GKN Additive
A digital manufacturer providing end-to-end metal and polymer additive manufacturing services from design to serial production, serving automotive, aerospace, and industrial sectors.
- CEO / Founder
- Diego Laurent
- Team Size
- 1001-5000
- Stage
- Subsidiary
- Total Funding
- Private Equity-Backed
- Latest Round
- Buyout/LBO on 30-Dec-2025
Technology & Products
Key Products
Metal AM Production Services; Polymer AM Production Services; Design for AM; Prototyping; Serial Production; Heat Exchanger Development
Technological Advantage
Proprietary expertise in powder metallurgy and AM process integration, particularly for ferrous alloys and complex geometries like heat exchangers. Advantage is protected by trade secrets and process know-how rather than a public patent portfolio, making replication difficult for non-integrated competitors.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Provides a complete, scalable AM solution leveraging GKN Powder Metallurgy's 260+ years of materials expertise, reducing time-to-market and enabling complex, lightweight part production with industrial-grade repeatability.
How They Differentiate
Offers deep vertical integration from metal powder production (via GKN Hoeganaes) to finished part manufacturing, unlike pure service bureaus. Focuses on production-scale metal AM with specific expertise in automotive-grade ferrous alloys and binder jetting partnerships (HP Metal Jet).
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Industrial OEMs in automotive, aerospace, and consumer electronics requiring prototypes, medium series, and aftermarket parts.
Industry Verticals
Automotive; Aerospace; Industrial; Electronics; Consumer Products
Competitors
Protolabs; Materialise; 3D Systems; EOS; GE Additive
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Over 6,000 employees across 27 global locations; operates a network of production facilities in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Major Milestones
Consolidated all GKN AM activities under the GKN Additive brand (2017); Acquired Forecast 3D (2019); Opened first customer center in Danyang, China; Launched fully automated, digitalized metal AM production line
Notable Customers
Volkswagen Group; Bosch; Deere & Co.
Official records
Filings, certifications, and programme counts AMPulse can show for this company.
- [C] ISO_9001 · claimed