Trending in this week: Additive manufacturing gains add up to big opportunities in tech

?? Could 3D printers be the answer to the organ donor shortage?

Advancements in 3D printing and additive manufacturing (AM) are creating new opportunities for tech talent to apply new tech to all sorts of old problems.

3D printing, also called “additive manufacturing” (AM), is a process of creating structures layer by layer. Entrepreneurs are inventing all sorts of new materials to be used in the process, including metals, plastics, concrete, paper, polymers, and even live cells. There’s also subtractive manufacturing, which is basically AM in reverse.

This tech is advancing rapidly in industrial settings such as auto makers, e-commerce factories, and other areas relying on robotics and autonomous systems. AM pairs well with generative design systems, which use AI techniques to define and optimize the geometry of parts. All of this is catnip for industrial companies utilizing robotics that require small and precise parts.

That helps explain why the global 3D market is projected to grow from $15B to $83B in this decade and the proliferation of venture funds dedicated to industrial 3D printing.

??? What can 3D printing do for you?

Founders and researchers say there’s nearly boundless potential for these new manufacturing processes to help solve many thorny challenges.

Like donor shortages, for example. Startups are now 3D bioprinting organs using advanced thermoplastics. Though organ replacement is cost prohibitive now, some say it could be a solution long donor wait times in the U.S. and other countries.

Or the food crisis. Companies are now 3D printing food. On the menu: 3D printed steak and salmon.

Or the housing crunch. Two U.S. companies recently teamed up to build what they say is the first 3D printed two-story house. Companies like ICON and Alquist3D’s are gaining social media fame with their structures with unique rope-like concrete walls. Though, don’t be fooled by the captivating short-form videos of CAD-modeled houses turning into modern villas for a hamster; 3D printing a simple structure can take hours, if not days.

Taking things one giant step further, ICON launched “Project Olympus,” which aims to develop a construction system that could print infrastructure on the moon, using materials found on the moon. If those structures fail, an international team of researchers has the solution: a swarm of autonomous 3D printing drones inspired by bees that function in fleets to build and repair structures while flying.

What about plastic waste? Companies like Reflow are coming up with novel ways to repurpose used plastic bottles and other plastic waste into 3D printing materials.

How about blindness? Researchers at Khalifa University say they developed 3D printed glasses with the potential to cure color blindness. Earlier this year, researchers at the Technical University of Munich developed 3D printed haptic feedback glasses that allow people with visual impairments to navigate without a cane.

Perhaps in a few years the more fitting question will be: What can’t 3D printing help solve?

Check out our list: From Prototype to Production: 3D Printing Companies Hiring Now

? Company feature: why we’re excited about nTopology ?

nTopology is a New York-based startup at the forefront of 3D printing and additive manufacturing. Founded in 2015, the company boasts a team of multifaceted engineers who are dead-set on building the next generation of design software. nTopology’s software to improve 3D printing and fabrication across a dizzying array of industries, from medicine and manufacturing to aerospace and automotive. The company raised a $64M series D and is hiring for engineering, marketing, sales, and operations roles.?

?? Trending in Tech

??? Enhanced advanced materials

Materials Companies are building a new sustainable backbone for manufacturing and design.

The advanced materials market was valued at approximately $15B in 2022 and is projected to surpass $22B by 2027. High-tech industrial sectors like aerospace, defense, medical, and energy industries rely on critical, cutting-edge materials that these companies produce. Over time, these materials can become ubiquitous in everyday life, like in the case of carbon fiber and Kevlar.

The space is flooded with new directions like new materials derived from fruits and vegetables to protect produce on store shelves. And many materials producers are making strides in sustainability by implementing mining and metal production methods that reduce harmful waste. Even the ever-present shipping container is being reimagined with new more environmentally friendly materials.

Check out our list: Building The Future: 5 Advanced Materials Companies Hiring Now

??? Can we call it ‘commerce’ already?

The pandemic was only the beginning of e-commerce taking over. Just a few years ago, e-commerce made up just $1 of every $10 in global retail sales. That’s projected to reach 20% by the end of the year. In the U.S. e-commerce are on pace to break the $1T mark this year, two years ahead of schedule. With 60% of consumers preferring online shopping to the brick-and-mortar experience, e-commerce is set to open up new avenues for marketing and other arenas ripe for tech talent.

Check out our list: From Browsing to Spending to Marketing: 5 E-commerce Companies Hiring Now

?? Return to wanderlust

Whether reconnecting with family and friends or to simply getting away, travel is roaring back in many areas. The vacation and travel industry was one of the areas of the economy that was most affected by COVID-19. With travel restrictions becoming a thing of the past in many countries, people are releasing their inner travel bug.

Leading minds in the travel industry are using this period of rebuilding to create a more resilient travel and tourism sector. Some are choosing to focus on offsetting carbon emissions, while others are developing more isolated solutions for retreats and getaways.

Check out our list: 5 Hot Travel Companies Hiring to Sooth Our Travel Itch

?? Startups In the News

• Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Quantori, a provider of IT services for healthcare industries, raised a $15M seed round led by Flint Capital. Their services include software engineering, scientific informatics, machine learning, cloud computing, and AI solutions that enable biopharma companies and healthcare organizations to enhance healthcare practices.
• Phoenix, Arizona-based Solestial, a solar energy company for space, raised a $10M seed round led by Airbus Ventures. The company’s core technology is a silicon solar cell that can self-cure radiation damage in space.
• Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Nickels, a fintech company enabling banks and credit unions to help consumers overcome credit card debt, raised a $4M seed round led by Flyover Capital and Reseda Group. After an analysis of anonymized checking account data, Nickels provides a marketing toolkit and web application to help consumers find refinancing opportunities and build better habits.
• Berlin, Germany-based Levity, a No-Code AI automation platform, raised an $8.3M seed round led by Balderton Capital and Chalfen Ventures. The platform works to optimize company operations by speeding up processes, reducing costs, and freeing employees from mundane tasks.
• London, UK-based Ribbon, provider of an in-product research platform, raised a $3M seed round led by Octopus Ventures. The company’s software enables users to target participants, run surveys, conduct interviews, and store insights.

?? Hot Startups Hiring Now

• GM Labs: Building a crypto-native, decentralized, and user-owned social network
• Triumph: Powering the infrastructure behind Real Money tournaments for games
• HOMMA: An AI based software and service company for connected homes

???Let's connect

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