Battery chemistry has advanced significantly over the years, but the processes used to manufacture batteries have changed little. In a recent development, Miami-based startup Material Hybrid Manufacturing (MATERIAL) has developed HYBRID3D, a platform that 3D prints energy directly into components of virtually any shape or size.
The company recently raised $7.1 million in Seed funding to support this development, co-led by Outlander VC and Harpoon Ventures, with participation from GoAhead Ventures, Myelin VC, Demos Capital and Giant Step Capital.
“The world doesn’t need another breakthrough in battery chemistry; it needs a breakthrough in how we make energy storage. We are building the tools to make electrical energy formless,” said Gabe Elias, CEO of MATERIAL.
Conventional batteries constrain design because they must fit rigid, predefined shapes, which can lower energy density and leave wasted space. MATERIAL’s approach allows batteries to conform to the form of a device, potentially improving efficiency, reducing weight, and offering new possibilities for product design. This flexibility is expected to improve applications in defense, consumer electronics, robotics, and wearables.
HYBRID3D: Energy That Adapts
HYBRID3D works by printing complete batteries directly into the structure of a device, integrating the anode, cathode, separator, and casing in a single process. This approach eliminates the need for pre-made cells or molds, allowing energy storage to conform to complex shapes.
In practical applications, the technology can increase range by 55%, payload capacity by 42%, and achieve almost 0% mass delta compared with conventional batteries. By using up to 90% of the interior volume and supporting multiple chemistries, HYBRID3D enables slimmer, lighter designs while improving energy density and material efficiency, effectively making power an integral part of the product rather than a separate component.
“Our platform allows electrical power to behave like a fuel design element,” Elias said. “Our technology allows us to deploy anywhere and print exactly what the application demands.”
Industry Impact and Strategic Significance
Investors see the platform as a potential shift rather than an incremental improvement. “MATERIAL is creating an entirely new paradigm for the battery industry,” said Jordan Kretchmer, Senior Partner at Outlander VC. Instead of competing with large gigafactories, the company enables batteries to be designed around the product itself, changing how high-performance devices are built.
Harpoon Ventures highlighted the strategic implications for national resilience. “Current defense platforms are strangled by the geometry of commercial batteries. MATERIAL eliminates that constraint. Their ability to decouple energy storage from rigid form factors is a game-changer for our national industrial base. This is what manufacturing sovereignty looks like,” said Larsen Jensen, Founder and General Partner at Harpoon Ventures.
The platform is already being tested under a $1.25 million Phase II SBIR contract with the U.S. Air Force, in collaboration with PDW and other defense partners. By removing wasted “dead space,” early tests suggest that energy density could increase by over 50% while reducing module weight by more than 22%.
“MATERIAL’s ability to tailor battery geometry to our airframe would allow us to push endurance and payload limits further,” said Darsan Patel, Director of Product Design at PDW. “Conformal energy technology bridges the gap between rapid prototyping and field-ready performance.”
Commercially, MATERIAL is exploring next-generation consumer electronics and piloting applications in mobility, robotics, and wearables.
Limits and Challenges
Despite its potential, HYBRID3D faces notable challenges. Most testing has been at the prototype stage, and scaling the technology for mass production could be complex. Precision printing into irregular shapes requires tight integration of additive and semiconductor manufacturing processes, and material costs, production speed, and long-term durability under varied environmental conditions remain uncertain.
Regulatory and safety approvals for both defense and consumer applications could also slow adoption. These factors suggest that while HYBRID3D shows promise, broader implementation will require time, rigorous testing, and further engineering development.
How 3D Printing Is Redefining Battery Design
While battery chemistry has advanced, manufacturing remains constrained: standard cells must fit predefined shapes, leaving unused space and limiting design flexibility. This reduces energy density, adds weight, and restricts how devices can be designed. MATERIAL’s HYBRID3D platform tackles this problem by embedding energy storage directly into the structure of a device.
Other additive manufacturing efforts show the same problem is widely recognized, though solutions differ. Sakuu’s Kavian platform 3D prints patterned lithium-ion electrodes with high durability for potential automotive and aerospace applications, while Blackstone Technology is developing 3D printed sodium-ion cells for mobility applications.
These examples illustrate a broader interest in using 3D printing to overcome the limitations of traditional battery manufacturing. While approaches vary, they all reflect the industry’s effort to rethink how energy storage can fit more flexibly into products.
3D Printing Industry is inviting speakers for its 2026 Additive Manufacturing Applications (AMA) series, covering Energy, Healthcare, Automotive and Mobility, Aerospace, Space and Defense, and Software. Each online event focuses on real production deployments, qualification, and supply chain integration. Practitioners interested in contributing can complete the call for speakers form here.
To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, don’t forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn.
Explore the full Future of 3D Printing and Executive Survey series from 3D Printing Industry, featuring perspectives from CEOs, engineers, and industry leaders on the industrialization of additive manufacturing, 3D printing industry trends 2026, qualification, supply chains, and additive manufacturing industry analysis.
Featured image shows from left: Founders Miles Dotson, Gabe Elias and Christopher Reyes, PhD. Photo via MATERIAL.
