Wayland Additive raises £4.6 million to meet demands of customer base for electron beam 3D printing

The Huddersfield-based firm serves customers such as the Royal Air Force.

by Oliver Johnson

20 April 2023

15:54

Wayland Additive Limited

A Calibur3 from Wayland

Wayland Additive Limited has announced the close of a 4.6 million GBP funding round, with backing from existing investors Longwall Ventures, Parkwalk Advisors and ACF Investors. Strategic investor Metrea Discovery has joined the round as a new supporter of the business.

Wayland will use the funding to increase its in-house production capability to deliver more machines and materials to customers. The company says it is moving more towards a "buy off-the-shelf" focus through mitigating supply chain issues, which it says should reduce order to delivery to a "couple of months".

The investment will also go towards further hiring, in particular the recruitment of a COO, as well as supporting further research and development.

Wayland manufactures and sells the Calibur3 metal additive manufacturing machines to end-users who require high precision and complex components, often created from metal alloys according to the company, in industries such as aerospace, mining, and medical. The Calibur3 featrues the Neubeam process which uses electron beam (eBeam) technology.

Will Richardson, CEO of Wayland Additive said: "Since our last funding round, we have formally launched our machines into the market and are already seeing considerable traction, with demand from across the globe. By providing bespoke additive manufacturing to our customers, we can play a pivotal role in streamlining their operations and give them the tools to unlock their potential, with high value components at the touch of a button.

"It's great to have our existing investors continuing to support us as we grow, as well as new strategic investor Metrea. We are excited by the prospect of bringing our machines to businesses who need them around the world and this investment will supercharge that mission."

"Wayland continues to move from strength to strength and is a leading light of Yorkshire's business community. Through its machines, Wayland is pioneering the next generation of additive manufacturing, opening up new applications and unlocking new materials. We are delighted to be continuing to support this ingenious team on the next stage of their growth journey. Their leadership in the market is well earned," said Managing Partner at ACF Investors Tim Mills.

David Denny, Partner at Longwall Ventures added: "We are delighted to continue supporting the Wayland team, their ingenuity and hard work has resulted in a great product. The Wayland product enables customers to 3D print objects in materials that were not previously possible, and it is great to see this technology now being used by customers. We also appreciate having ACF Investors as co-investors because they have been pragmatic and supportive from day one."

In February 2023, Wayland announced a "ramp-up" of production of the Calibur3 metal 3D printing system.

by Oliver Johnson

20 April 2023

15:54

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