Glassomer
Patented glass 3D printing and injection molding platform enabling high-precision fused silica components with design freedom previously only possible in polymers—eliminating need for hazardous wet-chemical etching and expensive mold tooling for prototyping and small-batch production.
- CEO / Founder
- Dorothea Helmer
- Team Size
- 11-50
- Stage
- Commercial
- Total Funding
- $814K
- Latest Round
- Grant
- Key Investors
- European Innovation Council; Horizon 2020 (EU Research & Innovation Program); Attract EU (Horizon 2020 sub-program)
Technology & Products
Key Products
Glass 3D Printing Service (custom component prototyping); Injection Molding Service (fused silica on standard polymer machines); LithaGlass Material Partnership (3D-printable quartz glass with Lithoz); High-Performance Glass Resins (for maker/prosumer 3D printing)
Technological Advantage
DEFENSIBLE MOAT: Patent protection on glass molding/3D printing process + scientific/manufacturing expertise developed over decade at KIT. VERIFIED by: Lithoz partnership announcement (2024) explicitly highlighting Glassomer's proprietary material science; H2020 CORDIS project award (EU recognition of innovation); media coverage in Electro Optics (peer-reviewed). ADVANTAGES: (1) Eliminates hazardous HF chemistry → regulatory advantage + safety appeal to pharma/medical customers; (2) 2-6 week turnaround vs. 8-16 weeks for traditional glass molding; (3) zero tooling cost for prototypes vs. $100K–$500K for mold amortization; (4) material properties of fused silica (thermal stability, optical clarity, chemical inertness) with polymer processing ease
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Reduces prototyping time from months (traditional mold-based methods) to weeks; eliminates $50K–$500K tooling costs for prototype validation; enables design complexity (microfluidics channels, integrated optics) impossible with conventional glass manufacturing; zero hazardous chemical processing (no HF etching required)
How They Differentiate
UNIQUE: (1) DUAL-MODE MANUFACTURING: Glassomer offers both injection molding (high-volume scalability) AND 3D printing (design complexity/rapid iteration) for fused silica — competitors focus on one. (2) MATERIAL SCIENCE: LithaGlass partnership shows material differentiation; Glassomer's proprietary glass formulations optimized for manufacturing ease. (3) SERVICE MODEL: Glassomer is a service provider (custom parts), not a machine vendor — lower capex for customers, recurring revenue model. (4) HAZARD ELIMINATION: No HF etching process → regulatory + sustainability advantage in pharma/medical applications. (5) PARTNERSHIP VALIDATION: Lithoz partnership (2024) publicly validates technology, extends TAM to Lithoz ecosystem (80+ customers globally using Lithoz systems).
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Industrial manufacturers of microfluidics, microoptics, precision optical components, and custom glass parts requiring rapid prototyping or low-volume production
Industry Verticals
Microfluidics (lab-on-chip diagnostics, point-of-care testing); Precision Optics (lenses, filters, micro-optics); Telecommunications (optical components); Life Sciences (analytical instruments); Consumer Design (specialty glass products, bottles)
Competitors
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Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Team grown from startup (2018) to 18+ employees (as of 2024-2025); projected €100M annual revenue target within 10 years (H2020 CORDIS roadmap); high-profile partnership with Lithoz GmbH established (2024)
Major Milestones
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