The 3D Printing Industry Awards are designed to highlight both established applications of additive manufacturing and the next generation of AM. Our profiles of this year’s nominees for the 2024 3DPI Awards continue with a look at FIDENTIS, selected by our panel of experts, and the pubic nomination process for the shortlist in the 3D Printing Industry Awards Start of the Year.
FIDENTIS, led by CEO Max Horn, is using 3D printing for dental prosthetics to address a critical supply gap in high-quality dentures. With an aging population and a retiring workforce of skilled dental technicians, FIDENTIS aims to industrialize the production of precision dental prostheses using advanced additive manufacturing techniques. A spin-off from the renowned Fraunhofer IGCV, FIDENTIS combines over 20 years of additive manufacturing expertise with insights from industry experts, like co-founder Josef Schweiger, a leading dental technician. Their innovative solutions deliver high-quality, reproducible, customizable parts that streamline dental lab workflows, reduce costs, and enhance patient satisfaction.
Max Horn CEO. Photo via FIDENTIS.
3DPI: What problem are you solving, and why is it important?
Max Horn: Tooth loss is prevalent. The supply of high-quality dentures is limited because they are handmade by the best dental technicians. With many dental technicians retiring and an aging population, we face a supply gap of high-quality dentures. Industrial production is limited to low-quality solutions. Therefore, it is important to enable the industrial production of high-quality dentures in order to meet the rising demand.
FIDENTIS Multi-Material Telescope. Photo via FIDENTIS.
3DPI: Who is your target market?
Max Horn: Our customers are dental technicians and dental laboratories. Our made-to-order products are delivered to dental technicians to finish the prostheses. This reduces production time, increases lab throughput, and eliminates unprofitable steps in the dental lab. Our customers receive high-quality, reproducible, customized parts that save them time and money. Dentists benefit from fewer patient visits, and FIDENTIS’ quality, time, and cost benefits increase patient satisfaction.
3DPI: Who are the founders and core team members, and what is their experience in this industry?
Max Horn: FIDENTIS is a spin-off from the Fraunhofer IGCV—the world’s leading research institute for multi-material additive manufacturing of metals. As a scientist at Fraunhofer IGCV and doctoral student at TUM, I have been researching and shaping the technology since 2017. A few years ago, Josef Schweiger, one of Germany’s most renowned dental technicians, discovered the manufacturing solution, mainly used in toolmaking and aerospace, and immediately recognized its potential for the dental industry. We joined forces and, together with our colleagues, further developed the technology to process precious metals and meet the high demands placed on dental prostheses. Together, our founding team has over 20 years of additive manufacturing experience and a strong background in medical technology. We bring the perfect mix to innovate dental production with our mentors and advisors from the dental industry. Our mission is to use scalable production technologies, collaborate effectively, and create an environment that fosters talent to ensure sustainable access to products that make people smile.
Founding Team FIDENTIS. Photo via FIDENTIS.
3DPI: What technical challenges have you encountered so far, and how did you overcome them?
Max Horn: The regulatory framework in the EU has not yet been a setback, but it is at least a major challenge. It goes without saying that patient welfare has top priority and that people’s health must not be jeopardized by new care solutions. At the same time, the legal framework and the way in which it is implemented is extremely restrictive to innovation and costs a lot of energy—not just for us as a start-up. In order to counteract the shortage of specialists and rising costs in the healthcare sector as a society, we need to be more agile in our approach to innovation.
Manufacturing on Demand
FIDENTIS Multi-Material Lasermelting Technology. Photo via FIDENTIS.
3DPI: Who do you consider to be the competition in this market? How does your proposition meet underserved needs or outperform?
Max Horn: We do not compete with dental technicians, but rather create synergies with them by improving their efficiency and allowing them to focus on their core activities. Industrial production is at the moment limited to solutions without friction telescopes, which are critical for a secure fit in the patient’s mouth. Our solutions enable dental laboratories to scale their production of high-quality solutions with friction telescopes.
3DPI: What milestones have you achieved, and what are your next major goals?
Max Horn: In May 2024 we have secured EXIST Transfer of Research Funding of €1.6M, which enables us to further develop our technology accordingly to the needs of patients and dental technicians. We also won the 3D Pioneers Challenge in the MedTech category. The positive response from industry experts shows us that we are on the right track and motivates us to keep up the pace and drive our vision forward intensively. Our next major goal is to make our first patients smile again.
FIDENTIS Robot Integration. Photo via FIDENTIS.
3DPI: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you to everyone who supported us on our way. Without the tremendous support of experts, mentors, colleagues, and funding bodies this would not have been possible.
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Author: Michael Petch
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