A Break-out Year for AM Craft

AM Craft - Aviation Additive Manufacturing Services achieved EASA Part 21G certification in early 2022, so 2024 has represented the 3rd year (2nd full year) of operation as a aviation supplier. Life as a startup aviation supplier isn't easy, that's why you hear of so few, but as we draw 2024 to a close, at AM Craft we are looking back at an incredible year of growth and foundation building for the future.

How best to measure the year's progress?

Focusing only on our Riga, Latvia headquarters facility, we can look to some of our production metrics.

• We delivered parts to nearly twice the number of customers as last year (171%)
• Of those customers, more than 2/3rds were new (69%)
• We accepted more than twice the number of POs we did last year (228%)
• We produced more than twice the number of unique part numbers this year (236%)

• We generated more than twice the revenue we did last year (262%)
• Our average monthly production in Q4 was roughly 6x what it was in Q1.

Beyond Riga, we began integrating Additive Flight Solutions Pte Ltd in Singapore into our business. And we certified Paradigm 3D in Dubai as the first fulfillment partner able to deliver under our Part21G certification. We also began the process to qualify alphacam GmbH and Stratasys Direct under our EASA certification.

It wasn't just about growing production though. Our company has significantly evolved this year to lay the foundation for a scalable company.

• We announced investment from Change Ventures , BADideas.fund , and Stratasys .
• We established our board of directors, led by Andris K. Berzins Change Ventures, with co-founders Didzis Dejus and Janis Jatnieks , plus Gurvinder S. Kahlon of Stratasys and myself.
• We established an advisory board drawing from the ranks of Airbus and other industry leaders and welcomed Michael Telkamp , Jeff Hemenway , and Mārti?? Bi?evskis to guide us on that board.
• We secured over €1M in EU grant funding for further technical development.

From the standpoint of market presence and visibility,

• We appeared in 航空周刊 - Aviation Week Network with a story about our project producing PSU fill panels for Finnair
• We were highlighted on a TCT Podcast
• Our expansion was noted in a Joris Peels article on 3DPrint.com
• We spoke with Michael Petch for an article on 3D Printing Industry
• We were invited by TechChill to pitch to the Latvian President
• And we were highlighted on the Cool Parts Show

We displayed at the Aircraft Interiors Expo where we demonstrated advanced concepts including true composite reinforced structural parts and joined the Stratasys and alphacam GmbH booths at Formnext - Where ideas take shape , where we were also named finalist for Startup of the Year and had multiple speaking opportunities.

For me, there was also the huge personal change of leaving my comfortable big-company role with great benefits to dive back into the AM industry at a time of turbulence, and then up the stakes by joining a startup 4,520 miles away and being the only employee (so far) in the western hemisphere.

And while there are certainly challenges, and this journey is not and will not be an easy one. I have gotten to know an incredibly passionate and gritty team that I have every confidence in. Thank you to Didzis Dejus , Janis Jatnieks , P?rtel-Peeter Kruuv , Arturs Skroderis , Elīna Vīndedze , Zuzana Obracajova , Klāss Brikmanis , Fricis Pirtnieks , Julija Brjuhanova , Pavels Senivs , Diana Grinuse , Kristīne Mi?elsone , Haralds Puri?? , Mr. Harikrishna , Jia Yong Tan Stefan Roeding , and many, many more!

Looking forward to an even bigger 2025!