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Rize

Brand

HardwareWoburn, USAFounded 2014· One of 1636 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

Rize developed hybrid FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printers capable of jetting functional inks. This technology allowed for the creation of full-color parts and voxel-level control over material properties, enabling features like digitally augmented parts with text and images.

CEO / Founder
Andy Kalambi
Team Size
11-50
Stage
Defunct
Total Funding
$38.1M
Latest Round
Series B
Key Investors
Longworth Venture Partners; Innospark Ventures; Sparta Group LLC; Converge Venture Partners; Dassault Systèmes

Technology & Products

Key Products

Rize One, XRIZE

Technical position · AMPulse analysis

The technological advantage of Rize's APD process was the ability to create strong, isotropic parts with minimal post-processing. The jetted release ink made support removal easy and clean, while the marking ink allowed for durable, high-resolution color and text on parts. This translated to a business advantage by reducing labor costs and lead times associated with traditional manufacturing and other 3D printing methods.

Patent position

Rize has filed 16 patent families in total, far fewer than Stratasys (494), 3D Systems (300) and Markforged (83), and on par with HP (16), with most filings concentrated in the US (38%) and EP (31%). AMPulse analysis

Filing momentum
0 families filed 2022–2024, 3 in 2019–2021
Filed in
US 38%EP 31%WO 25%CN 6%
Named competitors, AM patent families
Stratasys 4943D Systems 300Markforged 83HP 16

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

Differentiation

Value Proposition

The company's value proposition was centered on providing safe, easy-to-use, and office-friendly industrial 3D printers that produce strong, full-color, and digitally augmented parts with minimal post-processing.

How They Differentiate

Rize differentiated itself through its hybrid 3D printing process that combined the strength of FDM with the versatility of material jetting. This allowed for the creation of full-color, digitally augmented parts with minimal post-processing, a unique offering in the desktop industrial 3D printer market.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Industrial and enterprise clients requiring functional prototypes, tooling, jigs, and fixtures with high strength and detailed markings.

Industry Verticals

Industrial, Automotive, Aerospace/Defense, Education, Medical

Competitors

Stratasys; 3D Systems; Markforged; HP

Growth & Milestones

Major Milestones

2014: Company founded., 2017: Andy Kalambi appointed as President and CEO., 2018: Launch of the XRIZE full-color 3D printer., 2022: Rize ceased operations and was acquired by Markem-Imaje.

Notable Customers

NASA; US Army; PSMI

https://www.markem-imaje.com

AM patents

AM-relevant patents linked to this company.

Patents
17
Granted
3
Families
16

Leading domains: process (17), equipment (15), material (4)

Filings by year: 2019: 3 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2010: 2

  1. Process and apparatus for fabrication of three dimensional objects10357918 · US
  2. FULL COLOR GAMUT, HIGH RESOLUTION THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT03737548 · EP
  3. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FABRICATION OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS02632696 · EP
  4. SEPARATION OF NEAR NET SHAPE MANUFACTURED PARTS FROM SUPPORT STRUCTURES03725434 · EP
  5. DETERMINING START POSITION IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTERS2019006071 · WO

Funding rounds

  • Acquisition$11.4M2023-05Source
  • Series A$14M2020-05Source
  • Series B$15M2019-02Source: AM Chronicle - February 2019
  • Seed$4M2016-07Source: FinSMEs - July 2016

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

Rize Inc. targeted a gap in industrial desktop 3D printing: producing parts that combine the strength of FDM with the color and detail of material jetting. Its Augmented Polymer Deposition (APD) technology deposited thermoplastic filament and functional inks simultaneously, enabling full-color prints and embedded digital information such as QR codes. This hybrid approach reduced the need for post-processing and allowed voxel-level control over material properties.

The company's product line included the Rize One and XRIZE printers, aimed at industrial and enterprise clients needing functional prototypes, tooling, jigs, and fixtures with high strength and detailed markings. Customers included NASA, the US Army, and PSMI. Rize positioned itself as an office-friendly alternative to traditional industrial 3D printers, emphasizing safety and ease of use.

Rize's APD process used a jetted release ink for clean support removal and a marking ink for durable, high-resolution color and text. This technological advantage translated to reduced labor costs and lead times. The company held patents for its APD technology and partnered with Dassault Systèmes, whose former executive Andy Kalambi served as CEO.

Despite raising $38.1M from investors including Longworth Venture Partners and Innospark Ventures, Rize ceased operations in 2022 and was acquired by Markem-Imaje. The company competed against Stratasys, 3D Systems, Markforged, and HP, but its hybrid approach offered a unique value proposition in the desktop industrial segment.