Freeform, a company founded by former SpaceX engineers and specializing in AI-driven metal 3D printing, has announced a significant investment from NVIDIA’s NVentures and AE Ventures. This investment signals a shift toward advanced manufacturing technologies, where artificial intelligence (AI) and hardware-accelerated computing are set to reshape metal production across industries such as aerospace and automotive.
As part of this investment, Freeform will join NVIDIA’s Inception program, designed to support startups at the forefront of innovation. Leveraging NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform, Freeform aims to enhance its AI-powered platform, providing real-time predictive control over the intricate physics involved in the metal 3D printing process. This development opens new possibilities in metal additive manufacturing, surpassing the limitations of traditional methods.
AI-Powered Metal 3D Printing Factory
Freeform is developing the world’s first AI-native autonomous metal 3D printing factory. Using NVIDIA’s technology, this factory integrates advanced sensing, machine learning, and process control, which can adapt manufacturing processes in real time. The result is an unprecedented level of precision, scalability, and speed in producing high-quality, digitally verified metal parts.
“Freeform is at the forefront of autonomous manufacturing,” said Mohamed “Sid” Siddeek, corporate vice president at NVIDIA and head of NVentures. “Their real-time AI-driven process controls set a new standard for metal additive manufacturing.”
The company’s platform addresses a long-standing challenge in traditional 3D metal printing: the lack of intelligent process control. Current methods often produce inconsistent results and delays, requiring extensive testing and validation. Freeform’s AI-powered platform continuously learns from each print, allowing real-time prediction and control of outcomes, ensuring precise and rapid production.
Scaling Metal 3D Printing Across Key Industries
With this new funding, Freeform plans to scale its technology across a multi-trillion-dollar manufacturing market. The company aims to expand its range of printable materials and ramp up production for industries where quality and speed are critical, including aerospace, defense, energy, and automotive. Boeing, one of the industry leaders, is exploring Freeform’s capabilities for certifying and scaling metal parts for commercial and defense aviation.
“Freeform is ahead of the curve in metal additive manufacturing, offering a scalable solution that ensures quality from prototype to full-scale production,” said Eugene Kim of AE Ventures. “This is the advancement the aerospace industry has been anticipating.”
Redefining Metal Manufacturing with AI
“We are reshaping manufacturing,” said Erik Palitsch, CEO and co-founder of Freeform. “By combining AI, supercomputing, and advanced sensing, we’re enabling industries to move from concept to production at unprecedented speed and efficiency.”