SAEKI exits stealth with $2.3M to rent out 3D-printing robot 'microfactories'

A robots-as-a-service company in Lupfig, Switzerland, building automated production hubs of industrial robots that 3D print, mill and inspect large parts for construction, aerospace and automotive.

That customers would rather book time on robot 'microfactories' than buy a multi-million-dollar machine, getting faster, recyclable formwork and moulds.

$2.3M seed led by Wingman Ventures with Vento Ventures, Getty Capital and angels.

SAEKI was founded in February 2021 by Andrea Perissinotto, Oliver Harley and Matthias Leschok, who met at ETH Zurich. They found large-scale 3D printing for items like wind turbine blades and car parts was still early and not at industry quality and scale, so they focused on automated factories of independent robotic cells that customers can book.

On 9 August 2023 SAEKI launched from stealth with the seed round. It was building its first production hub in Switzerland, with robots already operating for several months and producing parts, and finalising first pilot projects in architecture, engineering and construction. Perissinotto said customers do not want a multi-million-dollar machine that needs space and trained staff, which is why SAEKI chose robots-as-a-service.

The founders learned large-scale 3D printing was not yet at industry quality and scale, so they built automated robotic cells around it.

Formwork and moulds are expensive, slow to produce and used only a few times, a bottleneck for builders and composite manufacturers.

Customers resist multi-million-dollar machines, extra floor space and new hires, which a booking model avoids.

When equipment is expensive and used only briefly per project, selling machine time rather than machines can address cost and floor-space objections.

As of 2023-08-09 SAEKI had $2.3M in seed funding, working robots, early revenue from pilot projects and a first production hub under construction in Switzerland; revenue figures were not disclosed.