Aug 1 2017
Italy’s Roboze has recently had the great privilege of being selected by Parisian non-profit Hello Tomorrow as one of the top 500 most innovative startups in the world in their annual challenge.
The Roboze One+400 3D printer was the qualifying project for the Italian company, with over 4,000 projects being chosen from overall. I wasn’t too surprised to hear the news, having just interviewed Roboze’s marketing director, Ilaria Guicciardini. As she pointed out, Roboze is made up of a group of very brave people. That’s generally what it takes to dive into a startup and begin to solve the complex technological challenges of the world. And as they say, just because you work hard doesn’t mean you will succeed. In the 3D printing realm—one that has become extremely competitive—a good product backed up by a superior (and brave indeed!) team is required.
Roboze Founder and CEO Alessio Lorusso (R) with Gil Lavi, VP Global Sales & Business Development, at RAPID + TCT 2017 (Credit: Sarah Goehrke)
Roboze was one of 500 promising startups recognized by a jury made up of individuals from Google X, Michelin, Airbus, L’Oréal, and Solvay, among others. The 3D printer manufacturer is known for their lineup that includes the Roboze One and the Roboze One+400. Both are fused filament fabrication (FFF) machines, with the capability to use ten different materials, including PEEK, polycarbonate, and nylon 12. The use of FFF technology as well as allowing users to print with ‘high viscosity’ materials (previously relegated to much more expensive 3D printers) has gained them attention worldwide, and obviously in this annual worldwide competition too.
Roboze explained in their recent press release that PEEK and PEI are super polymers. In relation to 3D printing, they could be thought of as more similar to light metals than plastics—and could actually be used in place of metal for making end-use parts. The company recently showed us some of their high-strength parts 3D printed in plastics and plated in metal for additional properties.
Roboze has now installed the Roboze One + 400 3D printer on four continents. This has been made possible with their network of partners around the world, creating a “distributive channel made of skills and expertise in the fields of manufacturing, CAD/CAM systems, and 3D printing.” Roboze growth is up 400 percent since the Roboze One + 400 3D printer launch. They have been appreciated by industry leaders to include:
- GE Global Research
- Airbus
- Elbit Systems
- Mecaer Aviation Group
“The business spirit fuels every aspect of our daily routine joined to a constant effort for innovation,” says Alessio Lorusso, Roboze CEO and Founder. “This effort helped our growing, focusing on our mission: to develop accessible solutions in order to speed up the digitization of production processes.”
It makes sense that research and development is a key focus at Roboze.
"Roboze entered in very important networks from SAP research programs of distributed manufacturing applications to the partnership with Inovsys Sas, aiming to develop and empower additive manufacturing solutions in the medical and aerospace field,” states the company.
Hello Tomorrow was founded in 2011 by Xavier Duportet and Arnaud de la Tour. Since then their team has grown exponentially, and they also have a group of ‘ambassadors’ who are talented in a variety of different areas. They work to assist ‘deep tech’ startups as they begin creating and working within local ecosystems and a global network. The top 500 startups represent the top 50 companies in 10 industries; finalists in the competition will be announced on September 1.
Teaser - Hello Tomorrow Challenge for deep-tech startups