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Trio Labs

HardwareMorrisville, NCFounded 2015· One of 1734 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

Micro metal manufacturing company producing precision metal components for medical device applications.

CEO / Founder
Adam Steege
Team Size
11-50
Stage
Active
Total Funding
$15.8M
Latest Round
Series A
Key Investors
Zoic Capital, Triangle Tweener Fund, Creative Destruction Lab, K2X, Lateral Capital Management

Technology & Products

Key Products

Precision metal parts for medical devices

Technological Advantage

Advanced 3D printing process that produces parts faster, more precisely, and at a lower cost compared to traditional CNC machining.

Patent position

Trio Labs filed 1 patent family in 2022–2024 versus 9 in 2019–2021, falling 89%, while tracked AM filings in the same patent offices fell 13%. AMPulse analysis

Filing momentum
1 families filed 2022–2024, 9 in 2019–2021 (-89%); all tracked AM filings in the same offices -13%
Filed in
US 28%WO 24%EP 20%CN 20%JP 16%
Named competitors, AM patent families
Desktop Metal 83Velo3D 75Xometry 8

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

Differentiation

Value Proposition

First micro-scale metal additive manufacturing technology that combines precision, speed, and cost-effectiveness to tackle product development challenges.

How They Differentiate

Unique micro-scale metal AM technology offering superior precision and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional manufacturing methods.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Medical device manufacturers requiring high-precision metal components.

Industry Verticals

Medical technology

Competitors

Desktop Metal; Velo3D; Xometry

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Employee growth data available; specific metrics undisclosed.

Major Milestones

Notable Customers

SEVA Dental; Smile Doctors; DecisionOne Dental; Five Points Dental Specialists; Chord

https://www.triolabs.com

AM patents

AM-relevant patents linked to this company.

Patents
29
Granted
7
Families
25

Leading domains: process (27), equipment (25), material (22)

Filings by year: 2024: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 8 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 6

  1. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DIGITAL FABRICATION OF OBJECTS USING ACTUATED MICROPIXELATION AND DYNAMIC DENSITY CONTROL2020185553 · WO
  2. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DIGITAL FABRICATION AND STRUCTURE MADE USING THE SAME4225521 · EP
  3. Method and apparatus for digitally fabricating objects using actuated micropixelation and dynamic density control118046000 · CN
  4. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SOLID FREEFORM FABRICATION OF OBJECTS UTILIZING IN SITU IN FUSION2017147434 · WO
  5. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DIGITAL FABRICATION AND STRUCTURE MADE USING THE SAME2022076902 · WO

Funding rounds

  • Debt - II$9.3M2025-04-17Lead: Unknown
  • Seed$2.1M2025-04-11Lead: Unknown
  • Seed$2.1M2023-09-13Lead: Triangle Tweener Fund
  • Seed$3.8M2021-04-21Lead: Various 36 investors
  • Seed$0.6M2020-11-23Lead: NC IDEA

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

Trio Labs occupies a narrow but critical niche in additive manufacturing: micro-scale metal parts for medical devices. Founded in 2015 and based in Morrisville, North Carolina, the company positions its technology as a faster, more precise, and more cost-effective alternative to traditional CNC machining for small, complex metal components. Its core differentiator is the proprietary RIPL process, a metal AM method designed specifically for micro-scale fabrication.

The company serves medical device manufacturers that require high-precision metal parts, with notable customers including SEVA Dental, Smile Doctors, DecisionOne Dental, Five Points Dental Specialists, and Chord. This customer base suggests a focus on orthodontic and surgical applications where part geometry and tolerances are critical. Trio Labs has raised $15.8 million from investors including Zoic Capital, Triangle Tweener Fund, Creative Destruction Lab, K2X, and Lateral Capital Management.

CEO Adam Steege previously founded Agile EndoSurgery in 2010, a laparoscopic surgical device company whose development challenges inspired the RIPL process. Trio Labs has filed eight patents covering digital fabrication and solid freeform fabrication methods. Key partnerships include advisory involvement from VisionTech Partners and a supplier directory listing with Chamfr.

The company's primary competitive risk comes from broader metal AM platforms—Desktop Metal, Velo3D, and Xometry—that can address micro-scale applications with binder jetting or LPBF, though none offer a dedicated micro-scale process. Trio Labs' focus on a single vertical and its reliance on a proprietary process may limit scalability, but it also creates a defensible position in a high-value, regulation-intensive segment where precision trumps throughput.