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CIRTES

ServiceSaint-Dié-des-Vosges, FranceFounded 1991· One of 2188 Service companies tracked by AMPulse

French contractual research center (SRC) commercializing proprietary Stratoconception sheet-lamination additive manufacturing process for large-format multi-material parts from plastic, resin, wood, and metal sheets.

CEO / Founder
Claude Barlier
Team Size
11-50
Stage
Active
Total Funding
$13.5M
Latest Round
Grant
Key Investors
Région Grand Est, France 2030, Bpifrance, European Union Horizon Europe program, Crédit Mutuel Equity, Alsace Capitale, France Relance

Technology & Products

Key Products

Stratoconception® (large/complex part AM via sheet lamination); Pack&Strat® (custom 3D packaging via AM); Actarus® (machining process monitoring)

Technological Advantage

CLAIMED: Stratoconception® is described as superior for large/complex parts and multi-material combinations versus standard powder-bed or extrusion AM. VERIFIED: Multiple patents assigned to CIRTES SA/Cirtes SRC (inventors include Claude Barlier, Cyril Pelaingre, Denis Cunin, Christophe Levaillant; at least one patent granted 2011). Advantage is DEFENSIBLE via patents and trade secrets accumulated since 1991. Regulatory moat: SRC/CRT accreditation and CIR approval create switching costs for industrial R&D partners.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Enables fabrication of large-format and geometrically complex parts in multi-material sheet stock via the proprietary Stratoconception® process, reducing prototyping lead times for industrial clients; accredited SRC/CRT status qualifies partner companies for French Research Tax Credit (CIR), lowering effective R&D cost

How They Differentiate

Stratoconception® targets large-format and multi-material complexity not addressed by standard FDM/SLS systems; operates as an accredited R&D partner (SRC/CRT) rather than a pure equipment vendor, enabling co-development and CIR tax credit eligibility for French industrial clients. Specific head-to-head performance comparisons vs. named competitors not available in sources.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Industrial firms requiring rapid product development, complex prototyping, and custom packaging; R&D partnerships with manufacturing companies in France and the EU

Industry Verticals

General manufacturing; Rapid prototyping; Packaging; Industrial R&D

Competitors

Mcor Technologies (sheet lamination AM, now Volumetric); Solido (sheet lamination plastic AM)

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Total funding raised €12.5 million as of latest available data through 2025, with grants including €4.2M from France 2030 in July 2023, €3.8M from Région Grand Est and European Union in March 2022, and a €2.1M seed round in 2021.

Major Milestones

1991: Founded by Claude Barlier in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, France; 2011: Key Stratoconception® patent granted; Ongoing: Accredited as Structure of Contractual Research (SRC), Technological Resource Center (CRT), and approved for French Research Tax Credit (CIR); Co-founder of VirtuReaL cluster (with InSIC, Actarus, INORI); 2023+: C-FAST project funded by PIA (Programme d'Investissements d'Avenir / Future Investments) in partnership with TopSolid; 2025: Listed as Formnext 2025 exhibitor; Media coverage in Les Echos for Pack&Strat® technology

https://www.cirtes.com

AM patents

AM-relevant patents linked to this company.

Patents
11
Granted
2
Families
8

Leading domains: process (9), software (8), equipment (4)

Filings by year: 2024: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 2 · 2002: 1

  1. METHOD FOR DIGITALLY DESIGNING AND DIGITALLY MANUFACTURING MADE-TO-MEASURE PACKAGING FOR AN OBJECT, MEANS FOR IMPLEMENTING SAID METHOD AND PACKAGING OBTAINED THEREBY04457148 · EP
  2. METHOD AND MACHINE FOR AUTOMATING THE LAYER-BY-LAYER MANUFACTURING OF AN OBJECT USING A SOLID-SOLID ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING METHOD114080296 · CN
  3. TOOLS INSTRUMENTED BY FUNCTIONALISED ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING03846991 · EP
  4. MECHANICAL COMPONENT HAVING AT LEAST ONE FLUID TRANSPORT CIRCUIT AND METHOD FOR DESIGNING SAME IN STRATA01552351 · EP
  5. METHOD AND MACHINE FOR AUTOMATING THE LAYER-BY-LAYER MANUFACTURING OF AN OBJECT USING A SOLID-SOLID ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING METHOD2020260652 · WO

Funding rounds

  • Grant€2.2M2023-01Lead: French Government (PIA) · Source: TopSolid Press Release

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

CIRTES SRC occupies a niche in additive manufacturing as a contractual research center accredited for the French Research Tax Credit (CIR). Founded in 1991, it commercializes the proprietary Stratoconception process, a sheet-lamination method that decomposes 3D models into slices cut from sheet materials such as plastics, resins, wood, and metal. This approach targets large-format and geometrically complex parts that are difficult to produce with conventional powder-bed or extrusion AM.

The company's core offering includes Stratoconception for prototyping and production, Pack&Strat for custom 3D packaging, and Actarus for machining process monitoring. Its SRC/CRT accreditation creates a regulatory moat: partner companies can reduce effective R&D costs through CIR eligibility, a benefit unavailable to non-accredited competitors. CIRTES has raised €12.5 million in funding, including €4.2 million from France 2030 in 2023 and €3.8 million from Région Grand Est and the European Union in 2022.

Target customers are industrial firms in France and the EU requiring rapid product development, complex prototyping, and custom packaging. Key partnerships include TopSolid for AM design integration (C-FAST project) and the VirtuReaL cluster. Competitors include Mcor Technologies and Solido, but CIRTES differentiates by operating as an accredited R&D partner rather than a pure equipment vendor, enabling co-development and tax incentives.

The company's strategic moat rests on patents accumulated since 1991, trade secrets, and its SRC/CRT status, which creates switching costs for industrial partners. However, its market position remains niche, with limited international commercial scale and revenue visibility. The open question is whether sheet-lamination AM can scale beyond prototyping into production applications where powder-bed or extrusion methods dominate.