HETEROMERGE
Hardware developer enabling automated multi-material 3D micro-printing through patented two-photon polymerization technology, allowing functional additive manufacturing at nano-to-millimeter scale with perfect material alignment.
- CEO / Founder
- Robert Kirchner
- Team Size
- 1-10
- Stage
- Active
- Total Funding
- €1.2M
- Latest Round
- Pre-Seed
- Key Investors
- German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (EXIST program); Sächsische Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbh (SBG); ERDF/JTF Technology Funding (Saxony)
Technology & Products
Key Products
HETEROMERGE offers the MergeOne printhead system, a patented open-fluidic printhead that enables automated in-situ multi-material exchange on two-photon polymerization (2PP) systems. This technology transforms single-material printers into functional additive manufacturing tools for 3D microstructures.
Technological Advantage
Combines patented fluidic delivery technology with precision mechanical engineering to enable substrate-independent (transparent/opaque), wafer-level multi-material printing without size limitations. The system integrates seamlessly with existing 2PP platforms (e.g., Nanoscribe) as an add-on, allowing customers to upgrade single-material systems to functional multi-material manufacturing tools while preserving the base technology's nanometer-scale resolution and surface roughness capabilities.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Eliminates design and production barriers in functional 3D microstructures by enabling automated, in-situ multi-material printing with <50nm overlay accuracy on existing two-photon polymerization systems—transforming single-material printers into functional additive manufacturing tools.
How They Differentiate
Patented open-fluidic printhead enabling automated in-situ multi-material exchange on two-photon polymerization (2PP) systems with sub-50 nm overlay accuracy—works as a retrofit/add-on to existing 2PP platforms (e.g., Nanoscribe) rather than a standalone printer.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
R&D laboratories, research institutions, and industrial companies in micro-optics, photonics packaging, medical device manufacturing, and micro-fluidics requiring multi-material micro-structures with nanometer precision
Industry Verticals
Micro-Optics, Photonics and Photonics Packaging, Medical Devices (Micro-needles, Minimally Invasive Tools), Micro-Fluidics, Optical Data Processing, Tissue Engineering, MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems)
Competitors
Nanoscribe (BICO Group); UpNano GmbH; Microlight3D
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Early commercial stage with active sales and demos; exhibiting and presenting at international micro/nano fabrication conferences; note: no post-2021 equity funding rounds are publicly disclosed.
Major Milestones
Awarded EXIST Transfer of Research grant (German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action) starting May 2021, Company founded 2022 as TU Dresden spin-off from MESO3D/cfaed research, Launched MergeOne multi-material printhead for 2PP systems, Demonstrated sub-50 nm overlay accuracy and substrate-independent (transparent/opaque) multi-material micro-printing, Presented and exhibited at SPIE Photonics West; active industry network memberships (OptoNet e.V., EPIC)
Notable Customers
University of Nottingham (Nanoscribe GT2 fitted with Heteromerge system, via EuroCurvoBioNet toolbox); Research groups using Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT2 with Heteromerge add-on (LinkedIn/EPIC/OptoNet posts)