12-20-2017: Carbon secured $200 million in Series D funding

The company reached a $1.5 billion pre-money valuation.

On December 20, 2017, Carbon completed its Series D funding round, raising $200 million and achieving a valuation of $1.5 billion. Renowned for its breakthrough CLIP (Continuous Liquid Interface Production) 3D printing technology, Carbon became the second unicorn in the 3D printing sector that year, following Desktop Metal's earlier achievement. The funding came from strategic investors such as Hydra Ventures (backed by adidas) and GE Ventures.

In 2017, Carbon focused on scaling additive manufacturing for large-scale production. Early in the year, the company announced a partnership with adidas for the Futurecraft 4D project and later introduced its SpeedCell system, a comprehensive industrial solution incorporating post-processing capabilities.

The funds were allocated to accelerate Carbon's product strategy. Key initiatives included integrating cloud-based Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, collaborating with Oracle Cloud, and leveraging 3D scanning, sensors, and simulation technologies to enhance the CLIP system. Long-term goals centered on enabling the production of personalized products previously unattainable with traditional manufacturing methods.

Another focus of the funding was to support Carbon’s global expansion efforts. Partnering with JSR Corporation, a Japanese chemical company, Carbon aimed to establish a presence in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.

In addition to Hydra Ventures and GE Ventures, the funding round attracted investors such as Fidelity Management & Research Company, ARCHINA Capital from Hong Kong, Emerson Elemental, and Scottish investment firm Baillie Gifford.

Source: www.carbon3d.com