ICON, which has captured attention not only with its ability to build homes with a 3D printer but also with its plan to build those houses on Mars, has raised an additional $185 million, according to TechCrunch. This latest raise brings ICON’s total funding raised to $451 million.
TechCrunch reports that the Austin-based company’s latest round of funding is likely an extension of its $207 million Series B round, which Built In reported on in August.
ICON built the United States’ first permitted 3D-printed home in Austin in 2018 and the world’s first 3D-printed neighborhood in Mexico a year later. The company also built neighborhood for Austin’s chronically homeless population in 2019.
In October, the company announced it would build a community of 100 3D-printed homes in the Austin area. That project is expected to break ground this year.
Founded in 2017, ICON’s 3D printed homes expand beyond traditional single-family houses. ICON has also built military training barracks, the world’s first simulated Mars surface habitat at Johnson Space Center in Houston and the world’s first 3D-printed lunar launch and landing pad at Camp Swift near Austin.
The company recently partnered with NASA, which wants South Dakota tribal colleges to teach students how to build 3D-printed houses. Using ICON’s technology, the houses would be built on Native American reservations in South Dakota and NASA would monitor the homes to determine if they could withstand the environment on the moon or Mars, according to nonprofit news agency South Dakota News Watch.
