Interview with Origin CEO Chris Prucha on Building an Open Additive Manufacturing Ecosystem

Resin 3D printing has evolved rapidly, moving from rapid prototyping to full‑scale production. Startups are driving this shift by redefining how we build with resins.

Origin, founded in 2015 by two software engineers, has created a resin 3D printing platform that blends software‑driven control, modular hardware, and an open materials strategy. These three pillars together are reshaping resin‑based additive manufacturing. To explore Origin’s technology and vision, we spoke with CEO and Co‑Founder Chris Prucha.

We covered the secret sauce behind the Origin One printer, its key applications, the advantages of an open materials ecosystem, and the hurdles 3D printing must overcome to become fully industrialized.

What is Origin and what technology have you developed?

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Origin champions Open Additive Manufacturing: an approach that fuses open materials, extensible software, and modular hardware. The Origin One is a production‑grade printer that uses Programmable Photopolymerization (P3) to control light, heat, and force with precision, delivering parts that are both accurate and consistent.

Origin partners with a network of material suppliers to create a broad portfolio of commercial‑grade resins, yielding some of the toughest and most resilient materials in additive manufacturing.

How does your technology compare to other photopolymerisation processes?

Photopolymerisation has advanced significantly, but many industrial printers still rely on closed, proprietary systems that limit material choice and stifle innovation. Origin breaks this mold by focusing on hardware and software that empower material manufacturers to produce diverse resins. Our first customers were material providers, and we collaborated closely with them to embed the features needed for advanced materials.

Unlike many competitors, Origin does not take a margin on materials, aligning its incentives with customers and partners to accelerate additive applications. The printer’s hardware can handle high‑temperature or inert‑environment resins, while the software delivers consistent, reliable operation.

The core of Origin One’s advantage lies in its software. Every aspect of the print process—light exposure, separation force, temperature—is programmable. For example, a force sensor monitors the separation phase, automatically adjusting speed and pressure to enable fine features and large‑area surfaces like injection‑mold cavities—areas where other photopolymerisers often struggle.

Programmable control lets users tailor parameters to material behaviour. A silicone that tends to shrink can be compensated by adjusting energy dosage or temperature. Mold geometries can benefit from variable layer heights and selective speed adjustments, mirroring CNC machining’s flexibility.

Current real‑world applications of Origin One

When San Francisco’s shelter‑in‑place order was announced, Origin quickly pivoted to COVID‑related production—face shields, respirator adapters, and nasopharyngeal swabs. Partnering with Henkel, we validated medical‑grade, sterilizable resins without in‑house testing, thanks to Henkel’s printer‑based development. Within weeks, we were producing clinically validated swabs, ramping up to half a million per week on 40 Origin Ones.

Dental customers, such as Shanto Dental Lab in Canada, used Origin One to produce PPE face shields in bulk, while service bureaus printed ventilator splitters for hospitals. Enventys Partners produced 1,000 CAPR replacement parts in just ten hours on a single machine.

Beyond COVID‑19, the dental sector—one of the largest and most mature 3D‑printing markets—has benefited from Origin’s materials. We co‑developed a lower‑cost model resin with BASF, dropping the price from ~$400 /kg to $35 /kg while improving accuracy and speed.

Benefits of an open materials ecosystem

Closed systems often lock users into expensive, exclusive resins. Origin’s open network allows customers to choose any material, and we collaborate with partners to develop new resins. This partnership model reduces cost, speeds innovation, and mitigates supply‑chain risks. For example, a flame‑retardant resin with Henkel was brought to market in November 2019, combining expertise from both sides.

Open systems also enable second sourcing—critical when component shortages disrupt supply chains. Customers can validate multiple resins and, if needed, work directly with manufacturers to find alternatives.

Key challenges for the additive manufacturing industry

1. Material cost: As additive manufacturing moves into production, material cost becomes a major share of the bill of materials. Reducing price while maintaining performance is essential.

2. One‑size‑fits‑all solutions: Early OEMs built closed ecosystems that limited flexibility. Today, a richer ecosystem of software, post‑processing, and materials is emerging, but integration remains uneven.

3. Process control: Many polymer printers offer limited tweakability. Origin One restores user control—energy, speed, temperature—enabling rapid iteration and deeper understanding of the process.

Industry outlook and Origin’s roadmap

COVID‑19 accelerated the need for flexible, high‑volume production. The supply‑chain disruptions highlighted 3D printing’s ability to deliver end‑use parts quickly. As companies reassess ROI, solutions that demonstrate clear value will dominate the market.

Looking ahead, Origin will continue shipping the Origin One to diverse customers worldwide, refining the hardware, and expanding the software and material library. We aim to unlock new mass‑additive‑manufacturing applications while uncovering deeper insights into the technology.

To learn more about Origin, visit www.origin.io.