Arkema invests in 3D specialist Carbon

French materials supplier Arkema had made a $20 million strategic investment in Silicon Valley startup Carbon to advance the company’s digital lighting synthesis technology for 3D printing. 
 
Aiming to deliver a “new era of materials performance and supply chain model” for Carbon’s manufacturing partners, the move involves collaboration between Carbon and Arkema’s advanced liquid resins business line Sartomer.
 
The investment is made as part of Carbon’s recent $260 million fundraising round which will help the company expand its research and development, and develop next generation of fully integrated digital manufacturing platforms.
 
Sartomer has been collaborating with Carbon since its inception in 2013, helping the company scale its digital light synthesis technology, which is claimed to offer reliable and cost-competitive solutions. 
 
The expanded collaboration will aim to combine Carbon’s technology and Arkema’s programmable liquid resins to unlock new business opportunities such as mass customization, on-demand inventory and previously-impossible product designs.
 
The alliance, Arkema said, will offer an opportunity for both companies to “dramatically grow the pipeline of production applications driving volume and revenues, through advanced materials technology.”
 
“We are eager to continue and strengthen our joint efforts in delivering Carbon next generation products and full solutions to our partners & customers, disrupting the way parts are mass manufactured and accelerating new market opportunities,” said Thierry Le Hénaff, chairman and CEO of Arkema.