Carbon Raises $81 Million Investment to Support Global Expansion of Its 3D Printing Technology

California-based startup and developer of the M1 3D printer using CLIP technology, Carbon, has just secured $81 million in a Series C funding round from strategic investors BMW Group, GE, Nikon and JSR, as well as existing investors.

The latest funds bring up Carbon’s total funding to $222 million and should bring Carbon’s CLIP 3D printing technology to more customers globally, transitioning from prototyping-only use cases to applications requiring high-quality end parts and eventually to mainstream manufacturing.

“3D printing is a translation of the digital to a physical reality and when done right, offers true design freedom across every category,” said Dr. Joseph M. DeSimone, CEO and Co-Founder of Carbon. “At launch we set forth a bold vision to fundamentally change how the world makes ‘things.’ We have been working to deliver on that vision for the U.S. market, and are ready to step onto the global stage.”

Steve Taub, Senior Director of Advanced Manufacturing of investor GE Ventures, comments: “In today’s digital world, additive manufacturing is changing how products are designed, made and serviced at GE. Carbon’s CLIP technology can print exceptional quality parts for end-use production, opening the doors to incredible possibilities like low volume manufacturing, freedom of design, and mass customization. We are excited to work with Carbon as part of our vision in deploying additive manufacturing applications across GE.”

Investors Nikon Corporation and JSR Corporation intend to bring Carbon’s technology to Japan an other Asian markets. While Nikon’s expertise in 3D measurement will contribute to the partnership, JSR is an ideal partner to further develop materials, being a producer of fine chemicals used for manufacturing microelectronics.

Carbon’s M1 printer is used by its customers that include BMW group, Delphi and Ford. Printed parts feature and excellent surface finish similar to injection moulded plastic parts. The company has also teamed up with several service bureaus that provide their clients with quality parts.