Joining the HaaS Movement
We hope you had a great New Year’s Celebration and a great Lunar New Year, getting the 2023 started with prosperity and new business opportunities! Now that Hong Kong has properly opened to the rest of the world, we’re looking forward to finding new avenues outside of the Hong Kong region. In fact, we’ve already started on our new outreach and can’t wait to let you know more about it.
Guess what? Part of our team is spending a month to meet with Japanese corporates and expand our pilot programs.
TL;DR
We moved into HKSTP and Fo Tan.
We had issues with our 3D printer from the move. Upgraded and fixed.
AI Control software produces good results after a few iterations.
Pilot program preliminary tests passed.
We have started working with Nexperia.
If you’d like to quickly catch up on one-on-one, let’s schedule 15 minutes here.
What does 3DK Tech do?
3DK Tech is helping reach ESG targets of manufacturing companies by providing highly performing metal 3D printing. The manufacturing sector accounts for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Metal 3D printing can reduce CO2 emissions by 20x when compared with conventional manufacturing. Largest impact can be made in serial manufacturing. The Manufacturing sector does not use metal 3D printing due to low durability of printed parts and the limited number of printable metals. We are developing a metal 3D printing hardware and software. Our hardware improves part durability by 200x and our software which will increase the library of printable metals by 100x.
Key Asks:
Looking for partners for paid pilot programs.
On 16th of February 2023, 500 Global’s Accelerate Aichi has a demo day in Nagoya, Aichi. Feel free to join.
Any contacts with alumni from Y Combinator and Berkley Skydeck are appreciated.
Last year we set out some goals, here’s how we did:
Seed fundraise. Delayed by 1 year.
Start AI module development. Goal Reached
Develop Ultrasonic Module plugin. Goal changed
As we reflect on the year 2022, we can confidently say that it was a year of growth, learning opportunities, and challenges. We faced obstacles that tested our creativity, perseverance, and innovation. But we also celebrated successes that propelled us forward and fueled our passion for what we do.
Our team increased by 2 full time engineers:
Meet Rakshith. Formerly 3DK Tech intern. Completed Master’s Degree in HKUST under our Advisor Prof. Robin Ma. After finishing his degree, we were able to offer him a permanent engineering position. He is very dedicated, has learned a lot on metal 3D printing over the past year and is now an integral part of hardware development.
Meet Yao-Qiang. Yao-Qiang has been studying for his MPhil in Wuyi University in Mainland China. He has been working in metal 3D printing under the supervision of our Advisor Prof. Matthew Yuen. He’s worked on the hardware, simulation, and modelling. His expertise is crucial in developing our AI Software.
Technical Side
Hardware - Upgraded a few systems of our printer:
Powder feeding system
Laser optics
Air circulation system
Platform sealing
In-situ monitoring
Filtration system
Calibration procedures
Computer control system
Software - from 0 to 1
Iterated 5 different Deep Neural Network structures
We then tweaked to increase the accuracy
Reached 8-20% prediction accuracy
Alpha deployment coming soon
Business Side
Have identified equipment suppliers to reduce development time of commercial printers. Can launch 3DK Tech printers within 6 months of fundraising.
Have settled on a Hardware-as-a-Service business model for our printers.
We are eying a few advisors to add to our advisory board.
Some final stats
Current burn is $11K/month, which gives us 6 months of runway, $66,000 in the bank.
We have a few candidate pilot programs from our time in Japan. Will take some time to LOI.
Paid pilot programs few months off.
Goals for 2023
Start 3 paid pilot programs
Monetize existing pilot programs and expand scope
Sign 5 LOIs
Raise Seed funding
Hire 2 engineers
As we look back, we are proud of the progress we have made and the milestones we have achieved. We have expanded our reach to new markets, formed new partnerships, and continued to build a strong team of talented individuals who share our vision.
Thank you!
Big thanks to Janko from 500 Global for helping with the planning of our fundraising round.
Thank you to Rochelle for all the tips she had about reaching out to Japanese Corporates.
Thanks for reading our blog! We hope you found it valuable and informative. We're always striving to provide the best content for our readers, so your feedback is greatly appreciated. Don't hesitate to reach out to us at team@3dktech.com with any comments or suggestions on how we can improve. Stay tuned for more exciting updates and insights from the world of metal 3D printing!
Alex & the Team.