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Inventables

HardwareChicago, IL, USAFounded 2002· One of 1708 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

Develops desktop CNC machines and software for 3D carving (subtractive manufacturing), enabling makers and small businesses to produce custom wood, plastic, and metal parts with precision.

CEO / Founder
Zach Kaplan
Team Size
11-50
Stage
Active
Total Funding
$21.7M
Latest Round
Series C
Key Investors
True Ventures; Tim Draper; Greycroft; Draper Associates; Corazon Capital; Dundee Capital; Cue Ball; Pipeline Capital

Technology & Products

Key Products

X-Carve CNC machine; X-Carve Pro CNC machine; Easel software; Carving bits; Materials (wood, acrylic, aluminum)

Technological Advantage

Proprietary Easel software simplifies CNC design and toolpath generation, reducing learning curve from weeks to hours; hardware designed for ease of assembly and maintenance.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Reduces CNC machine setup and operation complexity with integrated hardware and intuitive software, lowering entry barriers for custom part production by 80% compared to traditional CNC systems.

How They Differentiate

Offers integrated hardware-software ecosystem with Easel, providing a more user-friendly interface than Carbide 3D's software and lower cost than industrial-grade competitors like Avid CNC.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Makers, creative professionals, small business manufacturers, educators

Industry Verticals

Woodworking; Signage; Furniture; Education; Prototyping

Competitors

Onefinity CNC; Carbide 3D; OpenBuilds

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Raised $11.5M in Series C funding in 2019 to expand software capabilities and hardware offerings.

Major Milestones

Founded in 2002; Launched X-Carve CNC machine; Raised $11.5M Series C in 2019; Introduced Easel Pro software

https://www.inventables.com

Why this company matters

Inventables occupies a distinct position in the desktop subtractive manufacturing market by offering an integrated hardware-software ecosystem that reduces CNC setup and operation complexity. Its value proposition targets makers, creative professionals, and small business manufacturers who need precision carving in wood, plastic, and aluminum without the steep learning curve of traditional CNC systems.

The company's core products include the X-Carve and X-Carve Pro CNC machines, paired with the cloud-based Easel software for CAD/CAM design and toolpath generation. Easel is proprietary and designed to compress the learning curve from weeks to hours, enabling users to go from design to carved part quickly. Inventables also sells carving bits and materials such as wood, acrylic, and aluminum, creating a closed-loop supply for its customer base.

Primary applications span woodworking, signage, furniture, education, and prototyping. The company has built significant community adoption around its hardware and software, competing against Onefinity CNC, Carbide 3D, and OpenBuilds. Its differentiation lies in the seamless Easel interface, which offers a more user-friendly experience than Carbide 3D's software and a lower cost than industrial-grade competitors like Avid CNC.

Inventables was founded in 2002 and raised $11.5 million in Series C funding in 2019 from investors including True Ventures, Tim Draper, and Greycroft. The company is headquartered in Chicago, IL, and led by CEO Zach Kaplan. A key open question is whether its desktop-focused approach can scale to capture demand from small manufacturers who may eventually require higher-throughput or metal-capable systems.