Voodoo Manufacturing
Voodoo Manufacturing Project Skywalker
The Skywalker system consists of nine 3D printers mounted on server racks, a track where the robot can deposit harvested plates to be collected by employees, and a plate ‘hopper’ that feeds new, clean plates to the robot as needed.
Voodoo Manufacturing, the company which harnesses MakerBot 3D printing platforms to form a digital manufacturing farm, has now raised $6.4 million in seed funding.
It comes after a substantial sum of $5m was injected earlier this month. The most recent seed funding round was spearheaded by General Catalyst, a venture capital funding company based in the U.S. Supplemented by contributions from NextView Ventures, 645 Ventures, and Y Combinator’s Continuity Fund, where Voodoo recently graduated.
The previous $1.4m was injected by KPCB Edge and a range of angel investors, and was announced in January. Then, Voodoo was expanding its fleet of staff, and its fleet of 3D printing technology. With its roster doubled, and 50 additional 3D printing machines installed, Voodoo is now looking to accelerate Project Skywalker, which is set to save 90% in costs. The additional $5m will enable Voodoo to achieve this goal, and use the money saved to expand into new verticals within the business. Marketing and the promotion of products will receive a huge boost, and again see Voodoo’s staff double in size. Key positions ‘from factory to sales to engineering’ will be added, strengthening Voodoo’s capabilities in offering a viable 3D printing service. At the heart of that advanced service, Voodoo believe, is the automation-focussed Project Skywalker.
“There is currently a lot of discussion around robotics and job automation,” said Max Friefeld, co-founder and CEO of Voodoo Manufacturing. “The truth is, as AI-enabled robots become more capable and collaborative, there will be new demand for jobs that require human skill-sets, like system maintenance and customer support. This will redefine what it means to be a factory worker and we’re excited help make the United States a hub for manufacturing innovation once again with the help of our amazing investors.”
Spencer Lazar from General Catalyst adds: “While the last wave of desktop 3D printers delivered affordable and accessible technology, Voodoo finally brings digital manufacturing to scale. Bridging the gap between idea and production has long been the dream of makers. Voodoo’s approach to the 3D printing process incorporates automation and networking, yielding the fastest turnaround times at the best prices. We are excited to support the team.”
