6K Inc
6K Additive uses its proprietary UniMelt® microwave plasma technology to convert recycled metal scrap into high-performance metal powders for additive manufacturing. The process achieves production times under two seconds with 99.999% contamination-free results, while reducing energy use by up to 70% and eliminating wastewater compared to traditional methods. The company serves industries including aerospace, medical, and automotive with sustainably sourced, domestically produced powders.
- New Materials
- Clean Technology
- Manufacturing / Industry 4.0
- Hardware
Funding
Raised to date
$277.7MRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
across 5 rounds
+8A$48M · Post-Ipo
Announced Dec 2025 · from article date
Disclosed cumulative: $277.7M
Founders
Product
Problem
Traditional metal powder production methods for additive manufacturing are energy-intensive, generate significant waste, and rely on virgin materials, contributing to high costs and environmental impact. These methods often struggle to produce high-purity materials with consistent properties, limiting the performance of additively manufactured parts.
Solution
6K Additive utilizes its UniMelt® plasma technology to transform recycled metal feedstock into high-performance metal powders for additive manufacturing applications. The UniMelt® process achieves production times of under two seconds while maintaining 99.999% contamination-free results. This technology significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and wastewater generation compared to traditional methods. By using recycled materials as feedstock, 6K Additive promotes a circular economy and reduces reliance on virgin materials, offering a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for metal powder production.
Target Audience
The primary customers are manufacturers in industries such as additive manufacturing, aerospace, medical, automotive, and energy storage seeking sustainable, high-performance metal powder solutions.
Features
- UniMelt® plasma technology operating at 6,000 degrees with 99% microwave-to-plasma efficiency for rapid material processing
- Production times of under two seconds versus two to three days for legacy methods, enabling high-volume output
- 99.999% contamination-free results, ensuring high-purity materials
- Ability to process a wide range of materials, including metals, alloys, oxides, silicon, carbides, and nitrides
- Capability to create powders with varying morphologies, such as hollow, dense, nano-foam, and single crystal structures
- Digital process control for precise parameter management and consistent product quality
- Scalable, small production footprint with 50%-90% lower conversion costs compared to traditional processes
- Utilization of recycled feedstock from scrap metals and used batteries, promoting a circular economy and domestic supply chain independence