Mosaic Manufacturing recently announced the closure of a $28 million (CAD) funding round, led by Idealist Capital, to accelerate the adoption of its automated 3D printing platforms, notably the Array system. This financing marks a major milestone for the Canadian company as it continues to expand globally, helping manufacturers create resilient, sustainable supply chains with localized production capabilities.

A Shift Toward Resilient and Sustainable Supply Chains

In an interview with 3DPrint.com, Mosaic CEO Mitch Debora expressed enthusiasm for the public awareness this funding round has brought to the company’s efforts. “We’ve spent the last several months deploying capital to grow our leadership team and expand our manufacturing infrastructure,” Debora said. “This funding enables us to partner with more customers, especially in industries facing immense supply chain challenges.”

Mosaic’s primary product, the Array, is a fully automated fused filament fabrication (FFF) system that integrates 3D printing, software, and automation to create scalable solutions for high-volume part production. The system integrates four of Mosaic’s Element/HT 3D printers, each supported by Palette X technology, allowing for multi-material printing with up to 32 material pods, including advanced engineering materials such as PEEK, PEKK, and ULTEM. A key feature is the automation enabled by a robotic arm that replaces print beds, along with a cart that stores completed beds, facilitating continuous printing with minimal manual intervention.

The Array platform boasts 40 print beds for uninterrupted operation, while automated bed leveling ensures precision across all prints. Additionally, users benefit from advanced workflow management through Mosaic’s Canvas software, enabling smart queueing, detailed dashboards, and performance tracking. Altogether, the company claims that Array has the capacity to reduce cost per part by up to 95%.

It’s no surprise then that Array has already been deployed in several large manufacturing facilities, enabling companies to produce critical components like fan shrouds, housings, and mission-critical replacement parts with localized, on-demand manufacturing.

Navigating the Manufacturing Landscape

Mosaic’s success has not come overnight. The company strategically bootstrapped its way to market, focusing on proving the effectiveness of the Array in contract manufacturing environments before seeking significant outside investment. “We looked at the mistakes other companies made—raising massive amounts of capital before commercial success—and de-risked by securing early wins with some of the largest factories in the world,” Debora explained.

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This customer-first approach allowed Mosaic to gather significant customer data before pursuing growth capital, and the new funding will help the company scale more quickly. Mosaic plans to invest in its commercial teams and manufacturing infrastructure to better support customers and speed up their adoption of the Array.

Scaling High-Volume Additive Manufacturing

Mosaic’s platform has resonated most strongly with contract manufacturers who are tasked with managing vast bills of materials for clients. Many of these manufacturers struggle with the complexities and long lead times of traditional supply chains, which often push production to China. Mosaic’s Array allows manufacturers to bring polymer part production closer to home, addressing lead time and supply chain risks.

“Instead of waiting months for tools and parts to arrive from overseas, our customers can now produce parts in days, at cost parity, with minimal waste,” Debora noted, referencing how the Array reduces the carbon footprint by slashing waste and transportation costs. This localized production also helps companies maintain inventory digitally, a vision that has been long-discussed but only recently made viable by Mosaic’s technology.

Onshoring and the Future of Additive Manufacturing

Debora sees Mosaic as uniquely positioned to help North American manufacturers reshore production, particularly from its base in Canada, where Mosaic is one of only a handful of domestic 3D printer manufacturers. “We’re seeing companies realize the power of digital manufacturing—keeping parts in digital inventory and producing them on-demand when and where they are needed,” Debora said. “This onshoring effort is a key part of building more resilient supply chains and achieving sustainability goals.”

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The funding also aligns with Mosaic’s ongoing work with government programs like Canada’s NGen initiative, which supports advanced manufacturing projects. Debora highlighted Mosaic’s role in Canada’s manufacturing landscape, emphasizing the importance of automation and technology to remain competitive globally.

Looking Ahead

As Mosaic continues to expand, the focus remains on deeper integration with customers. This includes not only improving the performance and cost-efficiency of its systems but also helping customers overcome operational challenges, from software tie-ins to custom application development. “Our customers are looking for more than just 3D printers—they’re looking for a fully integrated digital manufacturing solution,” Debora said.

A central aspect of Mosaic’s growth strategy involves not just advancing hardware but also ensuring the seamless integration of custom application development and more refined software workflows to help customers scale quickly and efficiently. Debora emphasized that while many of Mosaic’s customers are experts in traditional manufacturing, transitioning to automated additive manufacturing can present challenges in areas like software integration and process optimization. To bridge these gaps, Mosaic collaborates closely with its clients, offering post-sale support and custom software tie-ins to ensure smooth, scalable implementations. This personalized approach accelerates the adoption of the Array system, helping clients maximize their production capabilities with minimal disruptions.

Mosaic created an automated, scalable 3D printing system in Array. Image courtesy of Mosaic Manufacturing.

With tens of thousands of parts already being produced quarterly using the Array platform, Mosaic is poised for significant growth. The next phase, according to Debora, will focus on deeper collaborations with customers, particularly in areas like medical, industrial, and consumer products, where Mosaic sees the potential for high-volume production applications.

Mosaic’s latest funding round signals that the future of manufacturing will increasingly rely on digital, on-demand solutions like the Array, offering cost-effective and sustainable alternatives to traditional supply chain models. As Debora put it, “The next hundred Invisalign-level applications are out there, and we’re positioning ourselves to be a part of that transformation in manufacturing.”