Motion Imager partners with TU/e to commercialize volumetric AM technology with new funding

Motion Imager, a Dutch volumetric additive manufacturing startup, has secured substantial funding in partnership with Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) to scale its tomographic reconstruction-based 3D printing technology from lab prototype to industrial production. The collaboration, announced December 27, 2025, involves TU/e's Mechanics of Materials (MoM) and Processing and Performance (P&P) departments. While the exact funding amount and investors were not disclosed, the capital is earmarked for developing a scalable batch-production system capable of printing multiple parts simultaneously in a single vat of photopolymer resin, targeting serial manufacturing applications in medical devices and consumer goods.

This partnership places Motion Imager squarely in the emerging volumetric AM segment, which competes directly with established vat photopolymerization (VPP) players like Formlabs, Carbon, and Stratasys' Origin. Unlike conventional DLP or SLA systems that build parts layer-by-layer, volumetric AM cures an entire 3D object at once using computed tomography (CT) algorithms to project light patterns into a rotating resin vat. The technology promises dramatically faster throughput for small, complex parts — a key gap in the current polymer AM landscape where speed remains the primary bottleneck for production adoption. For Motion Imager, the TU/e collaboration provides deep academic expertise in material mechanics and process optimization, critical for moving from proof-of-concept to repeatable, qualified manufacturing. The deal also signals growing investor appetite for next-generation photopolymer processes that can challenge the layer-based paradigm, particularly in high-value medical-dental and consumer-electronics verticals where surface finish and isotropy matter.

For Motion Imager, the immediate challenge is translating TU/e's academic research into a commercially viable machine with validated material sets and process controls. The company must demonstrate that its volumetric approach can achieve the dimensional accuracy and repeatability that medical and dental customers demand — a bar set high by established DLP and SLA systems. If successful, this could open a new production route for small, intricate polymer parts that currently require either slow layer-based printing or expensive injection molding tooling. The next 12 months will be telling: Motion Imager needs to ship a beta system to early customers and publish benchmark data against incumbent VPP platforms.