Additive Drives lands €25 million to scale high-efficiency electric motors
Dresden-based Additive Drives, a manufacturer of high-performance electric motor technology that combines additive and conventional production, has raised more than €25 million in new financing. The round includes a significant minority investment from Nordic Alpha Partners and follow-on backing from existing investor AM Ventures, which has supported the company since its seed stage.
The company says the funding will be used to accelerate industrial scaling, expand globally and push wider adoption of its motor designs, which it claims can reach up to 98% energy efficiency in industrial applications—cutting overall energy losses by as much as 70% compared with typical systems.
From cash-positive to expansion mode
Philipp Arnold, Chief Financial Officer at Additive Drives, said the company sought an investor with operational experience in industrial transformation rather than purely financial support. “We wanted to work with Nordic Alpha Partners because they have a unique toolkit for industrial scaling and navigating industrial transformations,” Arnold said. He added that the company has been cash-positive early in its life and is now looking to “tap into hypergrowth and expand globally even faster.”
Nordic Alpha Partners partner Nikolaj Magne Larsen said the team’s combination of technical ambition and financial performance stood out. “It is truly rare to see a founder team build something so pioneering and at the same time have such a strong financial performance less than five years after inception,” he said.
What the company builds—and who buys it
Founded in 2020, Additive Drives develops electric motors using proprietary processes that blend 3D printing with established manufacturing methods. The company also emphasizes magnet-free designs and components, positioning its approach as a way to reduce reliance on rare-earth materials and geopolitically sensitive supply chains.
The company is led by founders Philipp Arnold, Axel Helm and Dr. Jakob Jung. It counts major industrial names among its customers, including Amazon, Airbus, Audi, Schaeffler and BMW.
Why motor efficiency is a big lever for energy savings
Additive Drives points to a widely cited macro trend: electric motors and the systems they power account for a large share of global electricity use. The company estimates the figure at around 53%, arguing that even incremental efficiency gains can translate into substantial reductions in energy consumption and operating costs across industry.
In performance terms, the startup says its motors exceed the IE5 benchmark set by the International Electrotechnical Commission and can effectively reach “IE7-level” performance. While IE7 is not an established IEC class in the same way as IE5, the claim is intended to signal performance beyond today’s top standardized tier.
For industrial users, higher efficiency can mean lower total cost of ownership through reduced electricity bills and less heat waste. In many applications, less heat also reduces the need for cooling systems, which can further cut energy demand and infrastructure costs.
Implications for data centers, robotics and mobility
Beyond factory floors, Additive Drives is positioning its technology for fast-growing, power-hungry sectors including AI data centers, quantum computing, e-mobility and advanced robotics. In these environments, efficiency improvements can translate into higher compute density, lower cooling requirements and more predictable system reliability.
The company also claims its motors deliver an exceptionally high thrust-to-weight ratio, a key metric for applications where mass directly impacts performance—such as aerospace, aviation and electric vehicles. If validated in production deployments, higher thrust-to-weight could enable longer range, improved payload capacity or smaller battery requirements.
Laurits Bach Sørensen, co-founder and Senior Partner at Nordic Alpha Partners, argued the company could help unlock new product categories. “Additive Drives is a great example of the fact that Europe is still leading the game when it comes to highly advanced industrial technologies,” he said.
Supply-chain resilience and faster development cycles
A core part of the company’s pitch is that magnet-free motor architectures can reduce exposure to rare-earth supply constraints. In recent years, electrification supply chains have faced volatility and geopolitical risk tied to critical minerals and refining capacity. A move away from rare-earth magnets, where feasible, could support Europe’s broader goals around industrial sovereignty and secure sourcing.
Additive Drives also says its manufacturing approach can shorten development timelines: prototypes can reportedly be produced in as little as 21 days. Faster prototyping can cut downtime for industrial customers and accelerate iteration cycles for original equipment manufacturers developing new platforms.
Arno Held, Managing Partner at AM Ventures, described the company as an example of the German Mittelstand innovation pipeline. He said the addition of Nordic Alpha Partners is intended to help speed up the next growth phase and “create a European champion for a more sustainable future.”
Set against a broader European electrification funding wave
The raise comes amid continued European investment in electrification technologies, including motors, drivetrains and charging infrastructure. Recent funding in adjacent areas has included €3 million for Munich-based Hyperdrives to develop high-performance motor drives, €12.5 million for Dutch EV-charging specialist Deftpower, and a €25 million seed round for Finland’s Donut Lab focused on modular electric motors and platforms. Sweden’s Zparq has also combined equity financing with support from the EIC Accelerator to commercialise electric drivetrain systems for marine use.
Within that landscape, Additive Drives’ more than €25 million round places it among the larger recent European financings in high-efficiency motor innovation—an area increasingly viewed as one of the most direct routes to lowering energy demand while enabling new electrified products.
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