Member Article

Newcastle software firm backed to disrupt 3D printing industry

Newcastle firm Whispering Gibbon has landed a six figure investment from Creative England to support the launch of its patent-pending 3D printing technology.

The software development company, which employs 8 people from its base at Carliol Square, will use the capital to help launch its latest interdependent software RenderFab and Grabit.

RenderFab converts on-screen 3D models, such as scenes from video games or architectural designs, into 3D print ready models.

The business believes the technology will revolutionise the industry as the product upgrades processes which are currently done manually to automated, cost effective solutions.

The front end of such technology is what Whispering Gibbon calls Grabit, which offers companies a plug-in to sell personalised 3D printed merchandise to their customers.

Users can grab and share personalised on-screen content which is then optimised by RenderFab technology before being printed as a physical model and delivered straight to their door as a miniature, figurine or keyring.

Businesses who haven’t been able to sell merchandise before due to the cost of investing in the skills needed to create and distribute merchandise, stock and logistics can now enter the market using the plug-in.

As part of its launch, RenderFab will be free to use on the company’s new website which relaunches next month. This will give businesses and hobbyists with access to a 3D printer the chance to trial the technology and print their own 3D models.

Joe Stevens, Founder and CEO of Whispering Gibbon, commented: “The latest round of investment has allowed us to successfully trial [JS1] this patent pending technology with key partners and focus on bringing it to market for everyone.

“The technology behind our Grabit platform allows businesses to sell personalised merchandise without taking on any risk. Using our plug-in avoids having to invest in costly technology[JS2] or hold large amounts of stock.

“It also takes away the need for costly distribution channels and in-house expertise as our process is fully automated from start to finish.

“Up to now there has always been a manual process to ‘hand-fix’ any kind of customised 3D model which is costly and time consuming. By fully automating the process our platform keeps costs down ensuring each 3D model uses the least material possible.

“Our next step is to re-brand and re-launch the website with access to RenderFab and the GrabIt platform available free, so that potential clients can trial it before integrating the Grabit plug-in into their website. Over the coming months we will have some exciting announcements as we integrate the technology into some very well-known games.”

Jackie Boyd, Project Manager at Creative England, added: “This is an exciting and potentially revolutionary piece of software. We were keen to invest in such a forward-thinking company that has developed a product that is not just aimed at the games market; it has the scope to roll the technology out to other industries such as architecture, medical and manufacturing.”

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →