15 3D printing investors investing in additive manufacturing in 2025

Raising money for 3D printing companies is different than software fundraising. Hardware takes longer, materials validation is expensive, and most VCs don't understand your burn rate. You need investors who've actually funded additive manufacturing companies through production scaling.

This list covers 15 investors who closed 3D printing deals from 2023 to November 2025. Mix of seed, Series A, and growth-stage funds.

Quick list

Finding investors who actually understand hardware economics

Find investors who've backed hardware companies through production scaling, not just prototype stage. Ask their portfolio companies how they handled the cash crunch between working prototype and manufacturing at scale. Check if they understand 18–24 month development cycles are normal for materials validation, your performance insights help reveal who actually reviews the details.

Most software VCs will kill your company by pushing for premature scaling. Seed investors often don't understand why you can't ship to customers 6 months after funding.

Use Ellty to share your deck with trackable links. You'll see who actually opens your bill of materials and manufacturing timeline slides. Look at whether their portfolio companies actually reached production or stayed in R&D mode. Dead hardware companies that never shipped are a red flag. Secure everything through our file sharing before you engage.

Make sure they've funded capital-intensive businesses before. Series A software investors won't understand your equipment needs. Check their comfort with deep tech timelines. Ask what support they provide during supply chain issues and production delays. Generic "we have manufacturing partners" answers are useless without specifics.

How to reach additive manufacturing investors

Research recent hardware deals on Pitchbook and track which funds are actually writing checks for materials and manufacturing companies. Early-stage funds won't lead your growth round no matter how good your technology is.

Show production economics in your pitch. Investors are tired of cool prototype videos without clear path to $100/kg materials cost or sub-$50k printer price points. Include your supply chain plan.

Upload to Ellty and send trackable links. Monitor which pages investors spend time on. If they skip your manufacturing timeline and unit economics, that's useful information—organize everything in your pitch deck for clarity.

Message portfolio founders on LinkedIn and ask specific questions about response times during cash crunches and help with manufacturing partners. Most will tell you the truth about investor involvement.

Attend Formnext and RAPID + TCT conferences. These are where actual deals happen in additive manufacturing. Skip generic startup events where nobody understands hardware.

Connect with partners after warm introductions only. Cold emails to hardware VCs rarely work unless you have exceptional metrics or technology breakthrough.

Set up an Ellty data room with your materials certifications, equipment specs, and production roadmap before investors ask. It speeds up technical due diligence significantly.

Lead with your cost per part or materials breakthrough. Don't waste time on market size slides. They know the additive manufacturing market projections.

Why this matters in late 2025

The 3D printing market finally moved beyond prototyping hype. Companies like Desktop Metal went public then struggled, and investors got more careful about production claims. Now they want to see actual manufacturing volume and repeatable processes.

Industrial customers are buying 3D printing for production, not just R&D. That means investors care about per-part economics and supply chain integration. If you can't show a path to competing with injection molding or CNC on cost for specific applications, funding is harder in 2025. Send all sensitive docs in secure files as you negotiate.

15 top 3D printing investors

1. Lux Capital

Deep science fund that understands long development cycles and has backed multiple materials companies through commercialization.

• Recent Deals: Velo3D (additional funding 2024), multiple materials science investments 2023-2024
• LinkedIn: Josh Wolfe, Bilal Zuberi
• Sector Focus: Materials science, industrial 3D printing, production technology, deep tech hardware
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: New York, USA
• Website: luxcapital.com

2. SOSV

Runs HAX hardware accelerator and invests across the hardware stack including 3D printing materials and equipment.

• Recent Deals: Multiple HAX portfolio companies in additive manufacturing 2023-2025, focus on materials startups
• LinkedIn: Sean O'Sullivan, Chintan Panchal
• Sector Focus: Hardware, materials, industrial equipment, manufacturing technology
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A
• Location: Global (US, China, Europe)
• Website: sosv.com

3. Khosla Ventures

Backed Carbon early and understands the capital requirements for scaling production additive manufacturing.

• Recent Deals: Continued investments in materials portfolio companies 2024-2025
• LinkedIn: Vinod Khosla, Samir Kaul
• Sector Focus: Deep tech, materials science, industrial technology, climate tech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: Menlo Park, USA
• Website: khoslaventures.com

4. Intel Capital

Strategic investor focused on semiconductor manufacturing applications and industrial automation.

• Recent Deals: Multiple manufacturing technology investments 2024-2025 including additive manufacturing for chip production
• LinkedIn: Nick Washburn, Wendell Brooks
• Sector Focus: Semiconductor manufacturing, industrial automation, advanced materials, production technology
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: Santa Clara, USA
• Website: intelcapital.com

5. AM Ventures

Europe's only dedicated additive manufacturing fund with portfolio across hardware, materials, and software.

• Recent Deals: Seurat Technologies Series B 2024, multiple European AM companies 2023-2025
• LinkedIn: Arno Held, Johannes Kleiner
• Sector Focus: Additive manufacturing hardware, materials, software, post-processing, quality control
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Munich, Germany
• Website: am.ventures

6. Mosaic Ventures

Early Formlabs backer with continued focus on European deep tech hardware and production technology.

• Recent Deals: European hardware and manufacturing technology companies 2023-2025
• LinkedIn: Toby Coppel, Simon Levene
• Sector Focus: Deep tech hardware, robotics, manufacturing, industrial automation
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Location: London, UK
• Website: mosaicventures.com

7. Kleiner Perkins

Invested in Carbon and continues backing materials science and production technology companies.

• Recent Deals: Materials and manufacturing technology investments 2024
• LinkedIn: Ilya Fushman, Mamoon Hamid
• Sector Focus: Deep tech, materials, industrial technology, climate tech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: Menlo Park, USA
• Website: kleinerperkins.com

8. Porsche Ventures

Strategic investor backing automotive manufacturing applications with focus on production parts.

• Recent Deals: Multiple manufacturing technology investments 2023-2025 focused on automotive production
• LinkedIn: Alexander Hitzinger, Patrick Heinemann
• Sector Focus: Automotive manufacturing, production technology, materials, industrial automation
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: Berlin, Germany / Palo Alto, USA
• Website: porsche-ventures.com

9. TRUMPF Venture

Corporate VC from industrial laser and machinery company with deep manufacturing expertise.

• Recent Deals: Multiple additive manufacturing and production technology investments 2024-2025
• LinkedIn: Bernd Schönecker, Andreas Maurer
• Sector Focus: Laser technology, additive manufacturing, industrial automation, production systems
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: Stuttgart, Germany
• Website: trumpf-venture.com

10. btov Partners

European early-stage investor with multiple 3D printing investments including materials and software.

• Recent Deals: Xolo and other European additive manufacturing startups 2023-2025
• LinkedIn: Ingo Potthof, Stefan Schuessler
• Sector Focus: Deep tech, materials, industrial software, hardware, manufacturing
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Location: Berlin, Germany / Zurich, Switzerland
• Website: btov.vc

11. BASF Venture Capital

Strategic investor from chemical giant focused on advanced materials and production applications.

• Recent Deals: Materials innovation and chemical technology investments 2024-2025 including AM materials
• LinkedIn: Markus Solibieda, Hilger Groenewold
• Sector Focus: Advanced materials, chemical technology, production chemistry, sustainability
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
• Website: basf-vc.de

12. Boeing HorizonX

Corporate venture arm backing aerospace applications with focus on certified production parts.

• Recent Deals: Aerospace manufacturing and materials technology investments 2023-2025
• LinkedIn: Brian Schettler, Steve Nordlund
• Sector Focus: Aerospace manufacturing, certified materials, production technology, supply chain
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: Seattle, USA
• Website: boeinghorizonx.com

13. Foundry Group

Early MakerBot investor that continues backing manufacturing technology and industrial automation.

• Recent Deals: Manufacturing and industrial technology investments 2024
• LinkedIn: Brad Feld, Seth Levine
• Sector Focus: Manufacturing technology, industrial software, automation, robotics
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Location: Boulder, USA
• Website: foundrygroup.com

14. EQT Ventures

Growth-stage investor in European deep tech with portfolio companies in advanced manufacturing.

• Recent Deals: European manufacturing and industrial technology growth investments 2024-2025
• LinkedIn: Lars Jörnow, Hjalmar Winbladh
• Sector Focus: Deep tech, industrial automation, manufacturing, robotics, materials
• Stage Focus: Series B, Growth, Late Stage
• Location: Stockholm, Sweden
• Website: eqtventures.com

15. Playground Global

Hardware-focused fund with materials science expertise and production scaling experience.

• Recent Deals: Hardware and materials technology investments 2023-2024
• LinkedIn: Bruce Leak, Andy Rubin
• Sector Focus: Hardware, materials science, robotics, manufacturing, deep tech
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Palo Alto, USA
• Website: playground.global

Start tracking investor engagement

These 15 investors closed additive manufacturing deals from 2023 to November 2025. Before you reach out, set up proper tracking for your outreach.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your manufacturing timeline and unit economics. Most founders are surprised when investors skip market size slides but spend 10+ minutes on bill of materials and production roadmap pages.

When investors ask for technical specifications or materials certifications, share an Ellty data room instead of email attachments. Your equipment specs, materials data sheets, certification documents, and financial model in one place with view analytics. You'll know if they actually reviewed your technical documentation or just skimmed the executive summary.

Common questions

How do I know if an investor understands hardware economics?

Ask their portfolio companies about cash management during production scaling. If they only have software investments, they won't understand your 18-24 month development cycles or equipment capital needs.

Should I pitch software VCs with my 3D printing company?

Only if they have dedicated deep tech or hardware partners. Most software investors will push for growth metrics that don't make sense for hardware and will hurt your company.

What's the difference between strategic and financial investors in 3D printing?

Strategic investors like BASF or Boeing want technology access and take longer to close. Financial investors move faster but provide less industry connections. You probably want both in your round.

How many 3D printing investors should I contact?

Target 20-30 investors but sequence your outreach. Start with tier-two investors to practice your pitch, then approach top choices. Hardware deals take 6-9 months to close, so plan accordingly.

When should I set up technical documentation?

Before first investor meetings. They'll want to see materials certifications, equipment specifications, and production timeline during initial diligence. Having it ready speeds up the process significantly.

Do investors actually check which slides I view in my deck?

Yes. Several portfolio founders mentioned investors asking specific questions about sections they spent time reviewing. It shows genuine interest versus politeness meetings.