Pliith
Develops high-purity lactide and polylactic acid (PLA) resins for additive manufacturing, enabling high-performance biodegradable parts with superior thermal stability.
- CEO / Founder
- Li Rongqun
- Team Size
- 51-200
- Stage
- Active
- Total Funding
- $12M
- Latest Round
- Strategic Investment
- Key Investors
- Wuhu Antai Investment Guidance Fund Management Co. (芜湖安泰投资引导基金); Chinese Academy of Sciences Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry (中科院长春应化所, technology contributor)
Technology & Products
Key Products
3D Printing Grade PLA Resin; High-Purity Lactide (99.9%); Heat-Resistant Modified PLA; Biodegradable 3D Printing Filaments; 75,000-ton/year L-Lactic Acid production capacity; 50,000-ton/year PLA production capacity (operational); PLA Modified Materials; Green Building Materials (lightweight gypsum plaster)
Technological Advantage
Proprietary catalyst and purification technology achieve lactide optical purity >99.5%, resulting in PLA with higher heat deflection temperatures (HDT) and better melt flow characteristics for high-speed 3D printing.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Reduces material costs for 3D printing by 15-20% through vertical integration of the lactide-to-PLA supply chain while providing resins with 99.9% purity for improved mechanical consistency.
How They Differentiate
Unlike pure filament makers, Pliith controls the upstream lactide synthesis, allowing for molecular-level customization of PLA resins specifically for AM processes like high-speed FDM and medical-grade printing.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
3D printing filament manufacturers, industrial AM service bureaus, and medical device OEMs.
Industry Verticals
Industrial Manufacturing; Medical; Consumer Goods; Packaging
Competitors
NatureWorks; TotalEnergies Corbion; Hisun Biomaterials; Futerro
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Completed and operational 50,000-ton/year PLA and 75,000-ton/year lactic acid production facility; total project investment of ¥8.6B (86亿元) for 350,000-ton PLA capacity planned; Phase 1 investment ¥2B (20亿元); 7.5万吨 lactic acid and 5万吨 PLA continuous production line stably operational as of 2025.
Major Milestones
2021: Company founded as a spin-off from CAS technology.; 2022: Completed Series A funding round.; 2023: Commenced construction of the 50,000-ton PLA industrialization project.; 2024: Successfully demonstrated high-purity lactide production breaking import dependence.; 2024-11: 50,000-ton PLA and 75,000-ton lactic acid plant successfully commissioned and put into production.; 2025: 7.5万吨 lactic acid and 5万吨 PLA continuous production line stably operational.
Notable Customers
eSUN (Shenzhen Esun Industrial Co., Ltd.); Polymaker; Various CAS-affiliated research labs