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Optomec

HardwareAlbuquerque, USAFounded 1997· One of 1636 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

Develops and manufactures additive manufacturing systems for high-volume production and repair of structural metal parts and printed electronics using Aerosol Jet and LENS technologies.

CEO / Founder
Robert Yusin
Team Size
51-200
Stage
Active
Total Funding
$6.53M
Latest Round
Grant
Key Investors
Graham Partners, GE Ventures, Autodesk (Spark Investment Fund), New Mexico Economic Development Department

Technology & Products

Key Products

Aerosol Jet Systems; LENS 3D Printers; Huffman 3D Printers; LENS Deposition Head

Technical position · AMPulse analysis

Proprietary LENS and Aerosol Jet technologies provide a defensible moat through patents and long-standing commercialization history with Sandia National Labs.

Patent position

Optomec filed 2 patent families in 2022-2024, down from 6 in 2019-2021, a fall of 67% against a 17% fall in tracked AM filings in the same patent offices. It holds 18 families overall, well ahead of nScrypt at 3 and Neotech AMT at 5. AMPulse analysis

Filing momentum
2 families filed 2022–2024, 6 in 2019–2021 (-67%); all tracked AM filings in the same offices -17%
Filed in
US 28%EP 28%WO 22%CN 22%
Named competitors, AM patent families
nScrypt 3Neotech AMT 5

18 AM patent families in total. Recent years are still being published, so read a filing change against the same-office figure.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Provides production-grade metal DED and printed electronics systems for high-volume production and repair, reducing costs and lead times for high-performance applications.

How They Differentiate

Unique dual-capability in both metal DED (LENS) and printed electronics (Aerosol Jet), enabling functional material deposition on 3D surfaces and high-value metal part repair.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Industrial manufacturers in electronics, energy, life sciences, aerospace/defense, and IoT.

Industry Verticals

Electronics; Energy; Life Sciences; Aerospace/Defense; IoT

Competitors

FormAlloy (Metal DED), nScrypt (Printed Electronics), Neotech AMT (3D Printed Electronics)

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Revenue $27M; >300 customers worldwide; 600th industrial AM machine delivered (2022)

Major Milestones

1997: LENS licensing from Sandia National Labs; 2007: 10th anniversary of LENS commercialization; 2022: 600th industrial AM machine delivered; 2023: Appointment of Robert Yusin as CEO (following unexpected death of prior CEO Dave Ramahi in March 2023; Mike Barry served as interim CEO)

Notable Customers

GE; Samsung; Raytheon; Siemens; Corning; Lockheed; US Air Force; US Navy; US Army; NASA; Boeing; United Technologies; Xerox; NREL; Fraunhofer Institutes; CEA LETI; IMEC

https://www.optomec.com

Recent coverage of Optomec

AM patents

AM-relevant patents linked to this company.

Patents
18
Granted
2
Families
18

Leading domains: process (17), equipment (11), material (10)

Filings by year: 2022: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 5 · 1999: 1

  1. Fabrication of Three-Dimensional Materials Gradient Structures by In-Flight Curing of Aerosols20170348903 · US
  2. MANUFACTURING ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS IN A DIRECT-WRITE PROCESS USING PRECISION SPRAYING AND LASER IRRADIATION01179288 · EP
  3. Additive Fabrication of Single and Multi-Layer Electronic Circuits20160242296 · US
  4. FABRICATION OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURES BY IN-FLIGHT CURING OF AEROSOLS2016130709 · WO
  5. 3D PRINTING USING RAPID TILTING OF A JET DEPOSITION NOZZLE04341093 · EP

Funding rounds

  • Merger/Acquisition2018-12Source
  • Series B$6.0M2015-12Lead: GE Ventures · Source: Official PR, Global Venturing, BizJournals

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

Optomec occupies a distinctive position in additive manufacturing as a supplier of both metal directed energy deposition (DED) systems and printed electronics platforms. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Albuquerque, the company commercialized LENS technology under license from Sandia National Labs, giving it one of the longest track records in production-grade metal DED. Its Aerosol Jet technology addresses a separate market: printing functional electronic materials onto three-dimensional and non-planar substrates, a capability that conventional pick-and-place or screen-printing cannot replicate.

The company's core product lines include LENS 3D printers and Huffman 3D printers for metal DED, along with Aerosol Jet systems for printed electronics. LENS systems are used for high-value metal part repair and additive manufacturing of structural components, while Aerosol Jet enables deposition of conductive inks, dielectrics, and other functional materials onto complex geometries. Optomec also sells a LENS Deposition Head for integration into existing machine tools or robotic cells.

Optomec serves industrial manufacturers across electronics, energy, life sciences, aerospace, defense, and IoT. Named customers include GE, Samsung, Raytheon, Siemens, Corning, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, United Technologies, Xerox, NASA, and the U.S. military branches. The company reports over 300 customers worldwide and delivered its 600th industrial AM machine in 2022. Revenue is estimated at $27 million, and the company is privately held and profitable.

Optomec's dual-technology portfolio creates a defensible moat through patents and long-standing commercialization history, but it also exposes the company to competition from specialized players in each segment. In metal DED, FormAlloy competes directly; in printed electronics, nScrypt and Neotech AMT are notable rivals. The appointment of Robert Yusin as CEO in 2024, who previously led ParaMatters (acquired by Carbon) and held senior roles at Dassault Systèmes and SolidWorks, signals an intent to scale commercial operations and deepen enterprise relationships.