Project description
Industrial-scale microfabrication with additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing has gained interest in recent years, driven by advances in technology that enable faster, more precise, and durable constructions with diverse materials. The 3D printing of nano- and microstructures shows great potential to transform various industries, although it currently faces challenges in efficiency and accuracy when upscaling is considered. Photosynthetic developed a volumetric micro-lithography technology that overcomes these challenges and vastly improves speed, cost, and complexity while also providing high resolutions. This EIC-funded project aims to scale the revolutionary, ultra-fast 3D-printing technology, which allows for fabrication of nano- and microstructures at an industrial scale, thereby opening the door for novel breakthroughs.
Objective
Photosynthetic B.V. founded in 2018 in Amsterdam, revolutionises microfabrication with its ultra-fast 3D printing technology, producing micro- and nano-structures with feature sizes under a micron. Awarded the Formnext Start-Up Challenge, Photosynthetic aims to lead the next generation of microfabrication, significantly impacting health and other sectors. Our mission is to revolutionise microfabrication by enabling efficient industrial-scale production of microstructures, unlocking new product possibilities, especially in health.
We plan to set the standard for manufacturing nano- and micro-structures, starting with microfluidic devices like micro-porous membranes for cell analysis, Microneedle Array Patches (MAPs) for drug delivery or bio-scaffolds for tissue engineering.
Current microfabrication methods are slow, expensive, and limited in complexity. Photosynthetic’s Volumetric Micro-Lithography (VML) technology overcomes these challenges, enabling rapid production of complex 3D geometries with sub-micron precision. VML is based on single-photon polymerization, and is 1000 times faster than Two-Photon Lithography (TPL). It forms entire objects simultaneously, offering high resolution and speed.
Photosynthetic’s technology addresses needs in biotechnology (micro-porous membranes), pharmaceuticals (MAPs for vaccine delivery), cosmetics (microneedles for drug delivery), public health (mass immunisation), or research (custom scaffolds). Revenue comes from printer sales and printing services.
We promote green manufacturing through reduction of the material usage, and shortening of time-to-market. The technology enhances Europe’s technological independence and creates high-value jobs.
We are seeking €2.5 million in EIC grant funding and €6 million equity (€3 mln EIC + €3 mln other VC) to complete, test, and commercialise its technology. The funds will support hardware upgrades, material improvements, and scaling production processes.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
- natural sciences physical sciences classical mechanics fluid mechanics microfluidics
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology immunisation
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies microtechnology lab on a chip
- natural sciences computer and information sciences computational science multiphysics
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering manufacturing engineering additive manufacturing
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-EIC-ACC - HORIZON EIC Accelerator
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2025-ACCELERATOR-02
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1081 HV Amsterdam
Netherlands
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.