Conflux Gets $11M for 3D Printed Heat Exchangers in Series B Round

Conflux Technology, an Australian startup that specializes in deploying additive manufacturing (AM) to produce heat exchangers, has brought in $11 million in its Series B round, led by Breakthrough Victoria, a company managing a $2 billion venture capital fund on behalf of the Australian state of Victoria. Existing Conflux investors AM Ventures and Acorn Capital also participated in the round.

Founded in 2015 by a former F1 engineer, Conflux CEO Michael Fuller, the company utilizes the geometry optimization and weight reduction enabled by AM as the backbone for Conflux Production Systems (CPS). Branching out from its origins in F1 to a variety of strategic sectors, Conflux has landed key partnerships over the last couple of years with major global enterprises like General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) and filtration and flow systems manufacturer Mott Corporation.

Conflux plans to use the Series B funding to accelerate development of its CPS workflow process, while also enhancing its on-the-ground operations in the US, Europe, and Asia. The company is also embarking on a partnership with Long Beach-based hybrid vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) startup Odys Aviation, with the partners aiming to reduce fuel consumption in Odys’ cargo aircraft by over 40 percent.

In a press release, the CEO of Breakthrough Victoria, Grant Dooley, said, “Investing in Conflux and their revolutionary new heat exchanger technology signifies our commitment to sustainable innovation and efficiency. Conflux and this investment is a great testament of the innovations coming out of Australia, and we’re proud to be playing a part in the creation of sustainable jobs in our region and supporting a local company that has solidified its position on the world stage.”

The co-founder and CEO of Odys, Jamie Dorris, said, “Conflux’s [AM] and metal 3D printing technology erase traditional design barriers, allowing us to bring geometrically complex and performance-optimized recuperation designs to life — ultimately resulting in longer-range and higher-payload aircraft. We’re excited to be working with Conflux’s team to redefine the capabilities of VTOL and UAS systems.”

Conflux demonstrates how you can turn a couple of advantages that are uniquely achievable with AM into the basis for an entire business model, as long as you stay focused on perfecting those initial  advantages for the right applications. Along those lines, Conflux may do for heat exchangers what Ursa Major is doing for rocket motors, building up a new AM-based supply chain capable of meeting surge demand for mission-critical parts.

It is notable that in the cases of both Ursa Major and Conflux, next-gen aviation is the key catalyst supporting the companies’ growth trajectories. It is also important to note here that both companies — and especially Conflux — make products for emerging aerospace technologies that have a multitude of crossover applications.

One lesson from Conflux’s success, then, is that AM companies would do well to focus on developing parts that are relevant to multiple different high-value sectors. Heat exchangers are perhaps the quintessential example of that, but any such component capitalizing on advantages that only AM brings to the table would likely have similar chances for success.

Featured image courtesy of Conflux Technology