MX3D once started as an experiment within the Joris Laarman Lab. The ambition? To see what the built world looks like if you think 50 years ahead, and you unleash robots and welding machines on it. \u201cWe found that with this technique you need up to 90% less material,\u201d says Gijs. \u201cThat's huge, especially with expensive and high-impact metals like stainless steel.\u201d What started as an artistic project - including the now-famous 3D-printed bridge in Amsterdam - grew into a serious industrial proposition. MX3D developed its own software and hardware that allows robots to print complex metal parts. That technology is now used in sectors such as oil & gas, nuclear and defence. Customers are not the least, including BMW, the US Army and Framatome, subsidiary of French energy giant EDF.<\/p>\n
Already since 2019, PDENH has been on board as an investor. Investment manager Joost de Waard was involved with MX3D from 2020. \u201cWe saw a strong team, a scalable technology with global potential, and above all a huge impact on sustainability,\u201d he says. \u201cBecause this technology can reduce material waste by 80%, significantly reducing carbon emissions.\u201d PDENH invested a total of four times, in different phases. From pre-seed to the recent Series A round of \u20ac7 million, in which private parties such as EDF Pulse Ventures and ING Sustainable Investments also participated. \u201cPublic money built the bridge where private money can now take over,\u201d says Joost.<\/p>\n
Gijs: \u201cThe market is now ready for it. Until recently, our technology was mainly of interest to R&D departments. But now there are also industry standards - such as DNV-ST-B203 and API20S - so procurement managers at large companies also know how to find us. That speeds up the whole thing considerably.\u201d With the new funding, MX3D is building an additional production hall in Amsterdam, where parts weighing up to 20,000 kilos can be printed. The number of in-house production systems goes from nine to 15, and the company is expanding its international sales network with partners such as Phillips Corporation in the US.<\/p>\n
Yet it was not a foregone conclusion that MX3D would grow into a global player. \u201cIf MX3D had not had public money in 2019, they would probably have remained an innovative SME,\u201d says Joost. \u201cThen they would probably have been able to create artworks and design pieces, but they would probably have been overtaken by competitors who did raise big bucks.\u201d And that competition is there. \u201cSome parties are listed on the stock exchange, others have raised tens of millions in capital,\u201d says Gijs. \u201cThe fact that MX3D is still ahead now is proof that strategic public investment can really make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Besides capital, PDENH also brought peace of mind and guidance. \u201cI have no financial background,\u201d Gijs explains. \u201cJoost helped me make the investment story understandable for other investors. Moreover, it is very nice to work with a Dutch team, where you can switch quickly and don't have to explain everything.\u201d Joost adds: \u201cMX3D is a textbook example of how transparency and trust can lead to a sustainable cooperation. No surprises, good communication, even when things are down for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n
The move to private investors also marks a new phase for the company. \u201cPublic investors like PDENH or DOEN aim to make positive impact. That means they also have a bit more patience,\u201d says Gijs. \u201cPrivate investors look more tightly at returns. That feels more businesslike and belongs to this phase.\u201d For PDENH, it is precisely valuable that private parties are stepping in now. \u201cThat is exactly what we want to achieve as a public fund,\u201d says Joost. \u201cWe take risk at an early stage, and if the company succeeds, market players take over. That way, you can continue to use public money where it is needed most.\u201d<\/p>\n
For other entrepreneurs who have doubts about public money, Gijs has a clear message: \u201cRealise that with venture capital you are always opting for growth, not stability. But if you do have that growth ambition, a public fund is an excellent partner in the beginning.\u201d Joost: \u201cWe invest not only in technology, but mainly in people. And we believe in companies that want to make impact and have ambition. MX3D proves that with the right team, a strong vision and public money, you can become a world player.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the coming months, MX3D will work on expanding the team, further professionalising and scaling up sales and marketing. Gijs: \u201cWe will now focus on expansion in the US, anchoring in the nuclear sector and possibly entering new vertical markets. We have all the pieces of the puzzle on the table. Now we need to put them in place.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Imagine a 3D printer that prints not plastic, but steel. And not for a scale model, but for a bridge, a ship's propeller or a component of a nuclear power plant. Sound futuristic? It just happens in Amsterdam-West, at MX3D. This high-tech company, which grew out of a design studio, has become a pioneer in WAAM (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing), in other words, \u201cprinting\u201d metal products with a robot and a welding machine. That growth was made possible in part by public money. Because without the Participatiefonds Duurzame Economie Noord-Holland (PDENH) - managed by ROM InWest, KplusV and StartGreen - MX3D would not have been where it is today. \u201cPDENH stepped in as the first investor together with DOEN participations in 2019. This allowed us to make huge strides,\u201d says Gijs van der Velden, CEO and co-founder of MX3D.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":7383,"template":"","tags":[102,47,103],"soort-insp":[76],"class_list":["post-9508","inspiratie","type-inspiratie","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-circulaire-transitatie","tag-investeren","tag-pdenh","soort-insp-nieuws"],"yoast_head":"\n