Voxel8, a multi-material digital manufacturing company transforming design and production of footwear and apparel, announced the appointment of Dr. Friedrich (Fred) von Gottberg as president and chief executive officer and to the board of directors.
Voxel8’s digital manufacturing technologies reinvents how athletic footwear, sports apparel, and smart textiles are designed, manufactured and delivered.
The company’s recently introduced ActiveLab Digital Fabrication System, an additive manufacturing platform, gives brand owners the power to digitally design and fabricate shoe uppers with unique aesthetics and spatially tailored mechanical properties. The system promises include dramatically shortening design cycle times, reducing manufacturing reorder lead times, and significantly reducing costs for labor, tooling, freight and tariffs. Lowered overall costs also enable athletic footwear companies to establish manufacturing facilities closer to major end-user markets, such as North America and Europe, and respond rapidly to changing consumer demand.
Travis Busbee, co-founder and previous CEO, will assume the full-time role of chief technology officer, allowing him to focus on product development and the research and development of innovative new technologies.
“We’re grateful to Travis for his dedicated leadership over the past two years, during which Voxel8 developed important new technologies, introduced our ActiveLab Digital Fabrication System, and won major new customers in the athletic footwear, sportswear and connected devices markets,” said Charles Shalvoy, executive chairman of Voxel8. “At the same time, we’re very pleased to welcome Fred von Gottberg as our new CEO. His strong business, technical, and leadership skills enable us to build on the progress we’ve made to date with our unique manufacturing platform.”
“I’m excited to join Voxel8, and look forward to working with Travis and the rest of the team as the company positions itself for the next stage of growth,” said Dr. von Gottberg.
Prior to joining Voxel8, von Gottberg was with Cabot Corporation for over 20 years. His most recent roles at Cabot included senior vice president and president, Purification Solutions, vice president and GM new business segments, and vice president and global director of R&D. A chemical engineer by training, von Gottberg has a PhD (ChemE) and MS in Chemical Engineering Practice from MIT, and a BS (ChemE) from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.
The company also recently announced its Series B financing. Led by DSM Venturing, the venture investment arm of DSM, the round includes participation from HP Tech Ventures and existing investors Braemar Energy Ventures and ARCH Venture Partners.
