3D printed car maker Divergent 3D announces the completion of Series B funding. With a fresh $65-million in the coffers, it will push on with completing a new reference factory.

LA-based startup Divergent 3D has just announced the close of Series B funding, securing $65-million dollars (with the option of an additional $40-million dollars). This new wave of investment follows a $23-million Series A round back in 2014.

O Luxe Holdings, a Hong-Kong based investment holdings company which, curiously, typically deals in diamonds and jewelry, led this latest effort.

For those out of the know, Divergent 3D is the future-facing company presenting one of many paths for additive manufacturing in the future. Creator of a concept motorcycle and supercar, Dagger and Blade, respectively, it is the brainchild of former Goldman Sachs executive and mechanic Kevin Czinger.

More so, Divergent 3D’s potential comes forth in its 3D printing platform. Known as NODE, that the company claims it could kick-start a renaissance in auto production. In essence vehicles produced through NODE feature a carbon-fiber structure fixed together with myriad 3D printed joints.

The new investment is sufficient to fund the building of Divergent 3D’s reference factory, claims CEO Kevin Czinger. Speaking to Forbes, he continues:

“This allows us to do our full scale up, and is actually more cash than we need through break even. This is likely our last private funding.“

3D Printing the Cars of the Future

Czinger’s reference factory will be vastly different to the kinds of auto factories you’ll find churning out thousands of cars a day. A firm believer that the future of manufacturing lies in the microfactory, Czinger envisages networks of small urban production lines creating custom, low-carbon-footprint vehicles.

Such a factory would utilize high tech machinery including large-format metal 3D printers, robotic assembly arms and laser cutters. Typical auto production factories cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build, but Divergent 3D’s model as described above is said to need only a little over $50-million dollars.

The first Divergent 3D micro-factory, in Los Angeles, is due to reach full capacity in 2019. The company claims it will be able to produce 2,000 vehicles a year. Licensing the platform out, Divergent 3D’s technology could help other manufacturers realize specialized low-cost production runs too.

“The vehicles that we’re working on are primarily EVs that look like mass-market, standard cars and SUVs” said Czinger.

In the meantime, the LA facility will be used for concept production and works for Divergent 3D’s existing roster of secretive clients.

Source: Forbes

Lead image credit  // Ethan Pines for Forbes