ZVerse Reports Strong 12-Month Performance, Appoints Scot Wingo to Board of Directors

ZVerse, Inc., a content application provider for full color 3D printing, says that after 12 consecutive months of growth in 2014, they’ve added Scot Wingo, the founder of ChannelAdvisor, to the company’s board of directors.

According to ZVerse, the company creates software applications “to make any 2D content 3D printable.”

The applications can be run on any website, and ZVerse says their solutions are already at work in industries including those in promotional products, collegiate and professional licensing, and the broader consumer products industry. The apps take the materials of image content owners, producers, or licencors and make 2D content 3D printable by automatically converting that content into full color 3D printed products.

Founded in April 2013, ZVerse is headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina.

“2014 was an incredible year for our young company,” said ZVerse’s CEO, John Carrington. “We are excited to report that we have grown our consumer 3D print business 30% month over month in our first 12 months of commercialization. This is important because it shows 3D printing can reach the broader consumer market and it demonstrates that content is king in any dimension.”

The University of Oregon Autzen Stadium

Among other 3D printed products, ZVerse produces photo-realistic college stadium replicas — in some cases in limited editions of only 350. The full color replicas feature precise architectural detail and retail for $149.99. Made from sandstone material, it takes less than a week for ZVerse to design a new stadium and the replicas can be printed overnight.

The  South Carolina company has the NCAA license to 3D print the stadium replicas, and they use 3D printing to build around 30 different NCAA football stadiums with more being added to the list on a regular basis. Kevin Maloney, co-founder of ZVerse, says his company began producing the stadium replicas in late 2013 by building a model of South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium. The client, the University of South Carolina, handed that first batch of products out to honorees taking part in a Military Appreciation Game ceremony. Maloney says ZVerse now produces more than 150 stadiums a week at their plant in Columbia.

During 2014, ZVerse say they invented a patent-pending, 3D print color post processing technology which enhances the durability, color, and aesthetics of their product line; became featured designers in the Amazon 3D Print store during the last quarter of the year; and obtained licenses for the College Football Playoff and College Football Playoff National Championship game to add to their existing portfolio of 35 collegiate licenses.

Scot Wingo

“We are also excited to announce the addition of Scot Wingo as an investor and a member of our Board. His experience in software and e-commerce will strengthen our applications and accelerate growth in 2015,” said Carrington.

Wingo will join Walter Alessandrini, former CEO of Pirelli N.A., former CEO of Avanex (IPO 2000), and former CEO of Ometric, as well as Al Parker Jr. (Managing Director, Morgan Stanley) and Michael Edens (Senior VP, Southern First Bank) on the ZVerse Board of Directors. Wingo himself seems quite enthused about his involvement with ZVerse.

“ZVerse is solving the content problem facing the 3D printing industry,” Wingo says. “Their technology, customer acquisition success and portfolio of licensing partners has allowed them to bring 3D printing to consumers clamoring for content that they can relate to. They have a great vision for the company and they’ve shown the ability to execute quickly.”

As 3D printing ideas become commercialized and new applications are being found for the technology every day, heavy hitters from the business world are lining up to join up and coming companies. Can you think of any other examples of businesses that are taking advantage of 3D printing to move their products? Let us know in the Wingo Joins Board of  ZVerse forum thread on 3DPB.com.