Startups have been contributing to major technological innovation in the evolving additive manufacturing (AM) industry. By disrupting how companies are designed, these pioneers are driving AM toward industrial maturity. Using a proprietary database of AM startups, we determine what factors are key for startup success, drawing on the most recent high-tech literature.
Our findings reveal that a team’s human capital, patent protection and its targeting of the B2B market significantly increase the likelihood of success. Furthermore, business model choice is important since it is a crucial source of competitive advantage. Our insights are relevant for AM practitioners and entrepreneurs alike.
This white paper is based on data provided through AM Ventures and on parts of the Master Thesis ‘Success determinants of digital manufacturing startups: exploring the impact of founder’s human capital, value capture and intellectual property’ by Alexander Schmoeckel, written at the Chair of Entrepreneurial Finance, Technical University of Munich. It is meant as an insight into our findings. We hope that AM adoption in the market can be further accelerated.