Freeform secures NVentures and AE Ventures investments for metal Additive Manufacturing with AI
November 4, 2024
Freeform, a metal Additive Manufacturing company founded by engineers from SpaceX and based in Los Angeles, California, USA, has announced a major investment from NVIDIA’s NVentures and AE Ventures. This investment is said to signal the start of a new era in advanced manufacturing, where artificial intelligence and hardware-accelerated computing converge to redefine metal production for industries ranging from aerospace to automotive.
As part of this investment, Freeform will join NVIDIA Inception, a programme that supports startups, and will leverage NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform to advance its existing AI-driven platform, which provides real-time predictive control over the complex physics of the metal Additive Manufacturing process.
“At Freeform, we are pioneering a transformation in manufacturing, where machine learning and supercomputing converge to make the impossible possible,” said Erik Palitsch, CEO and co-founder of Freeform. “Building on NVIDIA’s technology allows us to push the boundaries of what metal 3D printing can achieve, giving us the power to produce high-quality, digitally verified parts at speeds that were unimaginable a few years ago.”
A new manufacturing facility built with AI
By utilising NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform, Freeform is building what is reportedly the world’s first AI-native, autonomous metal Additive Manufacturing factory. This system integrates advanced sensing, process control, and machine learning to adjust the manufacturing process in real-time, guaranteeing precision and scalability at an unprecedented level.
“Freeform is leading the way toward autonomous manufacturing using accelerated computing,” added Mohamed “Sid” Siddeek, corporate vice president at NVIDIA and head of NVentures. “Their use of real-time AI-driven process controls and cutting-edge metrology systems sets a new standard for metal Additive Manufacturing.”
The company’s deep-tech platform aims to solve the lack of intelligent process control in traditional metal Additive Manufacturing. Freeform’s AI-powered platform learns continuously from each build, allowing it to predict and control outcomes in real time, ensuring every part is delivered with precision, speed, and digital verification.
Unleashing metal Additive Manufacturing at scale
The company will use the new funding to expand its portfolio of manufacturable materials, as well as to ramp up production capabilities for industries where quality, speed, and cost are paramount: defence, aerospace, energy, semiconductors, and automotive. The company’s autonomous manufacturing technology is already being embraced by companies such as Boeing, which is planning on tapping into Freeform’s capabilities to certify and scale metal parts for commercial aviation and defence in the future.
“To meet the demands of the 21st century, companies need technology that can move as fast as their ideas,” said Eugene Kim of AE Ventures. “Freeform is light years ahead in metal Additive Manufacturing, offering a scalable, flexible solution that ensures quality at every stage—from prototype to full-scale production. This is the breakthrough the aerospace industry has been waiting for. AE Ventures partnered with the highest levels of Boeing’s technical staff to review Freeform’s printing capability, and we have walked away extremely confident in their ability to revolutionise metal Additive Manufacturing.”
