Summary:
H3D secured Series A funding to expand its AI-powered CAD/CAM technology from the hearing industry into global dental labs, addressing manufacturing bottlenecks and advancing custom-fit solutions.
Key Takeaways:
- The investment, led by Significant Ventures, will be used for its 3D scanning technology used by the hearing industry as well as to accelerate H3D’s entry into dental labs to reduce reliance on manual CAD work and improve product consistency.
- H3D’s technology is already widely adopted in the hearing industry to produce hearing aids, ear protection, and custom-fit earphones, with new innovations like smartphone-based 3D ear scanning.
- The funding strengthens H3D’s mission to scale AI-driven, cloud-based digital manufacturing solutions across both hearing and dental markets.
H3D, known for its AI-powered CAD/CAM technology, announced the close of a $5.8m Series A funding round. The investment was led by Significant Ventures, with participation from other existing investors, including H3D’s initial backer, Swinburne University, and new investor Co:Act Capital.
H3D originated at Swinburne University in Australia, where its co-founder and CTO, Dr Philip Kinsella, developed a fully automated design technology that has become widely used in the hearing industry. As the technology evolved, its potential for the dental industry became clear, prompting a strategic expansion beyond audio products.
With the Series A funding, H3D will accelerate the deployment of its technology into dental labs globally, which the company says will address the existing industry bottlenecks caused by a lack of technicians, reliance on complex manual CAD software, and quality inconsistency due to human error.
According to the company, in addition to accelerating its dental business, the investment will enable H3D to further strengthen its position within the hearing industry, where its technology is already used by manufacturers and labs worldwide to produce their hearing aids, noise protection, and custom-fit music earphones. H3D continues to innovate within its audio capabilities and has recently launched a unique mobile phone scanning solution that utilizes cutting-edge computer vision, AI, and AR technologies to capture an accurate 3D ear scan using just a smartphone camera. According to H3D, this innovation enables brands to deliver custom-fit products to their consumers worldwide without the need for traditional ear impressions.
“This funding marks a pivotal step in meeting the future vision of AI digital manufacturing,” says Iain Mcleod, CEO of H3D. “Combining machine learning, advanced 3D algorithms, and real-time cloud processing into a seamless manufacturing solution will be hugely impactful to patients receiving dental and hearing care. We are extremely grateful to our investors and our customers for believing in H3D’s exceptional team and our mission.”
Kate Eriksson, Partner at Co:Act Capital, adds, “H3D brings together vision and world-class technology to deliver real value for customers in two fast-growing global markets — hearing and dental. We’re delighted to support the H3D team and the impact they’re delivering.”
About H3D
H3D is a global AI technology company specializing in bringing custom fit to the mass market with its AI-powered CAD solutions, mobile 3D scanning technology, and cloud-based integration. Its goal is to allow brands and manufacturers to scale high-volume custom-fit products to consumers and patients worldwide.
For more information, visit https://h3d.ai/
