(Left to Right) Fabheads founders Abhijeet Rathore and Dhinesh Kanagaraj/Source: Business Standard
Key Takeaways
Fabheads secures $10 Mn in Series A funding led by Accel with participation from Trifecta Capital
The Startup’s technology enables up to 50% cost savings and 20% less waste in composite manufacturing
New facility in Bengaluru will focus on aerospace sector and international demand
India’s composites market projected to grow from $1.8 billion in 2024 to $2.8 billion by 2030
In a striking new development in the 3D printing industry, the Chennai-based composite manufacturing startup Fabheads raises USD 10 Mn in Series A Funding.The funding round was led by Accel, with participation from Trifecta Capital. This latest investment brings the company’s total funding to $13 million, following its seed and pre-seed rounds of $3 million raised in 2021.
The funding marks a significant milestone for the Startup founded by former ISRO engineers Dhinesh Kanagaraj and Abhijeet Rathore in 2015. Fabheads has developed patent-granted automated manufacturing solutions that combine traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology, revolutionising the composite fibre manufacturing industry.
Fabheads Raises USD 10 Mn to Transform Composite Manufacturing
The fresh capital will be used to scale up Fabheads’ manufacturing capacity, expand its leadership team, and strengthen its client-facing engineering and R&D divisions. As part of its growth strategy, the company plans to establish a new manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, targeting the aerospace sector and catering to growing international demand. This facility is expected to be operational within the next six months.
“This funding enables us to take a major step towards making composites accessible for aerospace, mobility, clean energy, and more. As the only company from India with this specialised technology, we are uniquely positioned to lead innovation in the composite manufacturing space both domestically and globally.”
– Dhinesh Kanagaraj, Co-founder and CEO at Fabheads
Fabheads’ proprietary technology automates critical processes such as fibre placement and layering with robotic precision. This automation enables manufacturers to reduce costs by up to 50% and lower rejection rates by up to 20%. The system also cuts material wastage by 20% and accelerates production cycles by up to 30%, addressing major challenges in traditional manual methods.
Technology Born from First-hand Experience
The founders’ background at ISRO provided them with insight into the limitations of manual composite manufacturing.
“Having experienced the limitations of manual composite manufacturing first-hand during our time at ISRO, we knew an innovative disruption was necessary — not incremental. Here we are not just automating a process; we are redefining how high-performance parts using advanced materials like composites can be made faster, better, and more affordably.”
– Dhinesh Kanagaraj, Founder, Fabheads
The robotic automation systems developed by Fabheads replace slow and expensive manual processes in composite fibre manufacturing. The company’s approach combines precision engineering with advanced robotics to deliver significant improvements in production efficiency and product quality.
Prayank Swaroop, Partner at Accel, shared his enthusiasm about the investment: “As composites become increasingly vital across aerospace, defence, mobility, and renewable energy, Fabheads is addressing the core manufacturing bottlenecks that have long hindered widespread adoption. We’re excited to back their journey of building world-class deeptech from India for the world.”
Market Potential and Government Support
The timing of Fabheads raises $10 Mn is strategic, as India’s composites materials market is poised for substantial growth. Valued at $1.8 billion in 2024, the market is projected to reach $2.8 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 7.8%.
The Indian government is actively promoting domestic manufacturing of advanced materials, with plans to begin carbon fibre production by 2025-26. Additionally, the government has set a target of $10 billion in technical textiles exports by 2030 under initiatives like the National Technical Textiles Mission and PLI schemes.
These market conditions and government initiatives create a favourable environment for Fabheads to expand its operations and establish itself as a leader in composite manufacturing technology, both in India and globally.
About Manufactur3D: Manufactur3D is an online magazine on 3D Printing. Visit our Indian Scenario page for more updates on 3D Printing News from India. To stay up-to-date about the latest happenings in the 3D printing world, like us on Facebook or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Abhimanyu is the founder of Manufactur3D and has spent more than 7 years in the 3D printing industry. He has written over 2000 articles on the technology and industry and he continues to write and share content to promote the technology across the globe, and more so in India. You can follow him on social platforms.
