Aurora Labs 3D

What Aurora Labs 3D does

Aurora Labs 3D (ASX: A3D, legal entity Aurora Labs Limited) is a Perth-based advanced manufacturing company that designs, prints, and supplies metal components and propulsion systems using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing. Founded in 2017 and headquartered at 41-43 Wittenberg Drive, Canning Vale, Western Australia, the company targets three verticals: defence and aerospace (its primary segment), industrial manufacturing, and resources/mining. Within defence, its commercial focus is attritable systems, including loitering munitions, counter-UAS interceptors, target drones, and micro gas turbine propulsion, positioning itself as a sovereign Australian alternative to imported supply chains.

The company's core technology stack is built around LPBF using its proprietary AL250 3D Metal Printer, which features a market-leading 1500W fibre laser and Hybrid MCP continuous printing capability. Its flagship product is the A3D 200 Class Micro Gas Turbine, which completed a maiden flight in July 2024 producing 22kg of thrust, with electronic control unit and brushless fuel pump integration. Secondary product lines include the SpiroPak helical mass transfer column for chemical processing (developed with Curtin University) and a spare parts inventory assessment service for industrial customers. Manufacturing operations are ISO9001:2015 certified (March 2024), and the company holds ASX-listed reporting standards.

Aurora Labs operates a multi-stream revenue model comprising (i) hardware sales of AL250 printers and A3D propulsion systems, (ii) industrial print services for prototypes and serial production, (iii) R&D and consulting services, and (iv) defence development contracts. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales to defence primes and government agencies (notably a $1M Australian Department of Defence grant in June 2026 matched by $1M of company co-investment, totaling $2M). The company is led by CEO Rebekah Letheby, Chairman David Trimboli (ex-Glencore), Executive Director Andrew Garth (ex-GKN Aerospace, ex-Department of Defence), and Independent Non-Executive Director Major General Andrew Bottrell AO (Retd). Recent strategic moves include Flagship-tier teaming agreements with MBDA and a three-year propulsion development deal with a JV of unnamed major global defence companies, marking Aurora's transition from advanced R&D into scaled sovereign manufacturing.

Name

Aurora Labs 3D

Legal name

Aurora Labs

Website

https://auroralabs3d.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aurora Labs 3D (ASX:A3D) is a Perth-based manufacturer specialising in metal 3D printing and micro gas turbine propulsion systems for Australian and allied defence, aerospace, and industrial customers, using proprietary Laser Powder Bed Fusion technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Additive Manufacturing & Defence Propulsion

NAICS

Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (3336), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415)

SIC

Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540)

akta.pro primary industry

Additive Manufacturing for Metals (Metal 3D Printers & Post-Processing) (IMAHADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

3D Printers (Additive Manufacturing) (HDACAEAH), Large-Format & Industrial Production 3D Printers (High-Throughput Systems) (IMAAAAAK), Electronics & Industrial Component 3D Printing Services (enclosures, fixtures, functional parts) (IMAAADAL)

Keywords

• Metal additive manufacturing
• Laser powder bed fusion
• Micro gas turbines
• Defence propulsion systems
• Industrial 3D printing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Metal 3D Printing Services: Industrial print services providing prototypes, proof-of-concept prints, and serial production for external customers.
2. Propulsion Systems Sales: Sale of micro gas turbine propulsion systems for defence applications including loitering munitions, counter-UAS interceptors, target drones, and attritable defence platforms.
3. 3D Metal Printer Sales and Manufacturing: Design, manufacture, and sale of AL250 3D metal printers and related equipment.
4. Defence Development Contracts: Three-year propulsion development deal with joint venture comprising unnamed major global defence companies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Aurora Labs designs, manufactures, and sells metal 3D printing hardware and additively manufactured components for defence, aerospace, and industrial customers. Its flagship products are the AL250 3D Metal Printer and the 3D-printed A3D 200 Class micro gas turbine (and AU4) propulsion systems, complemented by industrial print services, R&D services, SpiroPak mass transfer components, and spare-parts inventory assessments. Production is based on proprietary Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technology at its Canning Vale facility in Western Australia.

Product overview

Aurora Labs (A3D) is a Perth-based manufacturer specialising in metal 3D printing and propulsion systems for Defence, aerospace, and industrial applications. The company's core offering is Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) metal additive manufacturing technology, supported by their AL250 3D Metal Printer featuring a 1500W fibre laser. Their product portfolio includes the A3D 200 Class Micro Gas Turbine propulsion system (producing 22kg of thrust) and SpiroPak industrial components. The company offers Industrial Print Services for prototyping and serial production, along with Research & Development support. Key applications include defence systems (loitering munitions, counter-UAS interceptors, target drones), aerospace components, and industrial machinery. Aurora is transitioning from R&D into scaled sovereign manufacturing, backed by Australian government defence grants and partnerships with global defence companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AL250: Advanced 3D metal printer with 1500W fibre laser, high productivity and wide range of materials.

Products and services

• AL250 3D Metal Printer Advanced research-grade metal 3D printer featuring a market-leading 1500W fibre laser, high productivity, and support for aluminium, titanium, and nickel alloys, with Hybrid MCP continuous-printing capability. Sold to research institutions and manufacturers adopting LPBF technology.
• A3D 200 Class Micro Gas Turbine Propulsion System 3D printed micro gas turbine propulsion system producing over 20kg of thrust (achieved 22kg in maiden flight), integrating an electronic control unit and brushless fuel pump. Designed for unmanned aerial systems, loitering munitions, counter-UAS interceptors, and target drones; sold to defence primes and government agencies.
• AU4 Propulsion Engine AU4 propulsion engine variant delivered to defence customers (including Sovereign Propulsion Systems) as part of Aurora's commercialisation of its micro gas turbine propulsion platform for attritable defence applications.
• Industrial Print Services Contract LPBF 3D printing service offering prototypes, proof-of-concept prints, and serial production of metal components for defence, aerospace, and industrial customers.
• Research & Development Services R&D service providing exceptional print process control and high-power multi-laser LPBF research capabilities, supporting advanced projects and technology development for external customers and partners.
• SpiroPak Mass Transfer Column Components 3D printed helical spiral mass transfer column component produced exclusively through additive manufacturing. Modular design optimised for gas-liquid contact, addressing flooding, foaming and high pressure drops in traditional packing, supplied to chemical processing customers.
• Spare Parts Inventory Assessment Consultative assessment service for large industrial companies evaluating which spare parts can be on-demand printed using additive manufacturing, including AM inventory identification, virtual inventory planning, and cost-benefit analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22kg thrust achieved in maiden flight
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Australian Department of DefencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026$1 million Defence Industry Development Grant for scaling micro gas turbine propulsion systems production. Grant matched dollar-for-dollar by company co-investment, totaling $2 million investment for sovereign defence manufacturing capability.
• MBDAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Teaming agreement with global defence leader MBDA for strategic defence collaboration.
• Global Defence Companies Joint VenturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2025Three-year propulsion development deal with joint venture comprising unnamed major global defence companies. Financial terms and partner identities not disclosed.
• Sovereign Propulsion SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgreement executed for propulsion systems collaboration advancing Aurora's propulsion commercialisation strategy.
• Curtin UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration on SpiroPak mass transfer technology development. Logo displayed on website indicating ongoing relationship.
• Barnes Global AdvisorsminorOthersLogo displayed on website indicating advisory or consultancy relationship.
• GrangesminorOthersLogo displayed on website indicating collaborative or working relationship.
• InnovaerominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 3D printing UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) components for aerospace applications.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GE Aerospace: Operates the former GE Additive metal AM business alongside large-scale aerospace propulsion and component manufacturing. Represents the integrated propulsion-plus-AM incumbent that Aurora is positioning alongside in defence supply chains.
• EOS GmbH: Global leader in industrial metal and polymer AM systems, offering a broad LPBF and DMLS portfolio plus services. An incumbent Aurora competes against across aerospace and defence printer sales.
• Renishaw: UK-based precision engineering firm with a metal AM systems division selling LPBF printers for regulated industries including aerospace and medical. A well-funded incumbent competing for similar end-customers.
• Stratasys: Large public 3D printing company offering polymer and metal-capable systems following its Desktop Metal merger. Broad incumbent against which Aurora competes for industrial printing budgets.

Direct peers

• AddUp: Metal additive manufacturing solutions provider offering LPBF printers and on-demand part production services for aerospace and industrial customers. Direct overlap with Aurora's combined printer-plus-services model.
• Velo3D: US-based metal LPBF 3D printer maker focused on large-format, high-throughput systems for aerospace and defence. Directly comparable on printer technology, target customers, and the no-support large-part value proposition.
• Titomic: ASX-listed Australian metal additive manufacturing company using kinetic fusion and cold spray processes to produce large-scale metal parts for defence and aerospace. Closest geographic and technology peer to Aurora, competing for the same Australian sovereign-defence AM contracts.
• Nikon SLM Solutions: German-headquartered (now part of Nikon) metal LPBF printer manufacturer serving aerospace, defence, and industrial customers with multi-laser systems. Closest established competitor to Aurora's AL250 platform.

Regional players

• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions: US-based defence prime specialising in attritable systems including target drones, loitering munitions, and jet propulsion for unmanned platforms. Comparable end-market for Aurora's micro gas turbine propulsion.

Emerging players

• Markforged: US-based 3D printer manufacturer offering metal and composite printing systems for industrial and defence-adjacent customers. Comparable on the distributed-manufacturing value proposition for spare parts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aurora Labs 3D