Voxel8 has been acquired by Kornit Digital, a textile manufacturing company specialising in on-demand textile production, where digital printing is applied to textiles. The Israeli firm has revenues of $179 million and over 400 staff.
Voxel8 was founded as a Harvard spinout from Professor Jennifer Lewis‘ Lab. Initially an electronics 3D printer manufacturer, the company looked to footwear and fabric 3D printing. The firm launched in 2014 and has since received over $12 million in funding, got money from In-Q-tel, changed CEOs, as well as direction, and made items for Hush Puppy and other fashion-related accessories.
“Voxel8’s innovative technologies and talent will help us accelerate the execution of our 4.0 strategy to digitise sustainable, on-demand textile production. With this advanced and proven 3D technology, we will disrupt the business of fashion, empowering completely new creative decorative concepts and never-before-seen functional textile applications, while exploring new lucrative opportunities in the functional apparel and footwear markets,” stated Ronen Samuel, Kornit Digital Chief Executive Officer.
Kornit was already moving towards the 3D printing realm, just recently announcing its MAX technology that can make 3D printed surfaces atop of textiles. So, the tie up seems like it is a logical one that could very well be beneficial to Kornit shareholders.
“Voxel8 offers direct 3D print-on-part capabilities, advanced design software that can be easily integrated with any production floor software workflow, and versatile chemistry enabling on-the-fly formulation of high-performance elastomers to change the material properties of the resulting printed structures by multiple orders of magnitude. This means reflective, high-density, silicone and metallics, as well as compression elements for sports and therapeutics, protection elements like cushioning and impact resistance, and functionality applications like anti-slip, waterproofing, and other qualities combining form and function that are key to Kornit’s vision of digitizing production in every conceivable manner,” said Kobi Mann, Kornit Digital Chief Technology Officer.
“Voxel8’s innovative and sustainable technology—tested by some of the world’s leading global fashion and footwear brands, such as Hush Puppies, which is part of Wolverine Worldwide, enables the digital creation of unique decorative and functional applications, while eliminating time and waste from the manufacturing process. Voxel8 shares Kornit’s vision of transforming the textile industry and couldn’t be more excited to be part of the journey to build the operating system of sustainable fashion on demand,” said Fred von Gottberg, Voxel8’s CEO.
