As the metal additive manufacturing (AM) ecosystem develops, it’s getting closer to the model the manufacturing industry is familiar with from CNC machining. This is not hybrid manufacturing, where a part undergoes both AM and subtractive machining.

Kevin Nicholds’ Equispheres transitioned from traditional 2D printing to producing advanced aluminum powders for 3D printing. Their unique powder offers superior strength and efficiency, attracting significant interest and investment from the aerospace and automotive industries. Nicholds expects the market for these powders to reach $1 billion within the decade.

After selling his commercial printing company in 2011, Ottawa-born Kevin Nicholds applied his Queen’s University MBA and business experience to his next venture. It should, he reasoned, have strong business fundamentals, be well situated in a product’s value chain and have a source of recurring revenue. There must be potential for growth and, importantly, it must attract great people to the team.