit into the additive manufacturing ecosystem?
Julien Payen: The additive manufacturing ecosystem is very diversified today. With Lattice Medical, we wish to bring innovations to the medical field. Today, there is still a multitude of solutions to be discovered to improve the health of everyone, and we think that 3D printing can answer a part of them.
3D Printing Industry: What are your expectations and hopes from exhibiting at Formnext 2022?
Julien Payen: It is a privilege for us to exhibit for the first time at Formnext. Proud of our innovation, we wish to make it known to as many people as possible. It will also be an opportunity for us to show our range of medical-grade 3D filaments, which can help develop various projects.
3D Printing Industry: What advice would you offer to someone considering launching a start-up in the 3D printing industry?
Julien Payen: If 3D printing is the manufacturing process of the start-up, ensure that this [meets the challenge] in terms of reliability, costs, and product performance. If not, choose the best way to manufacture your product.
If 3D printing is a process, [i.e., machines], that the start-up aims to improve, always [measure] your idea against the industry leaders and users to have the best overview of your claims.
3D Printing Industry: How would you describe the roadmap for your enterprise over the coming years?
Julien Payen: We started our clinical trials last July, which is a major step forward for us. These trials will continue over the next few years. In parallel, we are working on other projects, notably Rodin, our new implantable device capable of repairing deep skin lesions. Finally, we also want to develop in the United States to bring innovative solutions to a maximum number of patients.
3D Printing Industry: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Julien Payen: We are very honored to be among the winners of the Formnext Start-up Challenge and look forward to meeting you all in November in Frankfurt.
Learn more about Lattice Medical here.
Meet the winners in Frankfurt this week at Formnext. Hall 11.0, D72.
2022 Formnext Start-up Challenge Jury
Kristian Arntz, CEO, Fraunhofer Center for Networked Adaptive Production, ICNAP
Stefanie Brickwede, Head of 3D Printing Deutsche Bahn, Managing Director, Mobility goes Additive
Arno Held, Managing Partner, AM Ventures
Peter Mayr, Professor of Materials Engineering of Additive Manufacturing, Technical University of Munich
Alexander Oster, Director Additive Manufacturing, Autodesk
Michael Petch, Editor-in-chief, 3D Printing Industry
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Featured image shows The Mattisse breast implant. Photo via Lattice Medical.
