Chennai-based material science and manufacturing technology startup ThinkMetal has raised Rs 27 crore in a funding round led by IAN Alpha Fund, with participation from 3i Partners and other investors, as it prepares to expand its indigenous metal additive manufacturing technology into larger industrial deployments.
The company said in a release that it will use the capital for product development, materials research and development, team expansion and customer acquisition. ThinkMetal is developing precision manufacturing technologies for aerospace, defence, space, automotive and electric mobility applications.
Its current focus is SistemT1, an industrial metal additive manufacturing product built on proprietary metal filament technology. The company said the system is designed to enable faster and more flexible production of precision metal components. The funding will support the transition from initial technology development and enterprise pilots to broader commercial deployment.
ThinkMetal is also expanding its materials library and building in-house capabilities to process and develop new materials. The company said it is combining advanced materials, manufacturing processes, industrial systems and application development into an integrated technology stack.
For manufacturers, metal additive manufacturing can change how specialised components are developed and produced by reducing dependence on conventional tooling and allowing more flexible production. The company’s stated focus on high-value precision parts places the technology within industrial supply chains where component quality, materials performance and production timelines are central requirements.
Sabyasachi Ghosh, co-founder and chief executive officer of ThinkMetal, said the investment would support the company’s commercialisation plans. “We will use this capital to strengthen our product development, expand our team and materials capabilities and accelerate adoption across industrial applications,” he said.
Ghosh added that the company’s long-term focus was on building indigenous capabilities in materials and manufacturing technologies from India for global markets. The emphasis reflects the company’s attempt to develop both the equipment and the materials expertise required for industrial adoption rather than operate only as a manufacturing service provider.
Rajnish Kapur, managing partner at IAN Alpha Fund, said ThinkMetal’s platform could help manufacturers produce high-value precision metal parts up to 10 times faster and at half the cost. He said part quality had been tested at NABL- and ASME-accredited laboratories and that the company had filed more than 17 intellectual property applications. These performance and intellectual property claims were made by the investor and the company in connection with the funding announcement.
ThinkMetal estimates the global market opportunity across advanced manufacturing and materials at approximately $110 billion. The company’s immediate operational priorities are expanding its materials capabilities, strengthening its team and reaching more industrial customers. Its next phase will determine how successfully the SistemT1 platform moves from pilots into sustained commercial use across the sectors it is targeting.
