Space technology 3D printing firmX-Bow Systemshas closed a $27 million Series A funding round, securing the support of defense contractorLockheed Martin.
The funding round closes ahead of the firm’s static fire test of its Ballesta solid rocket motor, which will reportedly be the first large-diameter scale motor designed and tested by a non-legacy systems integrator supplier in over three decades.
X-Bow首席执行官兼创始人Jason Hundley表示：“我们为投资者的支持而感到自豪，并感谢他们在X-Bow的团队，突破性技术和固体火箭汽车开发的创新方法中发出信心。”
“与这些高素质的投资者一起进行强烈的回合使我们能够提高快速增长，并加快破坏关键行业的计划。”
3D打印固体燃料火箭发动机
X-Bow Systems最初成立于2016年，专门开发3D印刷固体燃料和火箭电动机。固体燃料火箭发动机依靠以固体形式的推进剂，由于其简单性和稳健性，经常用于军事应用。
X-Bow Systems上个月退出的隐身模式，创建了适合轨道和亚轨道发射的小型发射车系列。该公司已经与美国政府组织签订了多项合同空军研究实验室,AFWERX,Los Alamos National Lab,Sandia National Lab，和国防研究计划局（DARPA）。
X-Bow Systems claims its launch vehicles are both more efficient and more cost-effective than traditional rocket engines. Over the last few years, the firm has amassed a growing product line of 3D printed rocket engines, additively manufacture propellants, and end-to-end launch services for its government and commercial clients.
X-Bow的系列A融资
从X-Bow系统将使用2700万美元its Series A funding round to advance its patent-pending additive manufacturing technology for solid rocket energetics and expand its solid rocket motor product portfolio. The new capital comes at a time of significant growth for the firm as it looks to bring its large-scale motor designs and modular boost vehicle architectures to its existing and new customers.
The company will also use the funds to further improve its customer support, grow its teams, and invest in its next generation of product offerings.
The funding round was co-led by交叉链接资本and剃刀的边缘冒险, and saw participation from Lockheed Martin Ventures andBroom Ventures. The support of Lockheed Martin is significant for X-Bow Systems due to the firm’s standing as a global technology leader in aerospace, space, and security.
Lockheed Martin has long sought to“print the path to Mars”，并且以前已经部署了3D打印来制造3D printed domes for high-pressure fuel tanks板上卫星并投资了最先进的卫星生产设施. The firm’s 3D printed parts have traveled as far as Jupiter and are currently used in NASA’s Orion crewed spacecraft, military satellites, and missiles.
“X-Bow has a great combination of experienced leadership and a truly innovative additive manufacturing technology for energetics,” said Matt Bigge, Crosslink Capital Partner. “They are the much-needed changemaker poised to disrupt the energetics market with its disruptive technologies.
“Crosslink invested in X-Bow because of its ability to catalyze a critical evolution in the national security, defense and commercial space technology markets.”
在计划的测试大火和X-Bow Systems的32英寸直径Ballesta Solid Rocket Motot之前，该资金回合已在新墨西哥州的White Sands导弹范围内进行。
“The X-Bow team brings a unique perspective and clear vision of the gaps within the traditional ecosystem of solid rocket motor manufacturers,” said Mark Spoto, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Razor’s Edge Ventures. “The company’s proprietary additive manufacturing approach to solid rocket energetics, motors, and architectures will, for the first time, enable rapid, agile, cost-effective solutions to be brought to a market that has always thought about product development in terms of years of development time and tens or hundreds of millions of dollars per product.
“We invest in great management teams with differentiated products that solve large, difficult problems across both national security and the commercial enterprise markets and are extremely excited to partner with X-Bow’s team to help accelerate their growth and product expansion.”
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Featured image showsX弓测试其固体燃料火箭发动机之一。通过X弓的照片。
