Competing Startups & Judges Announced for MecklerMedia’s Inside 3D Printing Startup Competition, Santa Clara, Oct. 22

It’s often said that we all have to start somewhere. For driven and energetic individuals emerging within the 3D printing industry, offering illuminating new ideas and looking toward bright, bright futures on the horizon for their new companies and products, MecklerMedia’s Inside 3D Printing Startup Competition has become a much-desired place to begin.

The Startup Competition, announced again in August and with further details released toward the end of September, is gearing up for its fourth go later this month, encased within the Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo in Santa Clara–and we’ve been greedily following all the details of both the expo and the competition as they’ve emerged–all in anticipation of this California show that will offer a look not only at these exciting startups, but also a look at the 3D printing industry in general, giving event goers the chance to check out many exhibits, see speakers, and experience networking opportunities with other like-minded individuals from all over the world.

For many new startups on the precipice of breaking out, being part of a highly publicized challenge such as this does involve some pressure–but it’s a dream come true. And in the possibility of winning comes a launching point from which some best of the best in 3D printing technology startups have gone forth. This year, five to ten startups will compete with a wide range of products and concepts, as always.

“Now in its fourth incarnation, the Inside 3D Printing Startup Competition previews the most promising seed-stage startups in the industry. Past winners have gone on to raise millions of dollars on their path to become market leaders,” Tyler Benster of Asimov Ventures, and one of the judges, told 3DPrint.com. “This year’s application process was the most selective yet and the presenting teams range from medical devices and fashion, to metal 3D printing and innovative software.”

Competing to win a $15,000 convertible note, courtesy of Asimov Ventures which is sponsoring the event, the following startups, some of which we write about often, will be participating:

• 3DPrinterOS is the world’s first operating system for 3D printers. Many enterprises, schools and service bureaus already use their cloud-based 3D printing management platform to prepare, fix, securely store, and stream 3D designs to 3D printers with data tracking and analytics. 3DPrinterOS has users in 94+ countries, with clients including Duke, Purdue and Florida State University.
• AstroPrint is the android for the 3D printing industry, with software that is compatible with eighty percent of desktop 3D printers and makes them incredibly simple to operate. Their cloud based 3D printing app store allows brands and developers to distribute content and applications to nearly any internet connected 3D printer, allowing AstroPrint to become the default platform for third party content development and distribution for the entire 3DP market.
• Ionpath offers novel technology for low-cost metal 3D printing.
• Metamason offers on-demand patient specific CPAP masks via 3D scanning and printing.
• Nascent Objects uses both a proprietary 3D printing process and modular electronics to build smart devices and get them to consumers within a month. The platform saves consumers over fifty percent on the cost of ownership of the devices compared to current generation product prices.
• Owl Works is a startup company based in San Jose, CA, and Seoul, South Korea. They refer to themselves as a “small DIY group working to deliver our 3D printer, the Morpheus to the world.” They have a vision for helping makers to be able to accomplish their goals by providing new products and services with new user experiences.
• Savvy Society is a fashion brand that allows girls to design and wear custom 3D printed fashion accessories. Girls become their own fashion designers, but also learn about lightweight CAD design, as well as about 3D printing. Savvy Society leverages fashion design to get girls excited about STEM at a younger age.

The confirmed list of judges will be:

• Tyler Benster, Asimov Ventures
• Steve Dow
• Gareth Keane, Qualcomm Ventures
• Anarghya Vardhana, Rothenberg Ventures

The competition will be held from 11:45 AM – 12.30 PM on October 22^nd, and is open to all attending the show. For those who register in advance for the Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo, they will also have free access to the startup competition. Also, remember that 3DPrint.com readers can save 20% on registration using the discount code 3DPRINT.  Let us know if you plan on attending this event in the Inside 3D Printing Forum thread on 3DPB.com