BCN3D closes $3M million funding round and spins off as an independent company
A new phase begins for the Barcelona company
Born as a University research group in Barcelona, BCN3D has sold some 5,000 3D printers to date to clients such as BMW, Samsung, Louis Vuitton, Nissan, NASA, HTC, SEAT and ALBA Synchrotron, building a global network of 60 distribution partners. Now the research group that invented the IDEX 3D printing technology is finally spinning off as an independent company, after raising $3M seed funding by VC firms Accurafy4, JME VC and Victoria.
The round turns BCN3D into one of the top 10 desktop 3D printing manufacturers in Europe by funding. “We are working on a new range of products to improve the experience of our clients and take the IDEX to a completely new level” stated BCN3D’s CEO Xavier Martínez Faneca regarding the innovation initiatives that the company has in place. BCN3D’s printers are used for prototyping, functional validation and manufacturing tooling, jigs, and fixtures.”
BCN3D reinforces its commitment to serving the market, as Mr. Faneca stated: “With this funding, we will be able to ramp-up our production to meet the market demand and cut down the long delivery periods we have experienced in the past due to production limitations”.
After an incubation period, BCN3D will then spin-off from CIM-UPC Center, the leading Additive Manufacturing center from the South of Europe which is part of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC). Together with the CIM-UPC, the new company is founded by Xavier Martinez Faneca (CEO), and BCN3D’s executive team: Roger Antunez, Pol Domenech, Marc Felis, Jose Antonio Ortega, Eric Pallares and its technology advisor Roger Uceda.
“Technology transfer is, along with research and training, our greatest commitment related to the challenges of Industry 4.0 and Additive Manufacturing,” commented Francesc Torres, Rector at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC). “The BCN3D project has been developed within our technological center CIM-UPC and it’s an example of how knowledge can generate value and have a social impact. We are very proud of this new step for BCN3D and we will support their growth from the university.”
