Author | Wu Huaxiu
Editor | Yuan Silai
HardKeen has learned that Dewu Technology has completed nearly 10 million yuan in angel round financing, exclusively invested by the Suzhou High-tech Innovation Angel Fund, with Zhuofeng Capital serving as the long-term strategic financial advisor. The funds will be used for the development of ultra-high precision SLM equipment and processes, capacity reserves, and market expansion.
Dewu Technology was established in May 2024 and officially began operations at the end of 2024, focusing on the research and development of ultra-precision manufacturing using metal 3D printing SLM technology and industrial innovation applications. Its business covers equipment R&D, AI+ design services, and printing services, catering to the special manufacturing needs of industries such as consumer electronics, medical, intelligent manufacturing, aerospace, and humanoid robots.
The founding team comes from well-known universities such as Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Northwestern Polytechnical University, as well as leading manufacturing enterprises, possessing full-stack R&D capabilities from equipment architecture and process paths to algorithms and industrial implementation. The current team size exceeds 20 people, with 80% being R&D personnel.
In recent years, the 3D printing industry has maintained rapid growth, with an annual growth rate exceeding 25%, making it one of the few sectors in manufacturing. Especially in the field of metal 3D printing, the demand has gradually expanded from initial aerospace and military needs to various civilian sectors such as consumer electronics, automotive, medical, modeling, and industrial equipment. According to Precedence Research, the global metal 3D printing market is expected to reach $12.04 billion by 2025 and grow to over $87 billion by 2034.
As the industry chain’s requirements for precision, consistency, and efficiency increase, traditional SLM equipment has exposed technical bottlenecks in stability and forming control in micron-level printing scenarios. This has become a significant constraint for many application segments. In addition to listed companies like Platinum and Huashu High-tech, a number of startups, including Dewu, are attempting to provide new technical paths in this area.
As a currently mature metal additive manufacturing process, SLM technology uses high-energy lasers to melt and stack metal powder layer by layer, enabling the integrated printing of complex structural parts. However, the equipment is extremely sensitive to factors such as thermal stress control, scanning strategies, and powder consistency, leaving room for optimization. Dewu has developed its own hardware and software solution system by focusing on equipment hardware, process algorithms, and intelligent detection systems, optimizing indicators such as spot control, forming stability, and yield of complex components.
According to Dewu’s founder Wang Zhou, their high-precision SLM equipment is compatible with various metal powder materials, supporting multi-material powder spreading and gradient structure printing. It is currently applied in scenarios requiring both precision and strength, such as medical components, lightweight aerospace structures, and robotic joint parts. The company has applied for and obtained more than twenty related patents covering key modules such as equipment control systems, printing platform architecture, ultra-thin layer powder spreading technology, jet flow smoothing airflow design, forming processes, and simulation algorithms.
Dewu has completed the assembly and operational verification of its first equipment, with some products entering the sampling phase for multiple manufacturing clients, covering directions such as micro medical devices, micro aerospace structural parts, and micro electronic components. The company plans to start small batch deliveries in 2025 while expanding its customization capabilities in consumer electronics and humanoid robot scenarios.
As the domestic process of industrial-grade 3D printing equipment accelerates and the technical paths further differentiate, founder Wang Zhou told HardKeen that Dewu aims to establish its own technical and product barriers in the still not fully standardized sub-segments by using precision manufacturing as an entry point, promoting metal additive manufacturing from “capable of being produced” to “high consistency and engineering-grade usability.”
Homepage image source｜Company providedLayout｜Liu Siya
