Monday, November 23, 2020

Whatever Happened To 3D Printing? Relativity Space Closes a $500 Million Series D To 3D Print Rockets

Additive manufacturing of metal: very important. We learned that during the great 3D bubble of 2012 with Sweden's Arcam:

Despite my concern about the share price the company itself is a little gem, one of the leaders in 3D metalworking as opposed to the plastic tchotchkes that you get out of a MakerBot.
And not just any kind of metalworking either, this is bleeding edge. 

The company was purchased by General Electric after a $10 to $175 run.

And from TechStartups, November 23:

Relativity Space raises $0.5 billion in Series D funding to 3D print an entire space rocket and build the largest metal 3D printers in the world

We first covered Relativity Space back in 2018 after the Los Angeles-based orbital launch startup raised $35 million in funding. A lot has changed since then. Relativity Space (Relativity) is disrupting 60 years of aerospace tradition by creating an entirely new process to build and fly rockets. Its 3-D print technology enables rockets to be built and flown in days instead of years. Its 3-D printed rocket contains 100 times fewer parts than the conventional rockets.

Relativity deploys and resupplies satellite constellations, is the first company to 3D print an entire rocket, and build the largest metal 3D printers in the world. Its new process to build and fly rockets is redefining how we access to space to connect our planet.

Today, Relativity announced it closed a $500 million Series D equity funding round to accelerate its planned initiatives, including its factory of the future, launch vehicle development, and 3D printing technologies as it builds toward humanity’s multi-planetary future.

The round, which further validates Relativity’s sector-leading momentum across commercial execution, technical milestones, and talent growth, was led by Tiger Global Management with participation from new investors Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, Baillie Gifford, ICONIQ Capital, General Catalyst, XN, Senator Investment Group, and Elad Gil. Existing investors participating in the round include BOND, Tribe Capital, K5 Global, 3L, Playground Global, Mark Cuban, Spencer Rascoff, and Allen & Company LLC, among others....

....MUCH MORE