citim
Provides metal additive manufacturing services for rapid prototyping and small-series production, operating a fleet of industrial 3D printers from major OEMs.
- CEO / Founder
- Frank Lehmann
- Team Size
- 201-500
- Stage
- Acquired
- Latest Round
- Acquired
Technology & Products
Key Products
Metal AM Prototyping; Small-Series Production; Design for Additive Manufacturing; Post-Processing Services
Technological Advantage
Operated a large fleet of 17+ metal AM systems from EOS, SLM Solutions, and TRUMPF, providing capacity and technology flexibility for diverse customer projects. Its expertise in design and process optimization for functional parts was a key asset acquired by Oerlikon to build an integrated AM value chain.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Offers a full-service solution from design to finished metal parts, reducing lead times for complex components in aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors.
How They Differentiate
As a pure-play service bureau, citim focused exclusively on metal AM production without manufacturing its own printers, allowing it to be an agnostic, multi-technology provider. Its early establishment (1996) and academic spin-off origins gave it deep process expertise.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
High-tech industries requiring functional prototypes and low-volume production parts.
Industry Verticals
Aerospace/Defense; Automotive; Energy; Medical; Motorsports
Competitors
BEAMIT; Poly-Shape (AddUp); Siemens Materials Solutions; Sintavia
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Reported over 120 employees and $12 million in revenue prior to acquisition in 2016.
Major Milestones
1996: Founded as a spin-off from Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg.; 2004: Introduced laser sintering technology.; 2009: Launched laser melting services.; 2014: Established U.S. subsidiary citim-AM in Kennesaw, Georgia.; 2016: Acquired by Oerlikon.
Notable Customers
Boeing; Porsche; Lufthansa Technik
Funding rounds
- AcquiredUndisclosed2016-12Lead: Oerlikon · Source: Oerlikon/Metal-AM/Tracxn