Velo3D (VLD) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Velo3D, Inc. (historically trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol VLD) is a metal 3D printing technology company focused on additive manufacturing of mission-critical metal parts. The company operates in the manufacturing sector and is associated with the "Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing" industry classification. Velo3D describes itself as a metal additive manufacturing technology company for production manufacturing and mission-critical applications, with a focus on overcoming limitations of legacy metal additive manufacturing.

According to multiple company disclosures, Velo3D positions its technology as a way to improve how high-value metal parts are built using 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM). The company states that legacy metal AM has long been constrained in its capabilities, which limited its use to narrower applications. Velo3D reports that its solution is designed to remove many of these constraints so engineers can design and print the parts they want, including metal components that were previously considered very difficult or impossible to manufacture with earlier AM approaches.

Business focus and technology offering

Velo3D identifies itself as a metal 3D printing technology company that provides a fully integrated solution. In its public descriptions, the company explains that this solution includes three main elements:

• Flow print preparation software
• The Sapphire family of metal 3D printers, including large-format models such as Sapphire XC and Sapphire 1MZ
• The Assure quality control or quality assurance system

Velo3D states that these components are combined in a vertically integrated ecosystem. The company reports that this ecosystem enables customers to use the same print file across any Sapphire system configured for the same alloy, with the goal of achieving repeatable outcomes without requiring additional optimization. In its communications, Velo3D highlights this as a way to support scalable metal additive manufacturing, manufacturing scalability, and supply chain flexibility.

The company also notes that its systems are powered by what it calls the Intelligent Fusion manufacturing process in some of its descriptions. Velo3D reports that it delivered its first Sapphire system in 2018 and that it has been a strategic partner to organizations it identifies as innovators, including SpaceX, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Lockheed Martin, Avio, General Motors, Honeywell, Honda, Chromalloy, and Lam Research, among others cited in different releases. These references are presented by the company as examples of customers or partners using its technology in demanding applications.

End markets and applications

In its public statements, Velo3D repeatedly emphasizes that its technology is used for mission-critical metal parts. The company indicates that its solution is aimed at customers in:

• Space exploration and the broader "New Space" industry
• Aviation and general aerospace
• Power generation and energy
• Semiconductor-related applications
• Defense-related programs and sectors

Velo3D states that by unlocking a wider breadth of design freedom, its solution enables customers in these sectors to innovate in their respective industries. The company highlights that customers can use its systems to build complex, mission-critical metal parts that it characterizes as previously impossible to manufacture with legacy metal AM. It also notes that its technology is used in research settings, such as the National Institute for Aviation Research’s work on performance-based qualification of metal 3D-printed parts for airframe applications.

Integrated solution and scalability

The company describes its offering as a fully integrated combination of software, hardware, and printing processes. Velo3D notes that once a part has been qualified on a Velo3D printer, production can be scaled across any system of the same model configured for the same alloy. The company presents this as important for customers who want to scale production of additively manufactured components while managing supply chain challenges.

Velo3D also emphasizes the role of its Assure quality assurance software. According to the company, Assure gathers data on each layer of a print to give engineers confidence in the resulting parts, including capturing detailed information for each layer. This data can be compared to existing datasets to support consistent outcomes, even across a fleet of printers. Velo3D has highlighted this capability in connection with research and qualification efforts in aerospace and aviation.

Corporate and capital markets context

Velo3D’s shares historically traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker VLD. The company has disclosed several capital markets and corporate governance developments over time, including reverse stock splits and listing-related matters. For example, the company announced a 1-for-35 reverse stock split of its common stock that was intended to help it regain compliance with the NYSE’s minimum share price requirement. In a separate notice, Velo3D reported receiving a continued listing standards notice from the NYSE related to market capitalization and stockholders’ equity thresholds.

Subsequently, Velo3D announced that its common stock anticipated the commencement of trading on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol "VLDX" after previously trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The company noted that the OTCQX market provides access to U.S. capital markets under streamlined requirements, while still requiring compliance with applicable securities laws and certain financial and governance standards.

Recognition and positioning

Velo3D has stated that it was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023. In its own materials, the company characterizes itself as a metal additive manufacturing technology company focused on scalable production of mission-critical metal parts. It frequently contrasts its approach with legacy metal AM technologies, asserting that its solution overcomes prior limitations and expands the range of parts that can be produced additively.

The company also highlights its role in defense and aerospace, noting in various communications that it is expanding its presence in these sectors and that it sees growing opportunities in defense-related programs. Velo3D has also referenced realignment initiatives, cost reduction programs, and strategic reviews aimed at improving operating efficiency and aligning its cost structure with market conditions, though detailed financial metrics are provided in its earnings releases rather than in its general company description.

Trademarks and branding

Velo3D notes that VELO, VELO3D, SAPPHIRE, and INTELLIGENT FUSION are registered trademarks of Velo3D, Inc. It also identifies WITHOUT COMPROMISE, FLOW, FLOW DEVELOPER, and ASSURE as trademarks of Velo3D, Inc. These marks appear throughout the company’s descriptions of its technology ecosystem and product family.