Top 25 3D Printing Startups to Watch in 2019

The 3D printing sector has surged over the past decade, welcoming a wave of innovators poised to reshape manufacturing. From cutting‑edge hardware to breakthrough software, these startups are driving the next wave of additive manufacturing.

Explore our latest feature on 10 Promising 3D Printing Startups of 2020 for the latest trends.

Metal 3D Printing

Relativity Space

Founded: 2016

Relativity Space envisions a future where entire rockets are built via 3D printing. Launched in 2016, the LA‑based firm has secured roughly $45 million in capital and boasts talent from SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Tesla. Leveraging its 20‑meter Stargate printer, Relativity aims to produce 95% of rocket components in under 60 days and eventually extend this capability to Mars missions.

Desktop Metal

Founded: 2015

Desktop Metal pushes metal printing toward mass production. Its DM Studio, launched in 2017, delivers office‑friendly, binder‑jetting technology, while the industrial Production system rivals casting speeds. With $438 million in total funding—backed by Google, Ford, BMW, and GE—Desktop Metal is set to redefine the $12 trillion manufacturing landscape.

Digital Alloys

Founded: 2017

Digital Alloys introduces Joule Printing, a resistive‑heating process that melts inexpensive metal wire at 5–10 kg/h. Targeting automotive, aerospace, and tooling, the company plans to launch a commercial parts service by late 2019, backed by a $12.9 million funding round.

Velo3D

Founded: 2014

Emerging from stealth in 2018, Velo3D unveiled the Sapphire system, featuring Intelligent Fusion and Flow software that eliminate support structures and boost repeatability. The company now expands its material library to broaden application horizons.

Xact Metal

Founded: 2017

Xact Metal addresses the cost barrier of powder‑bed metal printing by replacing costly galvanometer mirrors with a gantry system, offering printers from $90,000 to $175,000. Its latest XM300C, shipping this year, opens PBF to universities, labs, and SMEs.

Polymer & Composite 3D Printing

Carbon

Founded: 2013

Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) enables polymer parts 25–100× faster than traditional methods, delivering injection‑mold quality. Partnerships with Adidas and Ford underscore its industrial credibility. The new L1 printer continues Carbon’s trajectory toward high‑volume production.

Markforged

Founded: 2013

Markforged democratizes additive manufacturing with printers for carbon fibre, kevlar, and Onyx. Since launching its Metal X line in 2017, it has shipped 2,500 units and secured $82 million in Series D funding, fueling continued growth.

Roboze

Founded: 2013

Roboze specializes in high‑performance FFF printers equipped with high‑viscosity polymer extruders, enabling PEEK, ULTEM, PP, and carbon‑reinforced PA. The company’s $3.4 million investment targets a 500% expansion in EMEA and the US.

Origin

Founded: 2015

Origin’s Open Additive Production platform combines open materials, modular hardware, and Programmable Photopolymerisation (P3) to enable mass‑production of polymer parts. Partnerships with BASF and Henkel accelerate material development, while a $10 million Series A round supports upcoming trade‑show launches.

Colossus

Founded: 2016

Belgian firm Colossus pioneered the Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF) technique, printing up to 15 kg/h in a 2.67 × 1.5 m build envelope. Collaborations with Mitsubishi Chemical validate ten material profiles, positioning Colossus for large‑scale furniture and construction applications.

Evolve Additive Solutions

Founded: 2017

Spun from Stratasys, Evolve Additive Solutions focuses on STEP (Selective Thermoplastic Electrophotographic Process), a 100% manufacturing‑oriented technology that marries electrophotography with additive manufacturing. With $19 million in funding, STEP aims for commercial rollout in late 2020.

Fortify

Founded: 2016

Fortify’s Fluxprint system merges magnets with DLP to produce composite parts from carbon fibre, fiberglass, and ceramic. The $2.5 million funding round supports scaling of hardware, materials, and INFORM generative‑design software.

Rize

Founded: 2014

Rize’s Augmented Polymer Deposition (APD) blends FFF with material jetting to create full‑color parts without post‑processing. The XRIZE industrial line enables simultaneous filament extrusion and CMYK ink jetting, simplifying support removal and reducing finish time.

Moi Composites

Founded: 2018

Italian startup Moi Composites offers a Continuous Fiber Manufacturing (CFM) process using KUKA robots and proprietary algorithms, enabling parts up to 0.8 × 1 × 1.2 m from glass fibre and vinyl ester. Plans to add carbon and aramid fibres will broaden its market to aerospace, marine, and energy.

Aerosint

Founded: 2016

Aerosint pioneers multi‑material powder‑bed fusion, enabling SLS machines to print distinct polymers within a single part. Early prototypes (2018) hint at a future where zero‑waste, high‑performance components become routine.

Arevo

Founded: 2013

Arevo’s six‑axis robotic printer and proprietary software tackle the challenge of engineering‑grade composites, offering high‑strength parts across multiple industries.

3D Printing Software

nTopology

Founded: 2015

New York‑based nTopology delivers the Element platform, combining simulation, lattice design, and a lightweight LTCX file format to accelerate lightweight, optimized part development. Over $7 million in funding fuels ongoing R&D.

Betatype

Founded: 2012

Betatype’s Engine software compresses laser‑scanning data into an ARCH format, slashing build times and costs. A recent automotive case study cut 444‑hour builds to under 30 hours for 384 parts, demonstrating the platform’s scalability.

3D Printing Engineering & Manufacturing Services

Morf3D

Founded: 2015

Morf3D offers direct metal laser sintering and electron beam melting across aluminium, titanium, Inconel, and stainless steel. Its aerospace clients—Boeing satellites, helicopter parts—testify to its rigorous engineering and qualification capabilities.

Fast Radius

Founded: 2014

Fast Radius, named a top global factory in 2018, blends additive manufacturing with Industry 4.0 to deliver virtual inventories and on‑demand production. Its partnership with UPS at Worldport accelerates logistics, showcasing a new paradigm for rapid manufacturing.

Conflux Technology

Founded: 2015

Australian firm Conflux applies AM to heat exchangers and fluid systems, producing lighter, more efficient components with fewer prototypes. Supported by AM Ventures, it demonstrates how additive design accelerates thermal performance.

Voodoo Manufacturing

Founded: 2015

Voodoo Manufacturing operates a 200‑printer digital factory powered by robotics and software, achieving 100% hardware utilisation. Clients like Nickelodeon, Microsoft, and Lowe’s illustrate its ability to match injection‑moulding scale with 3D printing precision.

3D Printing for Construction

Apis Cor

Founded: 2014

Apis Cor’s mobile concrete printer can erect a residential house in 24 hours for under $10,000, slashing traditional construction times. NASA backing fuels research into sustainable lunar and Martian shelters.

3D Printing for Electronics

Nano Dimension

Founded: 2012

Israeli firm Nano Dimension’s DragonFly 2020 Pro prints PCB prototypes with simultaneous dielectric and conductive layers, enabling rapid, in‑house electronics development. Its traction in aerospace, defence, automotive, and consumer sectors underscores the technology’s reliability.

Hardware for Post‑Processing

PostProcess Technologies

Founded: 2014

Automating the final stage of AM, PostProcess Technologies offers integrated software, hardware, and chemistry for support removal and surface finishing across PolyJet, FDM, SLA, MJF, CLIP, and DMLS parts, dramatically improving throughput and traceability.

New Companies, New Opportunities

The 2019 additive manufacturing landscape is defined by innovative startups that are reshaping how we think about production. Their substantial funding rounds reflect investor confidence and signal a bright future for AM. We’re eager to see how these companies evolve and drive 3D printing to new frontiers.