MadeInAdd CEO Says Startups Outpace Incumbents in AM Adoption, Cites Design-Led Approach

Andrea Gorlezza, CEO of Milan-based additive manufacturing platform MadeInAdd, stated in a recent interview that startups are adopting 3D printing faster than established manufacturers, not due to better technology access but because they lack decades of legacy design and production methods. MadeInAdd, founded in 2022 with institutional and industrial investor backing, positions itself as an end-to-end technical partner covering over 50 additive technologies from design through finished part delivery. Gorlezza, who took the CEO role in early 2025 and brings 25 years of experience in automotive, oil and gas, marine, and mechanical engineering, made the remarks during the Milan Design Week where the company exhibited for the first time, highlighting the natural fit between Italian craftsmanship and AM's customization capabilities.

This perspective aligns with a recurring pattern in the AM industry: the aerospace qualification grind and industrial-tooling adoption cycles have shown that incumbents often move slowly due to embedded supply chains and certification burdens, while startups can rapidly iterate on design-for-AM principles. Gorlezza's observation that many engineers remain uncertain about AM part reliability—even as technology advances quickly—underscores a persistent adoption barrier that MadeInAdd's platform model aims to address by intervening early in the design phase. The company's focus on topology optimization, organic geometries, and weight reduction from the outset rather than retrofitting AM into conventional workflows reflects a strategy that targets the software-service and cross-process segments of the AM value chain, where design-led adoption can unlock higher-value applications beyond simple prototyping.

From a practical standpoint, MadeInAdd's model faces the challenge of scaling its consultative approach beyond the Italian market while competing with established service bureaus and DfAM software providers. The company's success will depend on whether it can convert its design-phase engagement into recurring production contracts that demonstrate measurable cost or performance advantages over conventional manufacturing. For buyers evaluating AM adoption, Gorlezza's comments reinforce that the technology's full value requires front-loading design effort, not just substituting a 3D printer for a CNC machine.