Arevo was among the many first startups to develop a technique for steady carbon fiber 3D printing at giant scales. With investments from Khosla Ventures and In-Q-Tel, amongst others, the Silicon Valley agency was in a position to exhibit this expertise with such thrilling merchandise as totally 3D printing, carbon fiber strengthened e-bike and scooter frames. Nevertheless, now it appears as if Arevo could also be on the finish of its rope, as 3D Printing Business (3DPI) experiences that lots of its belongings are up for public sale.
AREVO “Aqua” 3D-Printing System for Composite Elements
Presently listed on the public sale platform Silicon Valley Disposition are numerous items of capital tools, together with robotic arms, laser modules, filament extrusion 3D printers, and even Superstrata 3D printed bikes. Particularly, Arevo is auctioning three ABB IRB 4600 Robots and iRC5 robotic controllers, numerous laser tools—together with a Laser TruPulse 2007 Nano, two Laser Line LDM 800-60 items, and twelve IPG Diode Laser Modules—two LMT Gocator 3D printer sensors, 5 FLIR A35 cameras, a handful of filament extrusion 3D printers, eight Superstrata 3D printed bicycles, and different machines.
The 3D printed Superstrata bike from Arevo. Picture courtesy of Arevo.
Based in 2013, Arevo initially centered on high-strength polymers for 3D printing whereas concurrently growing multi-axis robotic arm extrusion to beat anisotropic properties of extrusion 3D printing. Over time, the agency created what was finally referred to as the Aqua 3D printer, which concerned curing a photopolymer resin along with steady carbon fiber.
In 2016, Arevo acquired backing from In-Q-Tel, the enterprise capital arm of the U.S. intelligence neighborhood, earlier than finally pivoting to 3D printing mobility options in 2019. The flagship product was the Superstrata electrical bicycle, which was being manufactured by services Arevo established in Vietnam. In the meantime, it continued to promote Aqua machines to prospects in France, Japan, and elsewhere.
By 2021, Arevo’s founder and CEO Hemant Behda had left. 3DPI famous that, in keeping with a Vietnamese information website, Arevo’s Vietnamese services ceased operations in 2023 and shared the beneath video of questionable Superstrata meeting operations. From 2021 to 2023, the agency was being run by Le Diep Kieu Trang, former CEO of Fb Vietnam, and her husband Sonny Vu.
The developments with Arevo in some methods parallel one other current story within the trade. The public sale of Uniformity Labs’ belongings, an organization devoted to producing steel powders for AM, equally mirrored the challenges going through startups on this sector. The sector is present process important transformation because the bigger macroeconomic atmosphere is inflicting established companies to put off staff whereas smaller startups shutdown utterly.
Apparently, Cincinnati Integrated, which helped develop and manufacture the primary large-scale chopped carbon fiber strengthened 3D printers, now not sells its Massive Space AM machines. Steady Composites, a U.S. Air Drive-supported startup growing steady carbon fiber 3D printing expertise not totally dissimilar to that of Arevo, has not had as robust of a go-to-market technique as is perhaps in any other case anticipated. In the meantime, different AM companies centered on chopped carbon fiber extrusion utilizing industrial robotic arms, like Caracol, appear to be on the ascent.
Mergers and acquisitions are nonetheless anticipated, nevertheless it’s unusual to see that, moderately than Uniformity or Arevo outright acquired, their tools is being offered at public sale. It may very well be that potential consumers are struggling financially themselves and, subsequently, unable to buy total companies. There is also different developments at work that aren’t totally clear associated to the path that carbon fiber 3D printing is taking. 3DPrint.com has reached out to Arevo for remark and can replace the article if/after we obtain a response.
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