{"id":1394,"date":"2015-06-17T11:59:33","date_gmt":"2015-06-17T09:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cms.munich-startup.net\/?post_type=success_story&p=1394"},"modified":"2020-10-07T13:53:04","modified_gmt":"2020-10-07T11:53:04","slug":"voxeljet-from-university-to-nyse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.munich-startup.net\/en\/1394\/voxeljet-from-university-to-nyse\/","title":{"rendered":"voxeljet \u2013 from university to the NYSE"},"content":{"rendered":"

It all started in Munich\u2026<\/h3>\n

The roots of voxeljet AG lie in the Technical University of Munich.<\/strong> Launched in 1995 as a small-batch project called "Generation of 3D Structures," three doctoral students from the Department of Precision Engineering at the Technical University of Munich conducted their first 3D printing experiments. In 1996, they participated in the first Munich Business Plan Competition, and in 1998, the first patent was granted. That same year, the first prototypes were completed and the first sand molds were printed\u2014one of the most gratifying moments for the three founders during the initial phase.<\/p>\n

Today, voxeljet AG is one of the leading manufacturers of industrial 3D printing systems and operates on-demand production of molds and models.<\/strong> The patented process is used in design patterns, art and architectural parts, in the aerospace and automotive industries, research and medicine, as well as in the film and entertainment industry.<\/p>\n

The first steps \u2013 a company is founded<\/h3>\n

In May 1999, Ingo Ederer, Rainer H\u00f6chsmann, and Joachim Heinzl founded Generis GmbH at the Technical University of Munich. The predecessor company of today's voxeljet AG focused on developing new additive processes for the production of cast and plastic components. Operations began at the Technical University of Munich with four employees. Shortly thereafter, the company moved to Augsburg. voxeljet AG's headquarters are in Friedberg, Bavaria.<\/p>\n

\"Headquarters<\/a>
Headquarters of voxeljet AG in Friedberg, Bavaria<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Successful participation in competitions supported the company's further development: In 2000, the young company achieved fourth place in the STARTUP business plan competition, the forerunner of the German Founders' Award. The young company prevailed among 1,261 nationwide competitors with its business model, received a cash prize, and received free support from a management consultancy for a year.<\/p>\n

The highlight was the first orders for the delivery of large-format, sand-based printers to renowned companies such as BMW AG and Daimler AG in 2002. And the company continued to grow: in 2003, the service center opened at the Augsburg location to offer customers on-demand printing capacity. In the same year, the Bayern Kapital GmbH<\/strong>, the Start-up Capital Fund Augsburg<\/strong> and the Franz Industrial Holdings AG<\/strong> Shareholders of the company and thus support further growth.<\/p>\n

The innovative company establishes itself<\/h3>\n

In the following years, the startup established itself and developed new 3D printing systems. The existing systems were continuously refined and the production facilities were expanded to meet increasing demand.<\/p>\n

In 2008, voxeljet technology GmbH received an award as part of the Bavarian Innovation Prize from the hands of the then Bavarian Minister President G\u00fcnther Beckstein. In 2010, voxeljet was included in the List of Germany's 100 top innovators<\/strong> and receives the \u201cTop 100\u201d seal of quality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

voxeljet presents further innovations \u2013 and grows<\/h3>\n

Already established in the market, the company focuses on research and development. Accordingly, 2011 is a year full of technical innovations for voxeljet. In April 2011, the company enters a new dimension of additive manufacturing processes. With the VX4000 3D printing system, objects can be produced at up to three times the build speed of previous systems while maintaining the same resolution.<\/p>\n