David Benhaim, Greg Mark
Backflip, an AI technology startup founded by founding members of 3D printing company Markforged, has announced that it has raised $30 million in funding as it exits stealth mode.
The company was founded by CEO Greg Mark and CTO David Benhaim, who are known as pioneers in carbon fiber additive manufacturing. Backflip develops AI technology that turns text-based prompts into reality, and the funding was co-led by NEA and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), and angel investors included Microsoft CTO and LinkedIn co-founder Kevin Scott, Android founder and AI futurist Rich Miner, and computer scientist Ashish Vaswani, a major contributor to the AI space.
In a press release, CEO Greg Mark described Backflip's tools as "a next-generation design tool that will enable us to move as fast as the world's largest engineering teams" and called it "a giant leap forward in reviving design and manufacturing in the U.S." Designed to deliver greater efficiencies than traditional 3D design platforms, Backflip's AI models and tools enable complex designs to be completed in minutes instead of days, he explained.
Backflip's first product is an AI-powered design platform that generates high-resolution, 3D-printable models by inputting simple text descriptions or photos. For example, traditionally, a combination of 3D scanning, design, and additive manufacturing techniques required reverse engineering old or damaged parts, but Backflip claims that it will be able to do this simply by taking a photo. According to the company's website, users can convert models into parts made of metal, polymer, or carbon fiber.
"We've opened up a new model category by developing new neural representations that teach AI to think in 3D," said CTO David Benhaim, "resulting in 60x more efficient learning, 10x faster inference, and 100x higher spatial resolution than existing technologies."
"We are looking for extraordinary founders who can drive this transformational vision forward in a vast array of industries spanning manufacturing, construction, transportation, and robotics," said Lila Tretikov, partner and head of AI strategy at NEA, adding that Backflip "is at a critical juncture in driving the revival of U.S. manufacturing, strengthening national security, and accelerating economic prosperity."
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