Denso has announced it has invested in Seurat Technologies, participating in the metal additive manufacturer’s Series B funding round. The investment will help speed the development and commercialization of Seurat’s patented additive manufacturing technology and is Denso’s latest move to bolster its digital transformation.
Seurat claims its ‘Area Printing’ technology allows manufacturers to print metal parts at scale, combining unprecedented speed, precision, part integrity, and reliability, while still being cost-effective. Denso says the solution could cut production times and improve its ability to quickly support customers’ shifting requirements.
The investment also aids Denso’s larger efforts to advance manufacturing technologies. In this, Denso says it collaborates with companies like Seurat, in addition to creating its own solutions like its Factory-IoT Platform, to help digitize operations. This creates opportunities to optimize workflows, increase efficiency and operate more flexibly, the company claims.
“Denso is always looking to stay on top of the latest manufacturing processes and technology so we can deliver for our customers. Working with Seurat will help us continue that,” said Raja Shembekar, vice president of Denso’s North America Production Innovation Center. “Seurat’s Area Printing technology is a breakthrough, one that dramatically accelerates additive manufacturing production rates. We look forward to helping them develop it further.”
“We are pleased to have Denso participate in our Series B round, but more than that, are excited by how they could help propel our technology forward,” said James DeMuth, CEO and co-founder of Seurat Technologies. “Denso’s deep understanding of what large-scale manufacturers need and what makes them successful will be vital as we commercialize our Area Printing technology.”
Other collaborations DENSO has recently pursued include:
- Creating a long-term alliance with aerospace leader Honeywell to develop electric propulsion systems for urban air mobility vehicles;
- Investing in wireless positioning technology developer Lambda:4, helping strengthen DENSO’s passive digital key;
- Investing in Ridecell to give fleet operators digital tools that optimize fleet management; and
- Collaborating with Drishti to advance action-recognition technology, which supports human outputs in manufacturing.