{"id":69791,"date":"2026-07-02T00:01:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T22:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/?p=69791"},"modified":"2026-06-26T18:11:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T16:11:58","slug":"3dstartup-nureo-02072026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/3dstartup-nureo-02072026\/","title":{"rendered":"#3DStartup: Could nureo’s Automated Engineering Software Eliminate Manual CAD?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The promise of additive manufacturing has always been design freedom, yet engineers frequently face complex, manual design processes to turn a concept into a manufacturable part. The Zurich-based software<\/a> startup nureo<\/b> is changing this by bridging the gap between advanced artificial intelligence and practical manufacturing constraints. Born out of specialized PhD research at ETH Zurich, the company is developing an AI-powered platform that encodes deep engineering knowledge into validated, automated design modules. This approach recently earned the company industry recognition, securing a spot as one of the candidates for the 2025 Formnext Start-up Awards.<\/p>\n

Instead of relying on generative AI that creates unmachinable shapes, nureo acts as an intelligent assistant that structures complex workflows while keeping the engineer fully in control. The platform reduces design timelines from weeks to mere minutes for demanding industrial applications, including fluid manifolds and production line packaging.<\/strong> In this interview, we speak with co-founder Manuel Biedermann<\/strong> to discuss how nureo bypasses industry buzzwords to build a scalable automation platform that preserves manufacturability and empowers engineering teams.<\/p>\n

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Manuel Biederman presenting on the Industry Stage at Formnext. (Photo Credit: <\/span>Formnext<\/span>\u00a0I\u00a0<\/span>Mesago<\/span> Messe Frankfurt GmbH)<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

3DN: Could you introduce yourself and share what led you to co-found nureo?<\/h2>\n

My name is Manuel Biedermann, and\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0one of the co-founders of\u00a0nureo. I met my co-founders, Patrick Beutler and\u00a0Urs\u00a0Hofmann, during our PhDs at ETH Zurich, where we started\u00a0working on\u00a0design for\u00a0additive\u00a0manufacturing (AM)\u00a0back in 2017.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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Over the years, we\u00a0worked\u00a0on many different projects\u00a0and applications\u00a0related to\u00a0design automation\u00a0for\u00a0AM. Each project gave us new insights into what works well in practice and where the\u00a0real challenges\u00a0lie\u00a0–\u00a0especially when trying to fully\u00a0leverage\u00a0the design freedom of\u00a0AM\u00a0while still ensuring\u00a0part\u00a0manufacturability.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As we continued working on these problems, it became clear to us that there was a strong need for better\u00a0software\u00a0tools to automate design tasks\u00a0for\u00a0AM. This\u00a0realization\u00a0ultimately led\u00a0us to found\u00a0nureo, with the goal of making automated design workflows accessible to\u00a0industry and helping engineers unlock the full potential of\u00a0AM.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3DN: What is nureo’s mission, and how is it achieving that?<\/h2>\n

Our mission is to make design automation accessible to a wide range of industries\u00a0and applications. While our approach is particularly well suited for\u00a0AM, the underlying principles can also be applied to\u00a0conventional production technologies such\u00a0as milling, casting, and sheet metal design.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To achieve this, we are developing the\u00a0nureo\u00a0design platform\u00a0\u2013\u00a0an AI-powered software platform that\u00a0allows\u00a0users to\u00a0create\u00a0automated\u00a0design workflows tailored to their specific applications and manufacturing processes. At the core of the platform are validated design modules\u00a0that\u00a0encode engineering knowledge for\u00a0different\u00a0design tasks\u00a0and production technologies.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We are currently expanding\u00a0this\u00a0library of modules while working closely with customers to develop\u00a0automated design\u00a0workflows\u00a0for real-world applications. Many of them have\u00a0already\u00a0recognized the potential of\u00a0design automation\u00a0to\u00a0significantly reduce\u00a0the\u00a0design effort,\u00a0accelerate\u00a0time-to-market, and scale the\u00a0output of engineering teams.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Image Credit: nureo<\/p><\/div>\n

3DN: Can you describe how nureo\u2019s software understands and encodes engineering knowledge into automated design workflows?<\/h2>\n

Today, the process of\u00a0capturing\u00a0and encoding engineering knowledge is carried out by our team, based on our experience in product development,\u00a0AM, and software engineering. We translate this knowledge into validated\u00a0design\u00a0modules that capture specific engineering logic and\u00a0recurring\u00a0design tasks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The next step\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0nureo\u00a0design platform is to increasingly\u00a0leverage\u00a0the reasoning capabilities of AI. We are currently working on training models that learn from\u00a0previously developed\u00a0design workflows and interact with our library of validated design modules.\u00a0This will allow the system to break down a customer\u2019s design task into individual steps, define the required inputs and outputs, and automatically assemble the most suitable modules into a tailored design workflow.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3DN: Design for AM has unique constraints (overhangs, supports, build orientation). Does your platform account for manufacturability and AM-specific requirements in automated designs?<\/h2>\n

Yes, this is one of the core requirements we set for our workflows and software. An automatically generated geometry that cannot be manufactured has\u00a0very\u00a0limited value. Our goal is therefore not to\u00a0create\u00a0a black-box AI design tool, but to give engineers the ability to influence the design output and\u00a0maintain\u00a0control over the design\u00a0workflow.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since our\u00a0work\u00a0started with automated design for\u00a0AM, ensuring manufacturability for\u00a0a\u00a0given AM process is part of the DNA of our\u00a0platform. Manufacturing\u00a0constraints\u00a0such as\u00a0the\u00a0maximum\u00a0overhang angle\u00a0and minimal feature sizes,\u00a0the\u00a0influence of\u00a0the\u00a0build orientation,\u00a0and process-specific design rules are therefore considered directly during design generation.<\/span><\/p>\n

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nureo’s software accounts for AM-specific design requirements. Image credit: nureo<\/p><\/div>\n

3DN: Artificial intelligence and generative design are buzzwords in AM. How doesnureoleverage AI, if at all, in your automation approach?<\/h2>\n

Since our main goal is to ensure functionality and manufacturability of parts, we deliberately avoid offering a black-box AI solution that simply generates rough\u00a0mesh\u00a0geometries\u00a0or\u00a0design concepts. Instead, our modules follow a rule-\u00a0and knowledge-based approach to\u00a0automate\u00a0and\u00a0execute\u00a0design tasks. This allows users\u00a0to\u00a0maintain\u00a0a high level\u00a0of\u00a0control over the resulting geometry and\u00a0generate\u00a0production-ready\u00a03D\u00a0designs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In our approach, AI acts as an intelligent assistant that helps structure complex design tasks and guides users in setting up automated design workflows.\u00a0When a design task is defined, the system decomposes it into a sequence of steps and\u00a0determines\u00a0which\u00a0validated\u00a0modules\u00a0should be used. By connecting these modules, the platform can automatically assemble a\u00a0design\u00a0workflow\u00a0tailored to the specific application.\u00a0This combination allows us to automate complex engineering\u00a0tasks while still ensuring that the resulting geometries\u00a0remain\u00a0functional and manufacturable.<\/span><\/p>\n

3DN: Can you share a specific customer case where your automation tools reduced design time or improved manufacturability?<\/h2>\n

I can share two examples from different application areas. The first comes from fluid manifolds, which was one of the areas where we initially started\u00a0working\u00a0in the field of design automation. These components are used in applications ranging from hydraulics to microfluidics and require efficient routing of multiple flow channels inside a compact part.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Designing these channels manually is complex and time-consuming, especially when channel cross-sections must be adapted to ensure manufacturability in\u00a0AM. Our software automatically generates fluid\u00a0manifolds\u00a0within minutes,\u00a0whereas\u00a0manual design typically takes days or weeks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The second example comes from the packaging industry, where products\u00a0such as cans\u00a0need to be flipped during filling and\u00a0labelling\u00a0processes. Our solution enables the\u00a0automated\u00a0design of part flippers based on the product geometry and a few parameters, such as the rotation angle and flipper length.\u00a0Designing these components manually usually requires multiple iterations to achieve a smooth and reliable flipping motion for high-speed production lines.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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nureo’s software helps engineers with complex designs (Image credit: nureo).<\/p><\/div>\n

3DN: How does nureo differ from other design automation and 3D software platforms?<\/h2>\n

The landscape for digital engineering software can broadly be grouped into three categories: traditional CAD tools based on manual 3D modelling, design automation platforms that focus on parametric workflows, and simulation-driven tools that focus on performance optimization through physics-based simulation. Each of these approaches has its advantages but also certain limitations. What is often missing is a more general approach to design automation that allows engineers to leverage a software-driven paradigm for engineering together with recent advances in AI.\u00a0\u00a0This is where nureo positions itself in the design software landscape.\u00a0Instead of replacing CAD systems, we build on established geometric kernels and introduce a library of engineering modules that encode design rules and manufacturing constraints. Combined with AI orchestration, this allows us to automate complex tasks while keeping engineers fully in control of the results.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3DN: What are the long-term goals or areas of innovation you\u2019re most excited about for nureo?<\/h2>\n

One of the milestones we are currently most excited about is finalizing the beta version of\u00a0the\u00a0nureo\u00a0design\u00a0platform. In the first step, we will use it internally to develop\u00a0automated\u00a0design\u00a0workflows.\u00a0This\u00a0allows us to test, validate, and continuously improve the platform before rolling it out\u00a0to\u00a0customers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even at this stage, the platform will significantly accelerate how we\u00a0develop\u00a0new design workflows. Being able to structure and automate this process more efficiently is a key step toward making design automation scalable and accessible\u00a0across\u00a0a broader range of applications.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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nureo’s software generates design based on user inputs, and delivers them via user-friendly tools. (Image credit: nureo)<\/p><\/div>\n

3DN: Any final thoughts for our readers?<\/h2>\n

We strongly believe that design automation will play an increasingly important role in engineering. Our goal is to make these capabilities accessible to engineers across many industries and applications.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Every new application brings unique challenges, and we enjoy working closely with customers to translate those challenges into automated design solutions. If\u00a0you have a design problem you think could benefit from automation, we would be very interested to hear about it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to learn more about nureo, visit the website HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What do you think of nureo? Let us know in a comment below or on our\u00a0LinkedIn<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span>Facebook<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>pages! Plus, don\u2019t forget to sign up for our free weekly\u00a0<\/span>Newsletter<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to get the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox. You can also find all our videos on our\u00a0<\/span>YouTube<\/span><\/a>\u00a0channel.<\/span><\/p>\n

*Cover Photo Credit:\u00a0Formnext<\/span>\u00a0I\u00a0<\/span>Mesago<\/span> Messe Frankfurt GmbH<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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The promise of additive manufacturing has always been design freedom, yet engineers frequently face complex, manual design processes to turn a concept into a manufacturable part. The Zurich-based software startup nureo is changing this by bridging the gap between advanced…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6114,"featured_media":71070,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,4,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-3d-software","category-interview","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69791"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69791\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71085,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69791\/revisions\/71085"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}