Spinjet3D wins 2020 New Venture Competition

Team Earns $10,000 First Place Award

Besting four other teams in the finals of the eight-month tech business plan competition that is UC Santa Barbara’s Technology Management New Venture Competition (NVC), Spinjet3D earned the $10,000 First Place Award in the 2020 contest, this year held remotely due to the coronavirus outbreak. It was viewed live online by people around the world.

Team members Anurag Pallaprolu, a Ph.D. student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department; physics major Noah Treiman; mechanical engineering student Yiling Yang; and Piergiacomo Palmisani, a technology management graduate student, were recognized for the new type of 3D printer they have developed.

Making metal parts, especially those that are not produced at large scale, is expensive and time-consuming. Molds have to be made by hand before the metal is poured in to create the part. Sand-mold 3D printers, which print the mold directly from common sand materials, are a time-saving alternative, but their size and hefty price tag make them inaccessible for many metal-part manufacturers.

Spinjet3D’s new sand-mold 3D printer could greatly benefit cast-mold manufacturers in the jewelry, prototyping and tool design industries. The students say that their fully automated printer, with its unique design, is faster, cheaper, more precise and more eco-friendly than existing technology.

“We are extremely grateful to the Technology Management Program for this incredible experience and opportunity,” the team said in a written statement. “Our team met through NVC events, and the mentorship the program provided was invaluable. We look forward to making a positive change in the metal manufacturing industry, and we are excited to start our journey here in the Santa Barbara community.”

The Spinjet3D team said that they plan to use their winnings to finish developing the product and raising capital. They plan to test their prototypes this summer.

Read more about the 2020 New Venture Competition Finals in UC Santa Barbara's The Current.