3D printing specialist Inkbit receives 19 million US dollars in funding

3D printing specialist Inkbit announced the closing of a $19 million funding round led by Ingersoll Rand with participation from Future Labs Capital, GC Ventures America, iGlobe Partners, Ocado, Phoenix Venture Partners, Stratasys, Zeon Ventures and other private investors.

Inkbit’s goal is to enable the development of physical products as quickly as software. To accelerate this process, Inkbit has developed Vision-Controlled Jetting (VCJ), a multi-material manufacturing system that scales seamlessly from prototyping to production on the same platform. This technology combines advances in computation, chemistry and process control, enabling the rapid manufacture of innovative products such as complex industrial fluidics and bio-inspired robots.

“From the moment we met with the extraordinary Inkbit team and saw its novel Vision Controlled Jetting (VCJ) technology, we wanted to be part of the journey to drive commercialization and adoption across life science and industrial applications,” said Vicente Reynal, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ingersoll Rand. “Together, we can transform how the industry thinks about component manufacturing and accelerate innovation.”

Inkbit’s VCJ technology was originally developed in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab at MIT. At its core, it is a redesign of traditional assembly line manufacturing. VCJ combines the scalability, reliability and throughput of original assembly line manufacturing with the flexibility and intelligence of 3D machine vision-based feedback control. Parts are built layer by layer on a platform that moves under multiple stations, each with a specific function such as material jetting, UV curing, inspection, cooling, etc.

“A century ago, my great great-grandfather developed the moving assembly line – a production method that revolutionized the automotive industry and manufacturing in general. I am delighted to join Inkbit and contribute to reinventing the assembly line for the factories of the future” said Henry Ford III, who joins Inkbit as Independent Director.

Inkbit’s VCJ technology is poised to revolutionize the way we think about product design and manufacturing, especially in areas that require multi-step assembly processes and complex supply chains. Inkbit’s technology opens up new possibilities in areas such as robotics, healthcare, mobility, industrial automation and defense.

“This new partnership with Ingersoll Rand marks a key milestone in the history of our company. We are evolving from an equipment provider to partnering with manufacturers to develop new materials and processes to enable the acceleration and simplification of product innovation. For me personally, and for our team at Inkbit, being able to learn from and be inspired by some of the most iconic names in the history of American manufacturing is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I look forward to building on this extraordinary tradition of technical ingenuity and operational excellence. Together, we will create the factories of the future,” said Davide Marini, Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer at Inkbit.