ValCUN has just announced a fund raising of 1.5 million euros to accelerate the go-to-market capabilities of its metal additive manufacturing technology. The financing round is backed by PMV and VLAIO as well as various business angels.
Founded by Jonas Galle and Jan De Pauw, the start-up is one of the 3D printer manufacturers that make the pride of Belgium. The company ambitions to make metal AM affordable and accessible and unlike fellow manufacturers, the team did not choose the easy way to do so.
What makes ValCUN’s technology outstanding is that it does not require lasers or metal powder, which is pretty intriguing when one knows that this is the basis of most metal AM solutions.
In a press communication, the team explains that a more efficient heat input results in considerable energy savings and shape requirements for the filler material are non-existent. As a result, wire, granulates, residual flows, andeven recycled metal and previously printed parts are suitable as raw material. Applications that the team foresees at this stage are cooling components, heat exchangers and parts required in IT infrastructures to name a few.
“We didn’t take the easy road, developing a new technology and new hardware simultaneously – a combination that many investors are opposed to. We are steadily pursuing our sky-high ambitions by thinking globally and we see potential at renowned companies such as Google and Tesla. From the outset, we have positioned ourselves as an international company. To implement this vision, we are currently looking for business / customer development and engineering talents”, co-founder Jan De Pauw states.
With several pilot projects in the pipeline, the next step for the team at ValCUN is to work on their ability to meet the needs of target applications such as near-net-shape products and heat exchangers – which are pivotal for batteries. Following this road, ValCUN is likely to become a supplier for the electric vehicles market, IT and other industries that require higher energy density and performance.
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