Carbon
Develops Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology using continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) for high-resolution, engineering-grade polymer parts.
- CEO / Founder
- Ellen Kullman
- Team Size
- 201-500
- Stage
- Scaling
- Total Funding
- $682M
- Latest Round
- Growth Round ($60M, Nov 2025)
- Key Investors
- Sequoia Capital; Google Ventures (GV); Silver Lake; Baillie Gifford; Madrone; adidas; Fidelity; GE; BMW; Johnson & Johnson; Temasek; Arkema; JSR; Northgate
Technology & Products
Key Products
L1; M3; M3 Max; M1; Design Engine
Technological Advantage
Verified 25-100x speed advantage over standard 3D printers; 10x durability improvement in specific applications like blender nozzles; enables direct production of end-use parts.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Produces engineering-grade end-use parts up to 100x faster than traditional additive manufacturing with injection-molding-like properties, eliminating tooling costs.
How They Differentiate
Proprietary DLS process achieves injection-molding-like mechanical properties and surface finish at speeds significantly higher than traditional resin-based processes like SLA.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Consumer products, healthcare, and industrial manufacturers requiring high-volume production of engineering-grade polymer parts.
Industry Verticals
Consumer products; Footwear; Eyewear; Healthcare; Dental; Industrial; Automotive
Competitors
Formlabs; 3D Systems; Stratasys
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
500K+ bike saddles produced; millions of dental parts weekly; #1 most reliable 3D printer by NADL for 6 years; #1 NFL/NFLPA helmet safety testing for 6 years; approaching cash-flow positive (2025); 38 institutional investors
Major Milestones
2013: Founded by Joseph DeSimone, Philip DeSimone, Alex Ermoshkin, and Edward Samulski based on UNC Chapel Hill research; 2014: Series A ($11M) and Series B ($31M); 2015: Joseph DeSimone TED talk on CLIP technology goes viral; M1 printer launch; 2016: Series C ($181M, $1.1B valuation); 2017: adidas partnership for 4D midsole production begins; 2018: Series D ($200M); 2019: Series E ($260M, $2.4B valuation); L1 large-format printer launch; 2022: Phil DeSimone & Craig Carlson appointed Office of the CEO; 2025: $60M growth round; approaching cash-flow positive; 6 of top 10 Tour de France riders on Carbon saddles; 500K+ bike saddles produced
Notable Customers
adidas; Riddell; Specialized; JINS; Vitamix; Core3dcentres; TTH