Perseus Materials, a venture-backed startup developing a large-scale additive manufacturing system for composite parts, announced it has closed a strategic investment from Lockheed Martin. The company, founded in 2022 by Stanford researchers, said the backing will support hiring, fulfillment of initial customer orders, and an expansion of its physical footprint.
Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Knoxville, Tennessee, Perseus positions its technology as an alternative to traditional large-format manufacturing approaches that rely on molds and tooling. The company says its modular system is designed to produce large, complex structures more quickly, with lower energy requirements, and to manufacture at full scale in field settings.
Perseus said its system will be exhibited at JEC World 2026 after winning JEC’s 2025 startup competition, with plans to demonstrate the fabrication of a 15-foot boat intended to highlight the process’s scale, throughput, and structural integrity.
The company cited early traction, including manufacturing internal blade components for a major enterprise wind turbine manufacturer and work exploring potential naval defense applications. Perseus also said it has secured millions in government grants and contracts as it transitions from a breakthrough process to industrial production.
Perseus was incubated by Roadrunner Venture Studios and backed early by Roadrunner Fund. Roadrunner describes its focus as building hard-science companies with applications across advanced energy, robotics, precision manufacturing, and quantum.
KEY QUOTES
“We’re not interested in making marginal improvements to 3D printing. The fabrication of large, complex, expensive, and time-consuming structures that drive manufacturing cycles require new approaches to engineering and design. That’s why Perseus has developed an entirely new method for additive manufacturing that shapes materials in ways previously thought impossible.”
Daniel Lee, Chief Executive Officer And Co-Founder, Perseus Materials
“Our work at Lockheed Martin Ventures supports promising companies that expand the U.S. industrial base and advance innovative technologies for the future of national defense. Perseus’ innovative composite production process can help accelerate design and prototype manufacturing while reducing costs and eliminating tooling, helping Lockheed Martin accelerate its ability to meet the needs of the Department of War and our nation’s warfighters.”
Chris Moran, Vice President And General Manager, Lockheed Martin Ventures
“Perseus is exactly the kind of company Roadrunner exists to build—a breakthrough technology born from deep science with clear implications for security and competitiveness. Dan and his team are solving a foundational manufacturing bottleneck that has held back entire industries. This is the kind of innovation that can reshape how America builds at scale.”
Adam Hammer, Chief Executive Officer And Co-Founder, Roadrunner Venture Studio
