Industry's first multi-nozzle printhead that can scale to 0.5 μm for 100X higher resolution and 10X higher throughput than competition will reinvent micromanufacturing

ZURICH, Feb. 15, 2022 — (PRNewswire) —  Scrona AG, the additive manufacturing startup and world record holder of the smallest ever printed color picture, today announced the closing of its $9.6 million Series A financing. This round was led by AM Ventures with syndicate partners including TRUMPF Venture, Verve Ventures and Manz GmbH Management Consulting and Investment. The $9.6 million includes $6.7 million from Series A funding and $2.9 million from a grant by Swiss Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).  

Scrona also announced the industry's first multi-nozzle electrostatic printhead for mass manufacturing to speed product invention in an economical and eco-friendly way, with unprecedented printing resolution in the sub-micrometer range. The new capital will allow Scrona to accelerate the industrialization and commercialization of this novel printing technology and develop new applications across multiple industries including semiconductor manufacturing, high-end displays, electronics, and PCB.  For example, the resolution and layer thickness control of Scrona's technology enables printing of quantum dot RGB color filters for high-brightness, full-color micro LED displays in augmented reality glasses for gaming and metaverse applications.

"Scrona is enabling customers to digitally print the impossible - on any material, at scale, improving the speed, accuracy and cost of manufacturing today and tomorrow's innovative products," said Dr. Patrick Galliker, co-founder and CEO of Scrona. "We are very excited to be supported by this syndicate of expert investors who understand the disruptive potential of Scrona's scalable printing technology, which has the ability to reduce manufacturing steps 10-fold, while also significantly reducing material, energy and water usage. "

The technology is based on the electrostatic ejection principle which provides very fine, submicron-scale printing and jetting, while allowing the adoption of various ink materials—such as metals, dielectrics, organic, and biomaterials, with inks that are more than 100 times more viscous than those compatible with conventional inkjet printheads, delivering flexibility and cost-effectiveness in manufacturing. Until now, printing of inks with unlike properties from one and the same printhead with high resolution and throughput has not been possible.

Scrona's technology enables simultaneous printing from a large nozzle array, with the following advantages compared to conventional inkjet:

• Ultra-high-resolution printing - 100x higher resolution
• High-speed printing - 10x higher ejection frequency
• Smaller droplets not only for higher precision but also for fast drying
• 3D printing. Aspect ratios >10:1 possible, nanometer layer thickness control
• MEMS printhead customization, dynamically and fully programmable
• Prevention of nozzle clogging by proprietary Environmental Control System (ECS)

"There is enormous potential of the Scrona technology in additive manufacturing because its technology can process materials that are simply not processable with other printheads today, " said Johann Oberhofer, Managing Partner at AM Ventures. "The combination of the highest resolution and the ability to overcome restrictions around high-performance materials of current processes is unique. I expect that Scrona's technology will enable completely new applications and we are glad to accompany them on their journey together with a strong investor line-up."

Dieter Kraft, Managing Director at TRUMPF Venture, adds: "Scrona's solid and complementary team managed to create a breakthrough technological innovation via the replacement of the piezo print heads."

"A broad spectrum of materials can be printed at industrial scale with Scrona's advantageous technology. This is a quantum leap for a wide range of industries from semiconductors to molecular printing in biotechnology," says Michael Blank, Head of Verve Ventures' investment team.

About Scrona AG:
Scrona is a spin-off from ETH Zurich, one of the top 10 global research universities. Scrona has developed the industry's first multi-nozzle 3D printing platform that can digitally print the impossible with sub-micrometer precision, on any material and at scale, improving and speeding manufacturing for today and tomorrow's products. Scrona's patented electrostatic printing technology has the potential to transform manufacturing of semiconductor, display and many other products with its ability to reduce production steps 10-fold, while also significantly reducing materials, energy and water usage. Learn more at www.Scrona.com

About AM Ventures:
The leading venture capital firm in industrial 3D printing (additive manufacturing, AM) has an extensive portfolio of more than a dozen successful companies in 6 countries on 3 continents. The team possesses in-depth technology know-how and is well connected with the most experienced experts in the field. As an investment partner, the company provides a globally leading ecosystem of sustainable investments in AM and introduces entrepreneurs to a large pool of industry veterans, each one with decades of experience in engineering, manufacturing and executive management. Since 2021, AM Ventures is set up as a venture capital fund.

About TRUMPF Venture:
TRUMPF Venture extends the TRUMPF group's comprehensive activities to promote innovation and to detect disruptive technologies and business models early on. The corporate venture capital unit invests globally in early-stage start-ups whose activities are complementary or adjacent to the TRUMPF core business, such as advanced photonics and smart factory solutions. Funded start-ups benefit from an extensive network, deep domain knowhow, proven skills in scalability as well as support to access the TRUMPF group and its ecosystem. The requirements for a potential investment are a strategic fit, a high innovation leverage and differentiation in business model or technology, an experienced management team and risk adequate financial returns.

About Verve Ventures:
Verve Ventures is a network and technology-driven venture capital firm based in Switzerland. Founded in 2010 by Steffen Wagner and Lukas Weber, Verve Ventures has grown to more than 45 team members and has become one of the most active venture investors in Europe with over 120 science and technology-driven startups in its portfolio. A dozen investment professionals identify the most promising digital, tangible and health & bio startups. Selected private and institutional investors get access to investment opportunities through a digital platform. The company invests EUR 0.5 million to several million from Seed Stage onward in startups across Europe. Verve Ventures' dedicated team helps startups with their most pressing needs such as hiring, client introductions and an expert network of high-profile individuals. To join Verve Ventures' growing pan-European community of entrepreneurs and investors, visit verve.vc.

About Manz GmbH Management Consulting:
Manz GmbH is the investment company of Dieter Manz, founder and former CEO of Manz AG. With his profound knowledge in manufacturing technology and scaling companies Dieter Manz will support Scrona AG in its future growth.

Contact: Walter Braun, COO; walter.braun@scrona.com; +41 44 500 5093
Kelly Karr, Tanis Communications, kelly.karr@taniscommunications.com

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