# Velo3D

Velo3D is an Asset Manager based in Fremont, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Asset Manager
- **Headquarters:** Fremont, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Fremont, CA, United States
- **Founded:** 2014
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** velo3d.com

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Velo3D was founded in 2014 by Benny Buller, a materials scientist who previously ran manufacturing strategy at a semiconductor equipment maker. The company went public via a SPAC merger in September 2021 (ticker: VLD), raising approximately $500 million in gross proceeds to scale its metal additive manufacturing platform. Buller built Velo3D around a contrarian insight: the metal 3D printing industry had spent decades compromising part design to accommodate printer limitations, rather than building printers that could execute any engineer's design. The company's Sapphire printers use an approach called Intelligent Fusion, which pairs proprietary simulation software with a non-contact recoater and closed-loop melt-pool monitoring. This system prints geometries below 500 microns without support structures, a constraint that previously forced engineers to limit internal cooling channels and overhangs. The installed base serves aerospace, energy, and space markets — SpaceX began qualifying Velo3D parts as early as 2018 for Raptor engine components, and the company has subsequently shipped systems to defense contractors and power-generation firms. Asset-class coverage spans capital equipment manufacturing, recurring powder and parts sales, and post-installation service contracts. The geographic footprint is concentrated in North America, with some European customer activity in the turbomachinery sector. Velo3D scaled its manufacturing in Fremont, California, and delivered its first large-format Sapphire XC printer in 2022, targeting customers who needed to move from prototyping into serial production. In December 2023, the company disclosed a capital raise of $70 million in public and private offerings to fund operations amid slower-than-expected adoption, alongside a CEO affirmation that Velo3D would focus on its core aerospace and defense customer base rather than broader industrial expansion. What structurally distinguishes Velo3D from other additive manufacturing firms is its full-stack integration. The company writes its own print-preparation software, builds the printer hardware, and maintains a manufacturing facility that prints parts for customers who want to qualify a design before purchasing their own machine. This creates a conversion path — companies validate a part through Velo3D's contract manufacturing, then buy the printer once the use case is proven. No other metal additive company bundles proprietary software, machine design, and captive parts production into a single workflow with this degree of vertical control.

## Sectors

- Industrial Tech
- SpaceTech
- Robotics & Automation
- Energy Transition & Renewables

## People

- Benny Buller — Founder and CEO

## Questions

### Who are the key decision-makers at Velo3D?

Benny Buller founded the company, serves as its CEO, and is the primary technical and strategic driver of its support-free metal printing vision. He brings a materials science background to the role, previously overseeing manufacturing strategy at a semiconductor capital equipment firm.

### Which industries does Velo3D primarily serve?

The company's installed base is concentrated in space, aerospace, and energy. SpaceX was its most prominent early adopter for Raptor engine components, and subsequent customers include defense contractors and turbomachinery manufacturers. Velo3D targets applications where part certification is stringent and design performance outweighs per-unit printing cost.

### Does Velo3D sell printers, or does it operate as a parts supplier?

Velo3D sells the Sapphire and Sapphire XC printer systems outright, generating revenue from both hardware and recurring powder and service contracts. The company also runs an in-house manufacturing facility in Fremont that produces end-use parts for customers who want to validate a design before capital expenditure — effectively serving as both an OEM and a contract manufacturer.

### Is Velo3D considered an original equipment manufacturer or a technology company?

Velo3D operates as both. It designs and manufactures printer hardware in Fremont, California, while also developing its own software stack — Flow for print preparation and Assure for quality assurance. The software-hardware integration is the company's primary moat; most additive manufacturers either build machines or write software, but Velo3D controls the full workflow from CAD file to finished part.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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