Staying ahead of the technology curve means strengthening your competitive advantage. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights into the manufacturing industry. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked startups developing custom manufacturing solutions.
Global Startup Heat Map highlights 5 Top Custom Manufacturing Solutions out of 615
The insights of this data-driven analysis are derived from the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 2.093.000+ startups & scaleups globally. The platform gives you an exhaustive overview of emerging technologies & relevant startups within a specific field in just a few clicks.
The Global Startup Heat Map below reveals the distribution of the 615 exemplary startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Further, it highlights 5 manufacturing startups that we hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised, and more. You get to explore the solutions of these 5 startups & scaleups in this report. For insights on the other 610 custom manufacturing solutions, get in touch.
NITEX offers On-Demand Sustainable Apparel Manufacturing
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), retail, electronics, and other industries use large-scale manufacturing to address market demands. However, with fluctuation in customer requirements, companies are unable to streamline and scale their production units, thereby incurring losses. Through custom manufacturing, product manufacturers are able to avoid stock pile-ups as well as rapidly address emerging market demands. That is why startups now build low-cost, on-demand platforms that help manufacturers adapt to changing needs.
US-based startup NITEX adopts a sketch-to-3D-to-product approach to manufacture clothes from sustainable fabric. The startup’s on-demand manufacturing platform allows users to create custom designs or choose designs from in-built libraries and get proto samples. Once customer approval comes through, NITEX produces in bulk and manages the shipping of the products to warehouses. This way, sustainable clothing brands tackle market demands without disrupting their production process.
RapidDirect provides a Digital Custom Manufacturing Platform
Custom manufacturing is an emerging trend due to advancements in scalable manufacturing processes and a reduction in stock pile-ups. Computer numeric control (CNC) machining, casting, forging, and additive manufacturing are few methods facilitating on-demand manufacturing. Startups use these methods to offer custom parts production for build-to-order (BTO) parts, one-offs, short productions, and mass customizations. This allows manufacturers to reduce product wastage as well as save costs in marketing by manufacturing as per market demands.
RapidDirect is a Chinese startup that develops a cloud-based custom manufacturing platform for prototyping and mass production. The startup’s platform allows manufacturers to upload the CAD files of required parts for instant price quotes. The platform uses computational algorithms to analyze the CAD models and offers manufacturing feasibility, thus supporting structural optimization. Additionally, RapidDirect offers CNC machining, injection molding, sheet metal fabrication, and 3D printing for various materials, including aluminum, stainless steel, brass, and more.
Shapeshift 3D develops an Artificial Intelligence-based Fit-Personalization Platform
Scaling the production to meet market demands is different from customizing individual products to meet customer specifications. For example, increasing the production quantity of a laptop model due to increased market demand is more manageable than manufacturing clothes tailored to each customer’s fit and comfort. However, with consumer trends shifting towards personalization, companies are now integrating improved product customization features with the help of digital platforms. Startups aid this situation by providing niche solutions for brands.
Canadian startup Shapeshift 3D uses AI-based, patent-pending technology to elevate user-level personalization for orthotics, prosthetics, sportswear, and personal protective equipment (PPE). The startup’s platform integrates into a company’s digital value chain to speed up product personalization and production. Additionally, Shapeshift 3D’s platform preserves product constraints, engineering, and design intent, making it ideal for applications that need industry-standard compliances. Furthermore, the platform offers personalized automation and replicable workflows that reduce total cost.
Viscous.Co works on On-Demand Manufacturing using 3D Printing
While CNC machining offers rapid prototyping and mass production of machine parts, additive manufacturing provides improved flexibility as well as minimal wastage. With recent advances in additive manufacturing, startups develop reliable, scalable, and low-cost 3D printing solutions for the manufacturing industry. This speeds up prototyping and design finalization as 3D printing is faster than CNC machining. Moreover, mass production using 3D printing significantly reduces the time to market.
Pakistani startup Viscous.Co provides on-demand manufacturing services using 3D printing. The startup uses computer vision to scan the product to be reproduced or assists designers in developing the desired product using modeling software. Viscous.Co further offers reverse engineering, prototyping, and 3D scanning for manufacturers to speed up product development and reduce material wastage.
Addoptics specializes in Smart Manufacturing of Optics
A modular approach in manufacturing is an effective way to improve product customization, be it a truck or furniture. However, such a workflow is unable to integrate unique market demands. For example, a modular vehicle supports already assigned features, which offer a plug-and-play capacity where the manufacturer is able to replace modules as needed. But, this form of manufacturing approach does not support parts that are out of the feature set yet available in the market, such as custom headlamps. That is why startups develop product designs for specific applications with prototyping and custom manufacturing support.
Addoptics is a Dutch startup that scales prototyping and production of affordable, industry-grade custom optics using 3D printing and optical casting. The startup significantly reduces the prototyping period irrespective of design geometry and utilizes strong, clear, and heat-resistant optics for product development. Addoptics further offers opt-mechanics, reflectors, and optical coatings as required. This allows automotive, consumer electronics, and industry 4.0 applications to integrate high-power headlamps to low-power remote sensing optics based on requirements.
Discover more Manufacturing Startups
Manufacturing startups such as the examples highlighted in this report focus on edge computing, additive manufacturing, advanced robotics as well as digital twins. While all of these technologies play a major role in advancing the manufacturing industry, they only represent the tip of the iceberg. To explore more manufacturing technologies, simply get in touch to let us look into your areas of interest. For a more general overview, you can download our free Manufacturing Innovation Report to save your time and improve strategic decision-making.
