Zellerfeld, the Leader in 3D-Printed Footwear, Opens Beta and Launches Platform for Brands and Designers

Announces $15M Seed Round Led By Founders Fund

Set to Revolutionize the $500B Footwear Industry

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Zellerfeld, the industry leader in 3D-printing and innovative footwear technology, today announced the launch of its open beta and 3D-printed footwear platform. This open beta and initial platform launch offers 15 exclusive designs, with new designs to be added on a weekly basis, from leading brands including Heron Preston, KidSuper and KITTY in addition to a new generation of emerging designers. The company also announced its $15M seed round, led by Founders Fund, that will help drive the transformation of the $500B footwear industry.

“We’re excited to partner with Founders Fund, which will help us revolutionize the footwear industry,” said Cornelius Schmitt, Co-Founder & CEO of Zellerfeld. “The funding will enable us to continue to innovate on our proprietary technology and to expand our platform to reach more designers and consumers globally. With our contrarian approach to footwear manufacturing, we are especially proud that our technology is now backed by Founders Fund, a partner we deeply admire for regularly playing pivotal roles in funding core technology projects that reshape our present society and future.”

Previously, Zellerfeld operated in a closed beta program, which engaged a select group of testers to gather valuable feedback on its 3D-printed footwear and processes. The newly launched open beta program now offers the general public unrestricted access to 3D-printed footwear, with each of the 15 exclusive designs being released in limited quantities. With the last 7 years spent in R&D developing proprietary printers, software, materials, and print-farm design, the company is launching to break down the existing barriers of entry into the footwear industry, forging new paths and disrupting the status quo. The future-facing technology company has eliminated the traditional upfront costs, which typically reach $500K–$1M per shoe design and require extensive development lead times to produce new footwear. Zellerfeld has developed a scalable 3D-printed manufacturing of footwear with a closed-loop production model that is 100% recyclable, sustainable and a viable solution to produce footwear for years to come.

Zellerfeld’s 3D-printed footwear platform signals a seismic shift in the footwear industry and market as a whole. The company’s deep technology with broad applications has the potential to disrupt some of the oldest and entrenched incumbents in the consumer goods industry. It will enable designers and brands to release new designs to customers at unprecedented speed, eliminating the sweatshops and human rights violations that have plagued the industry.

All 15 new designs are available now on the open beta: www.zellerfeld.com. Each design features all the benefits of Zellerfeld’s 3D-printing technology: printed-to-order, monomaterial, fully recyclable, no stitches or gluing of components or human construction required.

ABOUT ZELLERFELD
Zellerfeld develops 3D-printing technology to put printed shoes on every foot in the world. Backed by the team behind Tesla, SpaceX, Paypal, StockX and more, Zellerfeld’s manufacturing platform replaces traditional factories, and eliminates the barrier for designers. Zellerfeld’s footwear is capable of incredible new designs, while also being printed-to-order and fully recyclable. Zellerfeld was founded in 2015, with locations in both Germany and the United States.

SOURCE Zellerfeld