Photosynthetic
Submicron-resolution volumetric micro-lithography 3D printing system enabling mass production of complex microstructures at 6mm³/minute speeds—replacing multi-step lithographic processes with single-machine fabrication.
- CEO / Founder
- Alexander Kostenko
- Team Size
- 1-10
- Stage
- Active
- Total Funding
- $0.9M
- Latest Round
- Grant
- Key Investors
- European Innovation Council (EIC); Innovation Fund North Holland (€300K convertible loan); NextCorps Luminate; FORWARD.one; Thematic Technology Transfer (TTT); NWO (Dutch Research Council)
Technology & Products
Key Products
Photosynthetic develops a submicron-resolution volumetric micro-lithography 3D printing system for mass production of complex microstructures. An industrial machine prototype (Luminate source) is currently in development.
Technological Advantage
Proprietary volumetric micro-lithography approach (patented 2018 by Kostenko) offers 50-100x speed advantage over two-photon polymerization (Nanoscribe) while maintaining submicron precision. Trade-secret light-beam control algorithms enable parallel processing of entire 3D volumes. Platform-level moat: once optimized for polymer, extensible to resins, composites, and specialized polymers—creating lock-in for material suppliers and contract manufacturers.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Reduces microfabrication lead time from weeks to days; eliminates intermediate lithographic steps (saving 30-40% manufacturing cost on complex micro-parts); achieves submicron feature precision impossible with conventional 3D printing; enables on-demand production of custom microneedles, membranes, and scaffolds at commercial scale.
How They Differentiate
Volumetric (whole-volume) fabrication 60-100x faster than scanning-based competitors (Nanoscribe); true submicron resolution (~0.5 microns) maintained at production speeds; maskless, light-only process vs. traditional lithography's multi-mask, chemical-intensive workflows; industrial machine prototype in development (Luminate source), targeting production scale within 12-24 months.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Medical device manufacturers, biomedical research, aerospace component makers, microfabrication service providers
Industry Verticals
Medical Devices; Biomedical; Aerospace; Biotechnology; Pharmaceutical (drug delivery)
Competitors
Nanoscribe
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Functional prototype completed; team scaled from research group to 10-person startup; machine readiness: industrial prototype in development phase; target: first customer deployments 2025-2026.
Major Milestones
2018: Technology patented and concept validated at CWI; 2019: NWO Take-Off grant awarded for feasibility study; 2019-2020: Incubation at VU Demonstrator Lab; 2020: €300K Innovation Fund North Holland convertible loan; 2021: Eurostars grant awarded; 2023-2024: Functional prototype completion; Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge finalist; 2024: EIC grant/investment; partnerships with medical OEMs for application development