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Xaar 3D

HardwareNottingham, United KingdomFounded 2018· One of 1636 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

Developer of High Speed Sintering (HSS) technology, commercialized as Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF™), designed for high-volume industrial 3D printing of polymer parts.

CEO / Founder
Yoav Zeif
Team Size
11-50
Stage
Acquired
Total Funding
$33.0M
Latest Round
Acquired
Key Investors
Stratasys, Xaar plc

Technology & Products

Key Products

Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF™) technology, integrated into Stratasys H350 3D printer.

Technical position · AMPulse analysis

The 'Big Wave' powder management system ensures uniform thermal distribution across the entire build plate, eliminating the 'cool spots' common in traditional powder bed fusion and ensuring part consistency regardless of placement.

Patent position

Xaar 3D filed 0 patent families in 2022 to 2024, down from 8 in 2019 to 2021 (-100%), against -9% for tracked AM filings in the same patent offices. AMPulse analysis

Filing momentum
0 families filed 2022–2024, 8 in 2019–2021 (-100%); all tracked AM filings in the same offices -9%
Filed in
WO 64%US 27%CN 9%EP 5%
Named competitors, AM patent families
HP 16EOS 185

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

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Delivers production-scale throughput with high part consistency and lower cost-per-part by utilizing industrial-grade printheads and a uniform thermal fusion process.

How They Differentiate

Utilizes Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF™) technology which features industrial-grade piezoelectric printheads and a proprietary 'Big Wave' powder management system. This ensures uniform thermal distribution across the build bed, leading to higher part consistency and lower cost-per-part compared to traditional SLS or MJF processes.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Industrial manufacturers, automotive OEMs, consumer electronics companies, and additive manufacturing service bureaus.

Industry Verticals

Automotive, Consumer Goods, Electronics, Industrial Equipment, Healthcare & Medical Devices

Competitors

HP (Multi Jet Fusion), EOS (SLS)

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Successfully transitioned from R&D joint venture to a full commercial production platform (H350); expanded material portfolio to include PA11, PA12, and Polypropylene (PP).

Major Milestones

Formation of Xaar 3D Ltd as a joint venture between Xaar plc and Stratasys in July 2018, Stratasys increased its stake in Xaar 3D to 45% in February 2019, Commercial launch of the Stratasys H350 printer powered by SAF technology in April 2021, Full acquisition of the remaining 55% stake by Stratasys in October 2021

Notable Customers

GoProto, Fathom Digital Manufacturing, Draftworx, Pauwels Consulting

https://www.stratasys.com

AM patents

AM-relevant patents linked to this company.

Patents
23
Granted
2
Families
22

Leading domains: equipment (23), process (23), material (18)

Filings by year: 2020: 2 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 8

  1. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS2019097256 · WO
  2. METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS03710252 · EP
  3. EXTRACTION SYSTEM FOR APPARATUS FOR THE LAYER-BY-LAYER FORMATION OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS, AND ASSOCIATED METHODS AND CONTROLLER2021198667 · WO
  4. HEATER ARRANGEMENTS AND APPARATUS FOR LAYER-BY-LAYER FORMATION OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS2020128471 · WO
  5. METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS2019097257 · WO

Funding rounds

  • Acquisition$33.0M2021-10Lead: Stratasys · Source: Stratasys Press Release
  • Corporate RoundUndisclosed2019-02Lead: Stratasys · Source: TechCrunch
  • Joint Venture FormationUndisclosed2018-07Lead: Xaar plc · Source: Xaar plc Investor Relations

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

Xaar 3D developed Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF), a High Speed Sintering technology commercialized through the Stratasys H350 printer. The process uses industrial-grade piezoelectric printheads to jet an infrared-absorbing fluid across a powder bed, which is then fused by an IR lamp in a single pass. This approach is designed to deliver production-scale throughput with higher part consistency and lower cost-per-part compared to traditional SLS or Multi Jet Fusion.

A key differentiator is the 'Big Wave' powder management system, which ensures uniform thermal distribution across the entire build plate. This eliminates the 'cool spots' common in powder bed fusion, so part quality remains consistent regardless of placement. The technology is underpinned by Xaar plc's portfolio of over 150 active inkjet patents.

Target customers include industrial manufacturers, automotive OEMs, consumer electronics companies, and additive manufacturing service bureaus. Named users include GoProto, Fathom Digital Manufacturing, Draftworx, and Pauwels Consulting. The material portfolio has expanded to include PA11, PA12, and Polypropylene (PP), developed in partnership with BASF Forward AM.

Xaar 3D was formed in 2018 as a joint venture between Xaar plc and Stratasys, which fully acquired the company in October 2021. The technology now sits within Stratasys's portfolio as a high-volume polymer platform. Its main competitive challenge is scaling adoption against HP's Multi Jet Fusion and EOS's SLS, which have larger installed bases and broader material ecosystems.