6K Gains Series C Funding, Enabling Tripling of Powder-Production Capability

At RAPID + TCT…6K, producer of additive manufacturing (AM) powders and sustainable materials for energy storage, announced closing of a $51-million Series C financing round that enables investment to boost AM-powder production significantly and expand battery-development capabilities.

Specifically, this investment enables a tripling of 6K’s production capacity for metal-AM powders in the 6K Additive division, an increase in the portfolio of powder-product offerings and expansion of the company’s global commercial-sales activities globally. On the energy-storage side, the investment allows 6K to complete its Battery Development Center of Excellence, which adds 33,000 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art product development space, and double its 6K Energy team. The financing round was led by Volta Energy Technologies, joined by new investors Catalus Capital and S Cap/Prithvi Ventures, and existing investors Anzu Partners, Launch Capital, Material Impact and RKS Ventures.

“This round of capital is a validation of 6K’s model to replace wasteful legacy production technologies with the UniMelt platform, enter scaled production, meet customer needs, move toward profitability and transform industries,” says Aaron Bent, 6K CEO. “We are joined by world-class investors who are aligned with our vision to transform the way performance materials are produced. In doing so, we are teaming to solve critical needs of the United States and the planet, addressing climate change and supply-chain security, and reducing the demand on our fragile and limited resources.”

6K’s continuous, high-volume UniMelt plasma production system can yield advanced performance materials in as little as 2 sec. versus 2-3 days, according to 6K officials, who note that the process replaces legacy manufacturing approaches with a lower-cost, smaller-footprint production technology. The UniMelt process reportedly can produce metal-AM powders, battery materials for electric vehicles, semiconductor materials, phosphors, advanced ceramics, electronics materials and more.

At the show, 3D Metal Printing sat down with Frank Roberts, 6K Additive president, and Adrian Chaffins, the company’s vice president of supply chain and trading, to discuss the sustainability of the UniMelt process, and the critical need to supply unique powder formulations in production quantities as metal AM moves into new applications and high-volume production.

See also: 6K Additive

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