Nobula and the EIC Accelerator: 3D Printing With Glass

Nobula, a Stockholm company, has developed Direct Glass Laser Deposition: a laser melts glass filament and lays it down layer by layer to print structures such as microlenses and microfluidic chips at resolutions of 100 to 250 micrometres, without the cleanrooms, very high furnace temperatures and corrosive chemicals of conventional glass processing. It was selected in the EIC Accelerator's January 2023 cut-off for blended finance and received an EU grant of €2.50 million for NOBULA, "Breaking the glass ceiling in Additive Manufacturing through laser-assisted glass 3D printing", a €3.57 million project that ran from August 2023 to April 2026, according to CORDIS.

The project is closed, but CORDIS holds only its first periodic report, to July 2024. It lists improvements to laser stability, software, feeding and stages, new glass materials, and a "pilot-ready prototype with implemented laser safety", with a pilot launch planned for October 2024, according to the CORDIS reporting page. It also notes that a machine-learning control method "proved to be a challenge without additional funding". Chief executive Chunxin Liu has said the company is "preparing to launch a standardized, market-ready printer in two years", in an interview with its grant consultant Evolution Europe.

Where Nobula Stands Now

Nobula's accounts show revenue of SEK 8.4 million and a net loss of SEK 2.1 million in the financial year to June 2025, after revenue of SEK 13.8 million and a profit of SEK 3.1 million the year before, according to hitta.se. The free data does not show whether grant income is included in revenue. Its website now presents "digital glass fabrication built to scale" and invites enquiries rather than listing a printer for sale.

The Technology: Printing Glass Like Plastic

Nobula heats glass filament with a laser and deposits it layer by layer, a method it says makes printing glass as straightforward as printing plastic, according to VoxelMatters. The first-year report says the technology has "gained traction in the EU, US, Asia, and South America" for uses from optics to organ-on-a-chip devices, without naming customers.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The award promised to bring glass 3D printing to industrial use. By mid-2024 the company had a pilot-ready prototype. What happened in the remaining 21 months of the project is not in the public record, and the company describes its standard product as still to come. The machine-learning control it had begun was held back by lack of funding, it said.

1. Pilot-ready prototypeDeliveredBy July 2024.
2. New glass materialsDeliveredBorosilicate added.
3. Automated controlPartialHampered by funding.
4. Market-ready printerNot yetPlanned later.

The Money

Nobula's equity was SEK 5.9 million in June 2025 and its short-term liabilities SEK 8.3 million. Whether the EIC Fund invested under the blended finance award, and who Nobula's other investors are, is not public in the sources reviewed.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

The first-year report argues that conventional glass manufacturing is energy-intensive and needs large infrastructure. A desktop glass printer could help labs and photonics firms make parts quickly. With seven employees, Nobula is small; the public cannot yet see how far the EIC project took it.

The Verdict

Nobula and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.