Porsche : makes minority investments in 3D printing specialists

Stuttgart, 2 November 2017. Porsche Automobil Holding SE (Porsche SE), Stuttgart, has made two venture investments in 3D printing (additive manufacturing) companies acquiring a single digit stake in each company. This includes the US company Markforged Inc. as well as another 3D printing specialist that is not yet publicly disclosed. The combined investment amounts to a single digit million Euro figure.

'Start-ups are an important source of innovations. In order to advance and capitalize on such innovations we have to invest in technologies at an early stage. Both investments are perfect examples of this approach. Start-ups have the potential to massively change different segments along the automotive value chain, for example R+D and production as well as the role of a vehicle in the broader mobility ecosystem', Philipp von Hagen, member of the executive board of Porsche SE responsible for investment management, said. Additive manufacturing is one of the highly promising technologies we have identified, von Hagen added.

Founded in 2013 and based in Watertown/Massachusetts, Markforged Inc. designs and sells end to end 3D print solutions. The company is the only industrial 3D printing platform that produces strong parts out of the entire range of materials from carbon fiber to metal. Moreover, in 2017 the company launched its first 3D metal printer for industrial applications. With around 100 employees, several thousand companies worldwide use Markforged technology.

'In building a portfolio of venture investments, we expand our investment focus selectively without altering the risk profile of Porsche SE', von Hagen noted. In doing so, the company acts as a focused financial investor with strong sector expertise and network in the industrial and mobility ecosystems. Porsche SE plans to make venture investments in the double digit million Euro range per year.