This article only represents the author's own views.

After years of remaining mostly in the “gee whiz” realm, 3D printing has gained some momentum lately for its role in helping to produce lifesaving medical goods that are often scarce due to supply chain disruptions in the Covid era. But despite attracting attention for its precision and use in building everything from precision molds to homes, the technology has yet to truly take off.

One of China’s leaders at the edge of the nascent wave is Shanghai Union Technology Co. Ltd. (UnionTech), which last Friday announced its latest fundraising from a group of investors led by Goldstone Investment, a subsidiary of leading Chinese brokerage Citic Securities. Other contributors were mostly mid-sized domestic names like Oriza FOFs, stated-backed Cash Capital, Dragonrise Capital and Mount Morning Capital.