Is there a real mainstream play finally in the making for 3D printing? Creating custom wearables has been one of the hyped proposed uses for 3D printing. N
Source: SOLS Puts $11.1M from Carmelo Anthony, Others to Work in 3D-Printed Footwear | Xconomy
Melo7 is the venture capital firm backed by none other than Carmelo Anthony. As Anthony moves to the downside of his career it's only natural that he begins to place more of an emphasis on the business aspect of the opportunities created by his tenure in the NBA.
A few years ago when the NBA had a bargaining disagreement and the season was postponed a number of NBA players actually had to ask their peers for loans to make it until the season. This is important because it brings to mind the narrative of the NBA player who loses everything a few years after retiring. Carmelo Anthony is not one of those players. He currently has his hand in a number of ventures. He is the owner of a soccer team in Puerto Rico and with this venture with SOLS, Melo7 is on the cutting edge of the hottest technology trend.
This article from 2015 on Xconomy is interesting because it shows that 3D Printed footwear and orthotics is not a recent move by the industry. While adidas and Futurecraft are taking a lot of the coverage, Melo's investment in SOLS, which was prior to WIIVV's launch via Kickstarter in 2016, went under the radar.
Carmelo's investment group is a part of a second round of investments which garnered 11.1 Million for SOLS. "The company uses scans of people’s feet to create 3D-printed, custom insoles and medical orthotics for consumers’ shoes. Thus far, SOLS’s products have largely been sold through doctors, who scan their patients’ feet with the company’s technology that uses computer vision and machine learning."
SOLS is currently pushing MAPP3D Technology and Sizeright via their website. This is definitely a cool project to keep an eye on. Use the source link to read a more detailed report on the second round of funding which featured Carmelo's Melo 7 fund.
#3DShoes #3DPrintedShoes #3DPrinted
