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Continuous Composites

HardwareCoeur d Alene, Idaho, United StatesFounded 2012· One of 1636 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

Continuous Composites develops CF3D technology for 3D printing continuous fiber reinforced composites without molds.

CEO / Founder
Steve Starner
Team Size
11-50
Stage
Active
Total Funding
$20.7M
Latest Round
Series A
Key Investors
B. Riley Venture Capital, Arkema, Saint-Gobain S.A.

Technology & Products

Key Products

CF3D (Continuous Fiber 3D Printing) technology, including hardware, software, and materials for automated manufacturing of continuous fiber reinforced composites.

Technical position · AMPulse analysis

Patented continuous fiber reinforcement produces parts with strength approaching traditional composites but without molds

Patent position

Continuous Composites filed 60 patent families across all years, versus 9 for Arris Composites, 7 for Orbital Composites, and 83 for Markforged. AMPulse analysis

Filing momentum
8 families filed 2022–2024, 39 in 2019–2021
Process mix, 2019–2021 → 2022–2024
Material extrusion 97% → 100%
Focus, 2019–2021 → 2022–2024
Equipment 89% → 86%
Filed in
US 43%WO 35%EP 15%CN 7%
Named competitors, AM patent families
Arris Composites 9Orbital Composites 7Markforged 83

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

Differentiation

Value Proposition

CF3D technology enables rapid production of high-strength composite parts without expensive molds or autoclaves.

How They Differentiate

True continuous fiber vs. chopped fiber competitors; no mold requirement; rapid prototyping to production

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Aerospace manufacturers, defense contractors, automotive OEMs, tooling companies

Industry Verticals

Aerospace, Defense, Automotive, Tooling

Competitors

ARRIS Composites, Orbital Composites, Markforged

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Team size 11-50 employees; relocated to 17,000+ sq ft facility at 3875 N Schreiber Way, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815; $17M Series A raised 2021; Blue-chip industrial and governmental customers including AFWERX/US Air Force contracts

Major Milestones

2012: Founded in Idaho; Secured one of world's earliest continuous fiber 3D printing patents; 2021: Raised $17M Series A from B. Riley Venture Capital; Partners include Arkema, Siemens, Comau, Güdel, Saint-Gobain; 2024: Steve Starner succeeds Tyler Alvarado as CEO; 2025-2026: Awarded U.S. Army ManTech missile-component contract, $1.25M AFWERX Manufacturing Challenge award, and Auburn University CF3D Enterprise Cell partnership

Notable Customers

Aerospace and defense industry clients (approximately 10 active clients at any given time), US Government/Defense, Saint-Gobain partnership

https://continuouscomposites.com

Recent coverage of Continuous Composites

AM patents

AM-relevant patents linked to this company.

Patents
70
Granted
19
Families
60

Leading domains: process (70), equipment (58), material (14)

Filings by year: 2025: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 13

  1. FAST ACTINICALLY CURABLE COMPOSITIONS FOR 3D COMPOSITES04110619 · EP
  2. SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING2023163790 · WO
  3. ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM2022232744 · WO
  4. SYSTEM FOR ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURING COMPOSITE STRUCTURE113905872 · CN
  5. System and print head for additive manufacturing system111954599 · CN

Funding rounds

  • Series A$17M2021-08Lead: B. Riley Venture Capital · Source: Press Release
  • Earlier RoundsUndisclosed2019-01Source: Crunchbase

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

Continuous Composites occupies a distinct position in additive manufacturing as the developer of CF3D, a process that deposits continuous fiber reinforcement in a thermoset resin matrix during printing. Unlike chopped fiber systems from Markforged or the compression molding approach of ARRIS Composites, CF3D lays continuous tows of carbon, glass, or aramid fiber in three dimensions without requiring a mold or autoclave. This eliminates tooling lead time and cost for high-strength composite parts.

The core technology combines a robotic or gantry-mounted print head with rapid-curing photopolymer resin that wets and consolidates the fiber in situ. The resulting parts achieve fiber volume fractions and mechanical properties approaching those of traditional prepreg layup, but with the geometric freedom of 3D printing. Continuous Composites sells hardware, software, and materials as an integrated manufacturing solution rather than a standalone printer.

Target customers include aerospace primes, defense contractors, and automotive OEMs that need strong, lightweight parts in low to medium volumes. The company has active partnerships with Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Saint-Gobain, and counts approximately ten active aerospace and defense clients at any given time. Applications range from tooling and fixtures to flight-qualified structural components.

The company's moat rests on early patents covering continuous fiber printing, a technology that has attracted $20.7M in funding from investors including B. Riley Venture Capital, Arkema, and Saint-Gobain. A key open question is whether CF3D can scale from prototyping and low-rate production into the high-volume automotive or aerospace serial production that would justify its capital equipment cost. With 30 employees and plans to double headcount, Continuous Composites is betting that moldless composite manufacturing will become a standard process in aerospace and defense supply chains.