Added Scientific Ltd, a spinout from the University of Nottingham's Centre for Additive Manufacturing, has secured strategic investment from leading additive manufacturing experts Brent Stucker and David Leigh to accelerate the expansion and commercialisation of its product portfolio.
Added Scientific is a spinout from the University of Nottingham, founded by Professor's Richard Hague, Chris Tuck and Ricky Wildman. The company, which targets research and material developers at both industry and academic institutions, has a skilled team of researchers, engineers and scientists, backed by a management team with a world-class research portfolio in AM. It specialises in material jetting, binder jetting and photocurable 3D printing research and development (R&D) for vendors and end-users and aims to expand to include a range of different printers that tailor to different products, such as electronics or structural materials.
The investment will initially be used to develop Added Scientific's R&D-focused 3D inkjet platform – "Jetforge". This open printing platform, currently in its beta stage, was created to reduce the barrier to entry to materials development in inkjet R&D. It consists of a benchtop design, with options for multiple printheads, enabling complex printing strategies, and offers a choice of the printhead options based on customer's individual requirements.
Brent Stucker and David Leigh are internationally recognised experts in additive manufacturing, each with over 30 years of experience in the field. Stucker is currently Chief Engineer for North America at Nikon SLM Solutions, Chief Technology Strategist at Wohlers Associates (ASTM International), and previously co-founded 3DSIM, a simulation software company acquired by Ansys. Leigh founded Harvest Technologies, one of the first certified AM service bureaus supplying certified aerospace parts and has held senior roles at companies including 3D Systems and EOS. Both will join Added Scientific's Board of Directors, bringing strategic insight and industry expertise to support the company's next phase of growth.
We are delighted to receive this investment from Brent and David as we transition from a contract research organisation to providing a full product offering. The Added Scientific team is extremely excited to collaborate with them as we expand our portfolio. This investment underscores the growing importance of AM in transforming industries, from aerospace to healthcare. The industry has grown at a steady compound annual rate of over 20% over the last few years, and that momentum is only set to continue as access to specialist technology increases.
Brent Stucker Ph.D, commented: "The acceleration of materials development is one of the most important challenges our industry faces. Added Scientific's platform not only has the potential to address this head-on, but also to unlock new applications and drive meaningful progress in additive manufacturing. I'm excited to support their next phase of growth."
David Leigh commented: "Lowering the barrier to entry for materials development is key to unlocking the next wave of innovation in additive manufacturing. By making advanced tools more accessible, Added Scientific is enabling a broader range of researchers and developers to contribute to the field. That's a mission I'm excited to back."
