KORY JEFFREY: Welcome, everybody.
We are on site at Founder World in San Francisco.
Joining me in the studio right now
is Andrew from Structur3D Printing in Canada.
Andrew, how are you?
ANDREW FINKLE: Good.
How are you?
KORY JEFFREY: Awesome.
Thank you for joining us in the studio.
ANDREW FINKLE: Awesome.
Thanks for having me.
KORY JEFFREY: Yeah, no worries.
So tell us a little bit about Structur3D Printing.
ANDREW FINKLE: OK.
Structur3D Printing is looking to solve the problem right now
in 3D printing, which is the limitation of materials.
So, traditionally, 3D printing has
been kind of like a mechanized hot glue gun.
So it'll take a hard plastic, melt it down,
and build something up.
What we've created is this new tool head
that will allow printing with materials way
beyond just plastic.
So we can print very strong, flexible materials.
We work with a lot of different biomaterials and research
groups.
So we're enabling the physical developers of the world
to design and prototype with many more of the things
that they're familiar with in a day-to-day life.
KORY JEFFREY: Cool.
So what are some of the things-- like what
are some of the materials?
You've obviously brought some stuff here.
ANDREW FINKLE: Right.
So some of the ones I've brought here
are the fun-- so these are silicones.
So what kind of advantage or different applications
this brings to the table is the flexibility and durability.
So one example is wearable tech-type devices can now
be prototyped using our device.
Things like a Fitbit, a lot of people
have trouble finding the right kind of texture.
That's something that we can help them get to that stage.
A couple other big areas for us are printing with foods.
So food science is really growing.
And we're able to enable the creation of a lot of new,
I guess, textures and ways to make food.
So on the easy end, it's something
like printing a cake topper for your birthday
that's personalized.
It says, Happy Birthday Kory.
And then on the high end, there are research groups
around the world who are growing meat in a lab,
and we're able to help them take this meat that they've grown
and print the steak.
KORY JEFFREY: That's actually really cool.
That's cool.
So what is the craziest thing that you've
seen somebody print with your machine
so far that you're aware of?
ANDREW FINKLE: I guess it's not the craziest material,
but the best thing I've seen just in the last week or so
is one of our Kickstarter backers,
one of our early customers, prints with his daughter
in clay and ceramics.
And he creates his kids' toys with his daughter.
They design it on the computer in the CAD software.
And he'll print out the toys, and the daughter
will paint them and create them.
KORY JEFFREY: That's really cool.
ANDREW FINKLE: Yeah, it's really cool.
We're trying right now to partner with a company that
is growing shark fin meat, trying to save endangered
species by creating a different channel for people
to get this delicacy.
And we're kind of the last step that helps create the textures,
create the densities, make it actually not just taste,
but feel like the natural thing.
KORY JEFFREY: Wow.
So you mentioned you've run a Kickstarter.
ANDREW FINKLE: We have.
KORY JEFFREY: So you've sold a bunch of things.
What stage are you at now?
What are you doing today?
ANDREW FINKLE: So we're actually in an accelerator
down here in San Francisco.
We are focusing on taking our company
to the next step, so figuring out some different channels
and partners to work with and really refining how--
or what we've learned through the Kickstarter.
So we had a wide variety of customers
through the Kickstarter.
And we found out where our device is providing the most
value, and we're starting to focus in on that.
KORY JEFFREY: Very cool.
Obviously, you're at an accelerator in the Valley.
You're here at Founder World today.
What attracted you to this event?
ANDREW FINKLE: So we, coming from Canada,
kind of had a limited view of how
the startup world and the whole tech ecosystem worked here.
So that is a big part of why we're here,
is getting to know other companies, talking to people,
really calibrating ourselves with how things
are working in the Valley.
KORY JEFFREY: Nice.
As you look around here, you're one of the demonstrators,
obviously.
But other than 3D printing, are there other technologies,
either here or otherwise, that really kind of excite you guys?
ANDREW FINKLE: Oh, interesting question.
I know for me-- so my background is in nanotechnology.
So I've seen a lot of what is to come in different industries.
And what is really fascinating, being down here,
is I'm seeing them come to market now.
It's no longer just stuff I saw in a textbook
and thought, oh, this is really cool.
It's actually happening.
And that includes things like growing meat
or different interfacing with the human body
so that you could create robotic arms that
are controlled by the brain.
And it's just in the digital fabrication space.
So outside of 3D printing, there are a lot
of really cool technologies.
There is a 3D printing company that
is creating life-sized 3D printing sculptures out of wood
and leather and things like that.
They just launched on crowdfunding a few days ago
and have already raised over $30 million.
They just ousted Pebble as the leader.
And so there's a lot of energy and a lot of resources going
into new ways to make things.
And that's one thing that I'm really fascinated with.
KORY JEFFREY: So on that vein, do you have a favorite Google
technology?
ANDREW FINKLE: So I think one thing that's
really interesting me is Google is getting into the 3D printing
space.
I can't remember the name of the company they just
invested heavily in.
But they're pushing a new way of 3D printing, which
is almost like printing with holographs,
which is really cool.
It really allows for this mass customization
of products moving forward.
And then, outside of that, I think my favorite
is my Android phone.
KORY JEFFREY: Yes!
ANDREW FINKLE: Yeah, I used to be an Apple fanboy
and completely converted, and I'm addicted to my phone now.
KORY JEFFREY: Well, welcome to the team.
ANDREW FINKLE: Awesome.
Thanks for having me.
KORY JEFFREY: Awesome.
Andrew, thanks so much for joining me.
ANDREW FINKLE: Thanks again.
KORY JEFFREY: Yeah, no worries.
And thank you guys for joining us.
We are on site at Founder World in San Francisco.
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