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Cubicure

MaterialsVienna, AustriaFounded 2015· One of 961 Materials companies tracked by AMPulse

Cubicure develops and sells integrated 3D printing solutions, including proprietary high-performance photopolymers and precision hardware, based on its Hot Lithography (HL) technology for industrial additive manufacturing.

CEO / Founder
Robert Gmeiner
Team Size
51-200
Stage
Acquired
Total Funding
$85M
Latest Round
Acquired
Key Investors
Align Technology, AM Ventures, EIC Fund, Hermann Hauser

Technology & Products

Key Products

["Caligma 3D Printers (for prototyping and small series)","Cerion 3D Printers (for industrial series production)","Evolution and Evolution FR (flame-retardant) Resins: Tough and temperature-stable materials.","ThermoBlast Resins: For applications requiring very high heat deflection temperature.","Vision Resins: For transparent applications."]

Technological Advantage

The ability to process a unique class of high-performance photopolymers provides a significant competitive advantage, opening new industrial applications for additive manufacturing. The acquisition by Align Technology provides substantial resources and a strategic focus on the dental and medical markets, leveraging the technology for direct-printing of orthodontic appliances.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Cubicure's Hot Lithography technology enables the 3D printing of high-viscosity, high-performance polymers, producing parts with superior mechanical properties and thermal stability that bridge the gap between conventional additive manufacturing and injection molding.

How They Differentiate

Cubicure differentiates itself through its unique Hot Lithography technology, which unlocks a portfolio of high-performance materials with superior toughness and thermal stability compared to standard SLA resins. While competitors like Carbon also offer high-performance resins, Cubicure's approach focuses on processing extremely viscous materials that others cannot, bridging the gap towards injection-molded part quality.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Industrial manufacturers in sectors like automotive, aerospace, electronics, and medical technology requiring durable, temperature-resistant polymer parts for prototyping, tooling, and series production.

Industry Verticals

["Industrial","Automotive","Aerospace/Defense","Medical/Dental","Electronics"]

Competitors

Carbon; Formlabs; 3D Systems

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

The acquisition by Align Technology, a major player in the dental industry, serves as a primary indicator of the company's success and growth potential. Prior to the acquisition, the company had demonstrated steady growth through partnerships and system sales across various industrial sectors.

Major Milestones

["2015: Company founded as a spin-off from TU Wien.","2017: Commercial launch of the first Hot Lithography machine, the Caligma 200.","2021: Introduction of the Cerion production-scale 3D printer.","2021: CEO Robert Gmeiner wins EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in Austria.","2024: Acquisition by Align Technology completed in January for ~€79 million."]

Notable Customers

Align Technology (now parent company); While specific customer names are often confidential, Cubicure serves a range of industrial clients in the automotive, aerospace, and electronics sectors for applications like connectors, jigs, and fixtures.

https://cubicure.com/en/

Why this company matters

Cubicure occupies a distinct niche in polymer additive manufacturing by solving a fundamental limitation of conventional stereolithography (SLA): the inability to process high-viscosity resins. Its patented Hot Lithography (HL) technology uses a heated vat and specialized coating mechanism to reduce resin viscosity, enabling the use of high-molecular-weight polymers that yield parts with superior toughness and thermal stability. This bridges the performance gap between standard 3D-printed photopolymers and injection-molded thermoplastics.

The company's product line includes the Caligma 3D printers for prototyping and small series, and the Cerion 3D printers for industrial series production. Material offerings span the Evolution and Evolution FR (flame-retardant) resins, ThermoBlast resins for high heat deflection temperature applications, and Vision resins for transparent parts. These materials target demanding use cases in automotive, aerospace, electronics, and medical technology, such as connectors, jigs, fixtures, and orthodontic appliances.

Cubicure was founded in 2015 as a spin-off from TU Wien and was acquired by Align Technology in January 2024 for approximately €79 million. The acquisition provides substantial resources and a strategic focus on the dental and medical markets, where Align Technology leverages Hot Lithography for direct-printing of orthodontic appliances. Prior to the acquisition, Cubicure raised funding from AM Ventures, the EIC Fund, and Hermann Hauser, and collaborated with Evonik on photopolymer development and 1zu1 on prototyping and series production.

The company's primary competitive risk is the narrowness of its addressable market: high-performance photopolymers remain a small segment relative to commodity SLA resins or powder bed fusion polymers like PA12. However, the Align Technology relationship provides both capital and a high-volume application that could drive economies of scale. Competitors such as Carbon, Formlabs, and 3D Systems offer alternative high-performance resin systems, but none process the extremely viscous materials that define Cubicure's technological moat.