Q5D Technology

HardwarePortishead, Bristol, United KingdomFounded 2018· One of 1756 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

Manufacturer of 5-axis robotic platforms that automate wiring harness production using additive manufacturing and printed electronics

CEO / Founder: Stephen Bennington
Team Size: 11-50
Stage: Growth Stage
Total Funding: $16.7M
Latest Round: Series A
Key Investors: Lockheed Martin Ventures; Chrysalix Venture Capital; Maven SWIF; SOSV; UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S); UntroD; CPI Enterprises

Technology & Products

Key Products

CY10W (versatile & accurate 5-axis wiring robot); SQ25 (high speed, large format wiring robot); CY10L (laser-based selective metallisation for 3D circuits); HaaS (Hardware-as-a-Service complete production package); Technical Assessment Centre (TAC) for feasibility studies and prototyping

Technological Advantage

Combines 5-axis robotics with multi-tool heads (FFF polymer deposition, conductive ink printing, component pick-and-place, laser metallisation) and proprietary CAD/CAM software to automate the entire wiring process on complex 3D surfaces.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Q5D's 5-axis robots automate the manual assembly of wiring harnesses — one of the last major bottlenecks in manufacturing automation — by embedding wiring directly into product surfaces, reducing cost, weight, and supply chain complexity.

How They Differentiate

Q5D is the only company combining 5-axis robotics with multi-process additive manufacturing (FFF, conductive ink, pick-and-place, laser metallisation) specifically for wiring harness automation — a market that has remained 90% manual. The company claims "no direct competitors" due to significant technical barriers to entry.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, aerospace and defense contractors, consumer electronics manufacturers

Industry Verticals

Automotive; Aerospace & Defense; Consumer Electronics; Industrial

Competitors

TactoTek (printed electronics); Wavecon (wire harness automation); Ai Build (robotic additive manufacturing)

Growth & Milestones

Major Milestones

2022: $2.5M Seed round led by Chrysalix; 2024: $3M investment led by Lockheed Martin Ventures; 2025: $13.5M total funding ($10.9M Series A + $2.6M Innovate UK grant); Launch of CY1000/CY10W wiring automation robot; Launch of CY10L laser metallisation system; Prime3D project for Laser Induced Surface Metallization

Notable Customers

Several major automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers (names not publicly disclosed); Lockheed Martin (strategic relationship); engagements in aerospace and defense sectors

https://q5d.com

Recent coverage of Q5D Technology

Why this company matters

Q5D Technology addresses one of the last major manual bottlenecks in manufacturing: wiring harness assembly. While most production steps have been automated, wire harness fabrication remains roughly 90% manual, relying on skilled labor to route, bundle, and secure cables. Q5D's 5-axis robotic platforms replace this process by depositing conductive traces directly onto 3D surfaces, eliminating separate harnesses and reducing supply chain complexity.

The company's core products include the CY10W and SQ25 wiring robots, which combine FFF polymer deposition, conductive ink printing, component pick-and-place, and laser metallisation in a single automated workflow. The CY10L system uses laser-induced selective metallisation to create 3D circuits on plastic parts. All systems run on proprietary CAD/CAM software that translates wiring designs into robot paths. Q5D offers a Hardware-as-a-Service model and a Technical Assessment Centre for feasibility studies and prototyping.

Target customers include automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, aerospace and defense contractors, and consumer electronics manufacturers. Notable engagements include a strategic relationship with Lockheed Martin, which also invested through Lockheed Martin Ventures. The company has received grant funding from Innovate UK and partnered with Cranfield University on an automotive mirror wiring project.

Q5D claims no direct competitors due to the combination of 5-axis robotics and multi-process additive manufacturing specifically for wiring automation. Adjacent players include TactoTek in printed electronics and Ai Build in robotic additive manufacturing. The company has raised approximately $16.7 million from investors including Chrysalix Venture Capital, SOSV, and the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund. The key open question is whether Q5D can scale from pilot projects to high-volume production lines across automotive and aerospace supply chains.