Solvay’s (Brussels / Belgium; www.solvay.com) venture capital fund Solvay Ventures has become an equity investor in Kumovis (Munich / Germany; www.kumovis.com), a start-up developing a 3D printing system for medical applications. Kumovis wants to enable 3D printing manufacturing of medical devices at the point of care.

In 2019, the German company released its “R1” 3D printer, introducing the concept of an industry-specific system for decentralised cleanroom production to the market. R1 is an open 3D printing system based on fused layer manufacturing that can use thermoplastics ranging from PLA to PEEK.

Solvay Ventures said by accelerating the transition to personalised medicine, it wants to expand together with Kumovis the application for high-performance speciality polymers in healthcare and possibly in other industries as well. Together with Renolit (Worms / Germany; www.renolit.com), it is jointly leading the investment in Kumovis, whose existing seed investors comprise High-Tech Gründerfonds (Bonn / Germany; www.htgf.de) and Filipa Venture Capital.