Zellerfeld

HardwareHamburg, Germany / Austin, Texas, USAFounded 2020· One of 1818 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

Full-stack 3D printed footwear manufacturer and platform for on-demand, customized shoe production.

CEO / Founder: Cornelius Schmitt
Team Size: 11-50
Stage: Active
Total Funding: $15.0M
Latest Round: Seed
Key Investors: Founders Fund; Electric Feel Ventures

Technology & Products

Key Products

3D-printed sneaker platform; TextureMap foot-scanning for custom fit; Easy PZ fully 3D-printed shoe line; brand collaboration production.

Technological Advantage

Proprietary robotics-based 3D printing production line plus TextureMap foot-scanning technology for individualized fit; reported CO2e reduction versus traditional footwear manufacturing.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Replaces traditional shoe factories with robotics-driven, on-demand 3D printing so each pair is produced to order and customized to the wearer.

How They Differentiate

Fully 3D-printed (not hybrid sole+upper) footwear at scale via proprietary robotics and on-demand digital manufacturing workflow.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Footwear and fashion brands seeking on-demand, customized, sustainable production; direct-to-consumer sneaker buyers.

Industry Verticals

Footwear, fashion, consumer sneakers

Competitors

Hilos; Elastium; Koobz

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Opened US production hub in Austin, Texas (2025/2026); expanded from Hamburg-only to dual-continent production; Nike partnership launched 2024

Major Milestones

Made a $950K strategic investment in Volumental (May 2025); partnered with Fraunhofer IAPT to scale additive production; launched Easy PZ 3D-printed shoe line (2026).

Notable Customers

Nike; Halo; Sean Wotherspoon; multiple independent footwear designers on Zellerfeld Studio platform

https://www.zellerfeld.com

Recent coverage of Zellerfeld

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

Zellerfeld operates as a full-stack 3D-printed footwear platform, producing complete one-piece shoes on demand using proprietary GEN3 FDM printers and zellerFOAM TPU material. The company eliminates traditional supply chains, stitching, glue, and inventory by printing each shoe as a single unit. Its platform model, Zellerfeld Studio, allows footwear brands and independent designers to launch 3D-printed shoes without building factories or holding stock.

The core technology centers on the GEN3 autonomous printing system, purpose-built for footwear, and zellerFOAM, a recyclable TPU material. Zellerfeld also offers multi-color printing and a foot-scanning workflow that feeds into design and production. A desktop printer is in development. The company operates production hubs in Hamburg, Germany, and Austin, Texas, enabling localized on-demand manufacturing.

Zellerfeld serves major footwear brands and independent designers. Notable collaborations include Nike (Air Max 1000 and Air Max 1000.2), Halo, and designer Sean Wotherspoon. The direct-to-consumer channel sells sneakers, slides, boots, and barefoot styles. Target customers range from large brands seeking custom-fit production to individual designers using the Studio platform.

The company's strategic moat lies in its vertically integrated platform combining proprietary hardware, material, and software. A $15M seed round in 2023 from Founders Fund, 468 Capital, Electric Feel Ventures, and Valor Equity Partners supports expansion. Key risks include scaling production capacity to meet brand demand and competing with assembled-component approaches from Hilos and Elastium.