UpNano GmbH is an Austria-based high-tech company specializing in high-resolution 3D printing. Founded in 2018, the company develops and produces printing systems and printed parts, along with operating software, printing resins, materials, and accessories optimized for its 3D printing process. The company’s two-photon polymerization (2PP) technology can produce features below 100 nanometers and objects ranging from the sub-micrometer scale to the centimeter range, with heights of up to 40 millimeters. UpNano has additional locations in Boston, and its systems are installed at industrial companies and research institutions from the U.S. West Coast to Australia.
How 2PP Printing Works
Two-photon polymerization uses focused light to create highly detailed polymer structures at the micro- and nanoscale. UpNano’s systems can produce features below 100 nanometers as well as complex freeform geometries. The technology can also produce parts with dimensions extending from below one micrometer to several centimeters, giving manufacturers and researchers the ability to work with structures at different scales.
2PP was initially used mainly in research laboratories before moving into industrial applications for polymeric micro-components. UpNano applies the technology to areas such as medical technology, optics, and consumer electronics. The company also identifies applications in scientific research and fusion energy, where small, precisely formed polymer structures can serve as components or research tools.
Inside the NanoOne Platform
NanoOne is UpNano’s 2PP printing platform. The system combines the printer hardware with application-specific resins and operating software. The company designed the platform to produce detailed microstructures while maintaining control over printing parameters and material selection. UpNano also provides materials and accessories designed for use with its printing systems.
Think3D is the software interface used with UpNano’s systems. It provides a single interface for creating projects and operating the printer, along with remote accessibility. The software was developed around the needs of users working with high-resolution 3D printing. Together, the hardware, software, and resins form the production system used to manufacture polymeric micro-components.
Scaling Up Production
UpScale is UpNano’s system for producing high-precision 2PP parts at industrial volumes. It includes automated and validated workflows, advanced alignment, and integrated in-situ printing. These functions are intended for production runs that require repeatable processing and control over complex microstructures.
The system extends 2PP beyond individual prototypes and research samples by providing greater production capacity. Manufacturers can use the platform for multiple-part production while maintaining control over alignment and printing parameters. UpScale is designed for applications that require high-resolution structures in larger quantities and consistent production results.
Applications Across Industries
UpNano’s technology is used in medical technology, optics, consumer electronics, scientific research, and fusion energy. The company also works on photonic components, including structures used in photonic chips associated with AI data centers. In medical applications, its systems can produce structures for next-generation medical devices and can be used for bioprinting in a native cell environment.
The company states that it invests more than 30% of its annual revenue each year in new technology. UpNano’s systems are installed at industrial companies and research institutions across multiple regions, including the United States and Australia. The company's portfolio spans printers, software, resins, accessories, and printing services, giving customers access to equipment and materials for high-resolution polymer manufacturing from prototype work through larger production volumes.
ABOUT | BERNHARD KÜENBURG
Bernhard Küenburg, co-founder, is the CEO of UpNano, a Vienna-based high-tech company specializing in high-resolution 3D printing based on two-photon polymerization (2PP). He has more than 20 years of executive-management experience in the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries, along with experience in developing startup companies. He earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien) in 1991.
Küenburg was part of the founding team that established UpNano in 2018 as a TU Wien spin-off. The company was incorporated in Vienna in September 2018, and Küenburg has served as its managing director since December 2018. UpNano’s founding group combined industry experience with research expertise in high-resolution 3D printing, with Küenburg taking responsibility for the company’s executive leadership and commercial direction.
Under Küenburg’s leadership, UpNano has built its business around 2PP 3D printing for high-resolution polymeric micro-components. The company’s NanoOne platform is designed to produce structures from the sub-micrometer scale to the centimeter range, while its technology also supports high-resolution bioprinting with living cells. UpNano’s customer base includes industrial companies and research institutions, with systems installed across regions extending from the U.S. West Coast to Australia.
Küenburg continues to lead UpNano as CEO as the company expands the industrial use of 2PP printing. His background combines scientific training in organic chemistry with executive experience in pharmaceuticals, medtech, and startup companies, providing the basis for his role in guiding UpNano from its origins as a TU Wien spin-off into a commercial 3D-printing company serving research and industrial customers.
