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CMET

HardwareYokohama, JapanFounded 1990· One of 1734 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

A pioneer in industrial additive manufacturing specializing in high-precision stereolithography (SLA) systems, sand mold 3D printers, and proprietary photopolymer resins.

CEO / Founder
Yoshikazu Ooba
Team Size
11-50
Stage
Subsidiary
Total Funding
$4.5M
Latest Round
Acquired
Key Investors
Tobata Group Co., Ltd. (93.75%), ADEKA Corporation (5.00%), YAC Holdings Co., Ltd. (1.25%)

Technology & Products

Key Products

Rapid Meister Series (Industrial SLA printers: ATOMm-8000, etc.); Sand Mold 3D Printers (SCM Series for digital casting and foundry applications); Proprietary Resins (TSR series including ABS-like, heat-resistant, and transparent materials); Link3D / Magics for CMET (Specialized data preparation and control software)

Technological Advantage

Proprietary high-speed scanning technology and laser control systems that ensure dimensional stability over large build volumes; backed by Nabtesco’s precision machinery expertise to provide industrial-grade durability.

Patent position

CMET filed 3 patent families in 2022-2024, down from 7 in 2019-2021, a 57% fall, while tracked AM filings in the same patent offices fell 4%. AMPulse analysis

Filing momentum
3 families filed 2022–2024, 7 in 2019–2021 (-57%); all tracked AM filings in the same offices -4%
Filed in
JP 53%WO 26%EP 18%CN 6%US 6%
Named competitors, AM patent families
3D Systems 300voxeljet 104Stratasys 494

101 AM patent families in total. Recent years are still being published, so read a filing change against the same-office figure.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Delivers 'Made in Japan' precision and reliability through a vertically integrated ecosystem of high-speed hardware, specialized resins, and advanced slicing software, enabling rapid prototyping and complex casting production.

How They Differentiate

CMET differentiates through a 'Made in Japan' precision engineering approach, offering a unique dual-track portfolio of high-accuracy Stereolithography (SLA) and specialized Sand Mold 3D printers. Unlike many competitors, they develop proprietary resins (TSR series) specifically optimized for their hardware and provide deep integration with traditional foundry casting workflows.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Industrial manufacturers, automotive Tier 1 suppliers, aerospace engineers, medical device manufacturers, and heavy-industry foundries.

Industry Verticals

Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Dental, Electronics & Consumer Goods, Foundry & Casting

Competitors

3D Systems; D-MEC (Mitsubishi Chemical Group); Voxeljet; Stratasys

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Estimated annual revenue between $50M - $80M; maintains a dominant share of the domestic Japanese industrial SLA market.

Major Milestones

Founded in 1990 as the first company in Japan to commercialize stereolithography., Developed the world's first sand mold 3D printer (SCM series) in 1997., Became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nabtesco Corporation in 2000., Launched the high-precision 'Rapid Meister ATOMm' series in 2014., Established a global partnership with Materialise for advanced data preparation software., Divested by Nabtesco and became a subsidiary of Tobata Group Co., Ltd. in July 2026.

Notable Customers

Toyota Motor Corporation; Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.; Honda Motor Co., Ltd.; Komatsu Ltd.; Sony Corporation

https://www.cmet.co.jp

Recent coverage of CMET

AM patents

AM-relevant patents linked to this company.

Patents
112
Granted
41
Families
101

Leading domains: process (111), equipment (52), material (50)

Filings by year: 2023: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 3

  1. Additive manufacturing system, powder recycling device, powder recycling method and powder recycling program7165334 · JP
  2. Stereolithography equipment and stereolithography method5897061 · JP
  3. CURING RESIN COMPOSITION AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL FORMED ARTICLE2014196536 · WO
  4. 材料供給装置、材料供給装置の制御方法および材料供給装置の制御プログラムWO2019187110 · JP
  5. 三次元造形装置WO2015151832 · JP

Funding rounds

  • AcquisitionUndisclosed2026-06-30Lead: Tobata Group Co., Ltd. · Source: Tobata Group
  • AcquisitionUndisclosed2000Lead: Teijin Seiki Co., Ltd. · Source: NABTESCO
  • Seed$4.5M1990-11Source: NABTESCO

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

CMET occupies a distinctive position as a vertically integrated Japanese manufacturer of industrial stereolithography (SLA) systems and sand mold 3D printers. Unlike most additive hardware vendors that focus on a single polymer or metal process, CMET bridges high-detail polymer prototyping and large-scale sand casting within one portfolio. Its parent company, Nabtesco Corporation, provides precision machinery expertise that underpins the hardware's industrial-grade durability.

The company's core product lines include the Rapid Meister series of industrial SLA printers, such as the ATOMm-8000, and the SCM series of sand mold printers for digital casting and foundry applications. CMET develops proprietary TSR-series photopolymer resins — including ABS-like, heat-resistant, and transparent grades — optimized for its own hardware. On the software side, it offers Link3D and a customized version of Materialise Magics for data preparation and machine control.

CMET's primary customers are automotive Tier 1 suppliers, aerospace engineers, medical device manufacturers, and heavy-industry foundries. Named customers include Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Komatsu, and Sony. The company holds a dominant share of the domestic Japanese industrial SLA market and distributes through partners in Asia and Europe. Its sand mold printers are used to produce complex casting patterns for engine blocks, turbine components, and other metal parts, integrating directly into traditional foundry workflows.

The company's strategic moat rests on its dual-track technology portfolio, proprietary resin development, and deep integration with Japanese industrial manufacturing. Its 1997 introduction of the world's first sand mold 3D printer gave it a long head start in the digital casting niche. However, CMET faces competition from global SLA incumbents like 3D Systems and Stratasys, as well as from D-MEC (Mitsubishi Chemical Group) and Voxeljet in sand printing. Its reliance on the Japanese domestic market and Nabtesco's corporate structure may limit its agility in responding to rapidly evolving LPBF and binder jetting alternatives.