Shulou(Shulou.com)05/31 Report--

We interviewed du Longbo, the project director of Xi an High-tech Venture Capital Co., Ltd., and discussed the investment logic in the field of 3D printing.

Platinum, the invested company, was established in July 2011 and is a key achievement transformation project of Northwestern Polytechnic University. The founding team members are mainly alumni and faculty of Northwestern Polytechnic University. The direct positioning of Platinum Force is to manufacture and remanufacture metal additives, and to provide complete solutions for customized products and equipment, consumables, software, technical services and so on. In 2016, the company conducted two rounds of financing and received an investment of 100 million yuan from Gaoxi, and this round is also the last round of financing before platinum is released into the technology version.

The following is the partial recovery of XGIC's investment in platinum:

When I invest in platinum, I am mainly optimistic about the bright spots of this project.

Xitou: first, industry and policy are good. Secondly, it is in a clear leading position in the industry. Relying on the Huang Weidong team of Western Polytechnic University, platinum technology is in the lead. And most of the team members have materials science background, have a clear understanding of materials, which is the most important factor restricting the development of 3D printing, and have natural advantages in the continuous updating and development of technology in the future. At the same time, the company applied for 137 independent intellectual property rights related to metal additive manufacturing technology. Metal 3D printing has high barriers to entry and industry barriers in all 3D printing. Finally, there is resource advantage. Platinum has the background of Western University of Technology, and the advantages of docking with the military industry, especially the aviation industry, are incomparable to other enterprises, which will bring a steady stream of orders for the aviation industry.

How was the company's future cash flow estimated at that time?

Xitou: platinum was founded in 2011. By 2015, when we contacted the company, we had been profitable for many years, and our revenue and net profit were growing very fast. This is also an important reason why we think platinum is superior to other 3D printing companies. The main reason for this phenomenon is that platinum is in the leading level in terms of starting time, technology accumulation, personnel quality and so on. In addition, platinum is also involved in the entire industry chain of 3D printing. At the beginning of the establishment of the company, the main business is the design and production of parts related to the manufacture of metal powder additives and the repair of customer accessories, which not only provides the company with a main source of income, but also lays a solid foundation for the company's metal 3D printing technology exploration, performance improvement and market development.

When you look at this project, can you introduce some important findings?

Xitou: most of the core patents of 3D printing are held by equipment manufacturers, so equipment manufacturers occupy a dominant position in the whole industry chain. However, Stratasys and 3D Systems of the United States, the top two equipment manufacturers in the world, are in the process of industry consolidation. 3D Systems adopts the path of upstream and downstream mergers and acquisitions, including service providers, software companies, materials and equipment manufacturers. The integration path of Stratasys is mainly horizontal integration. Through a series of integration, the equipment enterprises will be transformed into integrated solution providers, and the comprehensive management and control capability of the industrial chain will be strengthened. It can be seen that industry integration is an important strategy that international giants are optimistic about and have begun to implement. However, platinum itself involves the whole industry chain of upstream materials, mid-stream equipment and downstream services, which is one step ahead of its domestic counterparts in the future development layout.

What other directions do you think the 3D printing industry can invest in the future?

Xitou: we see that some core components of domestic 3D printing equipment, such as precision lasers, optical systems, precision guideways, motors, etc., still need to be purchased from abroad. High-quality 3D printing materials such as metal powder, liquid photosensitive resin and polymer particles also need to be imported from abroad. In addition, we have observed that international leaders in the industry are engaged in industry consolidation. Therefore, we believe that the business already involves upstream and downstream 3D printing or enterprise tact.

Xitou: 3D printing is a technology-led industry, so first of all, the core team of this enterprise should be the leading experts in the industry, deeply ploughing the industry for many years, and must have a certain leading edge in technology. have a clear grasp of the future development of the industry. The leadership team can ensure the company's continuous output in technology research and development and patents, and further deepen the company's moat. With the team's advanced technology and strong market development ability, revenue growth will be a natural result.

After learning about this industry, can you tell me some views on the trend of the industry?

Xitou: with the strong growth momentum of metal additive manufacturing in the global market, the scale of 3D printing industry continues to expand. Market demand also promotes the research and development of new printing materials. The progress of technology has also brought about the expansion of application scenarios and the improvement of application level. At present, 3D printing is mainly used in aerospace, military industry, medical implants, automobile production and other fields. In the future, with the further deepening of related technology, the field of electronics, electrical appliances and personal consumption may usher in rapid development. In addition, in the context of the "Internet", some companies have gradually begun to build network operation models, including medical application cloud platform and C2B.

Given the large-scale prospect of 3D printing, what do you think is the key point for the industry to break out in the future?

Xitou: this is a process of gradual accumulation. To achieve industrial scale, we must constantly try to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Metal 3D printing technology is first used in military industry, aerospace and other fields. Once it is widely used in these minority fields, it can further enhance its acceptance in the civilian field. Platinum has entered the science and technology innovation section, which also makes the public know more about 3D printing.

Welcome to subscribe "Shulou Technology Information " to get latest news, interesting things and hot topics in the IT industry, and controls the hottest and latest Internet news, technology news and IT industry trends.