Impossible Objects

HardwareNorthbrook, Illinois, United StatesFounded 2011· One of 1725 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

High-speed composite 3D printing technology (CBAM) for producing strong, lightweight, and dimensionally accurate fiber-reinforced composite parts.

CEO / Founder: Steve Hoover
Team Size: 11-50
Stage: Active
Total Funding: $13.3M
Latest Round: Series A
Key Investors: OCA Ventures, IDEA Fund Partners, Mason Avenue Investments, Huizenga Capital Management

Technology & Products

Key Products

Impossible Objects offers the CBAM 25 3D printing system, focusing on industrial 3D printing and composite-based additive manufacturing technology.

Technological Advantage

The primary advantage is speed, claiming to be up to 15x faster than competitors, which bridges the gap between prototyping and mass production. The process allows for a wider range of high-performance material combinations (e.g., Carbon Fiber with PEEK) and produces parts with exceptional strength, dimensional accuracy, and no warping, even on large, flat geometries.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Delivering production speeds up to 15x faster than conventional composite 3D printing, enabling the use of high-performance materials like PEEK and carbon fiber to create parts with superior strength-to-weight ratios and dimensional accuracy, making mass production of composite parts viable.

How They Differentiate

Impossible Objects differentiates primarily through the speed of its CBAM process, which is significantly faster than the continuous fiber reinforcement technologies used by competitors like Markforged. It also supports a broader range of high-temperature performance polymers like PEEK, and its sheet-based method results in parts with excellent dimensional stability and strength, particularly in the Z-axis.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Manufacturers in the aerospace, defense, automotive, and industrial sectors requiring high-performance, end-use parts, tooling, jigs, and fixtures.

Industry Verticals

Aerospace/Defense, Automotive, Industrial Manufacturing, Electronics

Competitors

Markforged; Desktop Metal (including its subsidiary Continuous Composites); Stratasys

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Revenue: $4.8M

Major Milestones

Launch of the CBAM-2 printer., Launch of the significantly faster CBAM 25 printer, targeting mass production., Securing a partnership with BASF for material development., Appointment of former Xerox CTO Steve Hoover as CEO to scale the company., Successfully delivering parts for customers like the U.S. Air Force and Ford.

Notable Customers

Ford Motor Company; Jabil; U.S. Air Force

https://impossible-objects.com

Official records

Filings, certifications, and programme counts AMPulse can show for this company.

[F] SBIR/STTR · 11 AM awards · latest 2023

[F] Additive Manufacturing of UAV Parts with Embedded Circuits for Detecting Part Failures · 2023 · USD 1,249,978
[F] Rapid Response 3D Printing for MX, Repair, & Overhaul · 2023 · USD 74,998
[F] Composite Based Additive Manufacturing Scaling of Throughput, Volume, and Speed · 2023 · USD 1,799,971
[F] Additive Manufacturing of Ceramic & High Temperature Complex UAS Components · 2022 · USD 749,997
[F] High-Temperature High-Performance 3D-Printed Ceramics · 2022 · USD 49,996
[F] Personalized Lightweight, High-Mobility Body Armor from Additive Manufacturing · 2022 · USD 49,996

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

Impossible Objects occupies a distinct niche in additive manufacturing with its Composite-Based Additive Manufacturing (CBAM) process, a sheet-based lamination technique that differs fundamentally from the extrusion or powder-bed fusion methods used by most composite 3D printing competitors. The company aims to bridge the gap between prototyping and mass production of fiber-reinforced parts, positioning itself against both other AM firms and traditional processes like CNC machining of composites and injection molding.

The CBAM process works by using high-speed inkjet printing to apply a liquid solution to sheets of fiber reinforcement, such as carbon fiber or fiberglass. Thermoplastic powder is then deposited, adhering only to the wet areas. The sheets are stacked, heated, and pressed to fuse the polymer and form the final part. This approach enables the use of high-performance materials like PEEK and carbon fiber, producing parts with superior strength-to-weight ratios, dimensional accuracy, and no warping even on large, flat geometries. The company's current system is the CBAM 25, designed for industrial production environments.

Target customers include manufacturers in aerospace, defense, automotive, and industrial sectors that need high-strength, lightweight end-use parts, tooling, jigs, and fixtures. Named customers include Ford Motor Company, Jabil, and the U.S. Air Force. The company has also secured partnerships with BASF for material development and Ricoh 3D. Key investors include OCA Ventures, IDEA Fund Partners, Mason Avenue Investments, and Huizenga Capital Management.

The primary technological advantage claimed is speed, up to 15 times faster than competing composite 3D printing technologies, which could make mass production of composite parts economically viable. The sheet-based method also provides strong Z-axis properties, a common weakness in layer-based AM. However, the company operates in a competitive landscape that includes Markforged, Desktop Metal, and Stratasys, and its relatively small scale and niche process may limit adoption outside of specific high-performance applications.