B2B Manufacturing and Procurement SaaS startup 3D Spark finalized its €1.2M oversubscribed seed round in a second closing led by Fraunhofer Technology Transfer Fund
• The company's AI automates the identification of the most suitable manufacturing processes,quoting, and Request for Quotation (RFQ) preparation
• License customers like Alstom, Deutsche Bahn, and ZF Friedrichshafen, highlight its growth potential and market relevance

Hamburg, May 22nd, 2023. B2B Manufacturing and Procurement SaaS Startup 3D Spark closed its €1.2Mseed round in a second closing, led by Fraunhofer Technology Transfer Fund (FTTF), together with Discovery CFO UG in addition to the first closing investment by Innovations starter Fonds Hamburg (IFH)and FTTF. Despite a difficult market environment, the round was oversubscribed and thus the full funding target achieved highlighting the need and added value of the 3D Spark SaaS Platform to the manufacturing and procurement landscape.

When it comes to manufacturing, procuring, and selling components, businesses are constantly seeking cost-effective, fast, and sustainable solutions. However, identifying the best manufacturing technology requires significant process knowledge and time-consuming manual analysis.

Major efficiency gains for Procurement, Sales, and Manufacturing

3D Spark envisions a world where component manufacturing is streamlined, cost-effective, and sustainable, with minimal waste in terms of material, manual work, and CO2 emissions. Therefore, 3D Spark's cutting-edge technology integrates AI to empower businesses to automate and identify the most suitable manufacturing processes, automate quoting, and Request for Quotation (RFQ) preparation. As a result, smarter manufacturing decisions lead to cost savings in the millions, and significant reductions inlead time and CO2 emissions.

Specifically, 90% of manual quoting time is automated by the software giving sales 10x more time to solve actual customer problems and generate revenues. Furthermore, pre-manufacturability-checks and costing ease Make or Buys decisions and lead to >80% reduction of RFQs written by procurement,minimizing administrative efforts on both sides, procurement, and sales.

Successful application in Rail, Automotive, and Manufacturing

Industrial leaders like Alstom, Deutsche Bahn, ZF Friedrichshafen, as well as Germany’s Tourist Attraction No. 1, the “Miniatur Wunderland”, are already among the list of license customers.

“Impressed by their outstanding technical Know-How as well as understanding for the 3D market, the founding team of 3D Spark convinced us since we first met them. Their software already enables multiple customers to quickly decide which 3D manufacturing process is the fastest and most efficient for each task – hence, delivering significant and measurable customer value. With a successful completion of their funding round, the team is now in an excellent position to refine their software even further and offer it to a wide range of new customers.” say Lucas Funk, IFH and Jörg Wamser, FTTF.

"This is an excellent opportunity to support an innovative company and team. I am convinced that this will be a successful venture with a vision to reinvent the world of manufacturing methods and processes.”Jörg Fanger, Managing Director, Discovery CFO UG.

“The funds enable us to accelerate development of our innovative platform and to deliver on our claim‘the best manufacturing technology for every part’, whilst ensuring long-term planning security for our industrial partners and customers”, states Ruben Meuth, CEO and Founder at 3D Spark.

Dr.-Ing. Fritz Lange, CEO and Founder at 3D Spark adds “This round of financing gives us the opportunity to fully focus on achieving our vision and thus making a more economical and ecological manufacturing of tomorrow possible. A large part of the funding will therefore be invested in customer-requirements driven product development.”

Contact:

3D Spark GmbH

Ruben Meuth

Klaus-Groth-Str. 88, 20535 Hamburg

[email protected]

About Innovationsstarter Fonds Hamburg GmbH

The Innovationsstarter Fonds Hamburg GmbH invests venture capital in young innovative companies in order to strengthen the Hamburg startup scene and contribute to the development of promising companies. It provides for open investments in corporations up to a maximum of EUR 1 million per company. Investors in the fund are the City of Hamburg and the European Regional Development Fund(ERDF) in equal shares. The fund is managed by IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Investitions- und Förderbank in Hamburg.

Contact:

IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH

Lucas FunkBesenbinderhof 31, 20097

[email protected]

About Fraunhofer Technologie-

Transfer Fonds (FTTF)The Fraunhofer Technology Transfer Fund (FTTF) is an independent early-stage venture capital investor for young deep-tech companies of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the first such fund in Germany. With a fund volume of 60 million euros, FTTF finances start-ups in very early phases and can invest up to 5million euros per company. FTTF’s investors are the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the European Investment Fund (EIF). Since its launch in 2019, FTTF has invested in more than 30 start-ups pursuing innovative business models based on a wide range of Fraunhofer technologies.

Contact:

Fraunhofer Technologie-Transfer Fonds (FTTF) GmbH

Joerg Wamser

Kaufinger Str. 24, 80331 München, Germany

[email protected]

About Discovery CFO UG

The Discovery CFO UG (haftungsbeschränkt) is a privately held company. Its business purpose is to investin start-up ventures with high growth potential. It also offers interim CFO-services and consulting

Other links-

https://www.startbase.de/news/3d-spark-schliesst-12-mio-euro-seed-runde/
https://startupcity.hamburg/de/news-events/startup-news/1-2-millionen-fuer-3d-spark-in-seed-runde

https://www.starting-up.de/news/news-investments/3d-spark-schliesst-12-mio-euro-seed-runde-ab.html

https://www.voxelmatters.com/3d-spark-closes-e1-2m-funding-round/

https://3dadept.com/3d-spark-secures-e1-2m-seed-round-to-further-develop-its-3d-printing-software/

https://3dadept.com/3d-spark-obtient-12-million-deuros-pour-developper-son-logiciel-dimpression-3d/

https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/german-startup-3d-spark-raises-e1-2m-to-make-manufacturing-more-economical-and-ecological-222561/

https://www.amchronicle.com/news/3d-spark-completes-e1-2m-seed-round-to-boost-economical-and-ecological-manufacturing/

https://3druck.com/industrie/3d-spark-finanzierungsrunde/
https://www.3printr.com/3d-spark-closes-first-funding-round/
https://www.3d-grenzenlos.de/magazin/business/investoren-expansionen/3d-spark/
https://www.hamburg-startups.net/3d-spark-sichert-sich-finanzierung-im-hohen-sechsstelligen-bereich/
https://www.fertigungstechnik.de/2022/11/14/kapitalerhoehung-fuer-3d-spark/
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https://www.de.digital/