News: Optoelectronics
25 January 2022
NUBURU secures new funding and appoints COO and VP of global sales
High-power blue laser technology firm NUBURU Inc of Centennial, CO, USA (which was founded in 2015) says that it has raised additional growth capital, bringing the total valuation to about $350m. Existing investors Anzu Partners, GRAPHA Holdings and Thomas Wilson participated in the funding round.
The new funds will be utilized to expand NUBURU’s presence across its target markets, including automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, and defense. The firm’s industrial blue laser technology is said to bring speed and quality improvements to welding and metal 3D printing of copper, aluminum and other reflective metals to increase productivity for manufacturers globally.
To boost commercialization efforts, NUBURU has also brought in experienced technology executive Brian Faircloth as chief operating officer and promoted Andrew Dodd to VP of global sales.
Faircloth brings over 20 years of operations, engineering and marketing experience, scaling high-tech companies in the laser and energy industries. Prior to joining NUBURU, he spent nearly 13 years as a technical leader at high-power laser company ForoEnergy, where he served as VP of engineering and as chief technology officer. During his tenure, he managed R&D and engineering of high-power laser and optics development for oil, gas and geothermal applications. Earlier in his career, he held executive and director roles at laser technology companies Nuvonyx and Coherent. Faircloth has master’s degrees in electrical engineering and applied physics from Washington University in St. Louis and six sigma from Villanova, as well as master certificates in business management and marketing from Tulane.
“NUBURU’s blue laser technology brings improvements in metal processing, unlocking critical advantages to manufacturers across industries,” comments Faircloth.
Dodd, a 30-year veteran of the laser development and material processing industries, joined NUBURU in 2019 as the North American market development manager and has recently been promoted to VP of global sales as the firm enters this new growth phase. NUBURU says that, since joining it, Dodd has been instrumental to laying the foundations for commercial expansion, and that he brings global sales leadership and a strong track record from his tenures at GSI Lumonics, Amada WeldTech, and BLM Group North America.
“As electrification and advances in manufacturing drive growth in our target markets, this capital infusion, appointment of Mr Faircloth as COO and Mr Dodd’s promotion to VP of global sales ensures continued momentum for NUBURU,” says CEO, co-founder & chairman Dr Mark Zediker. “Looking ahead, we are focused on growing our customer base, expanding our distribution channels, accelerating development of our ultra-high-brightness product family, and scaling our manufacturing operations to meet demand globally.”
NUBURU promotes Andrew Dodd to VP global sales
NUBURU bolsters 3D printing IP
