Manchester-based scaleup Fractory has appointed industry veteran Bjoern Klaas as its new CEO and raised an undisclosed amount of investment.
Klaas joins the multi-stage cloud manufacturing firm after spending the last 7 years serving as managing director at Protolabs Europe.
He brings over 25 years of knowledge and experience from the process and discrete manufacturing industry, having previously held other senior leadership positions at PolyOne, Color Matrix, Colorant Chromatics, and Clariant International.
His immediate focus at Fractory will be on further strengthening the vision of a multi-stage connected and sustainable manufacturing ecosystem.
On the back of the two milestones for the firm, it will now leverage the platform’s strengths in automation, digital workflows and supplier network optimisation.
Co-founder and ex-CEO Martin Vares will also move into the COO role.
“This is an incredibly exciting moment, both for me personally and for Fractory, as a business,” said Vares.
“As founders me, Rein Torm, and Joosep Merelaht have been all-in for 7 years, the fact that we managed to attract a top player in our field is a testament to what we have built.
“Bjoern brings in valuable expertise, fresh ideas, and also challenges us. This union of entrepreneurial spirit and incredibly fitting experience means Factory’s DNA remains not only intact but it gets enhanced.
“There’s an obvious element of bittersweetness for me personally, having guided Fractory for the past seven years. However, the overwhelming feeling is one of positivity.
“Bjoern and I share a vision of how a seamlessly connected manufacturing ecosystem can revolutionise the industry, so I couldn’t have asked for a better person to pass the torch to.”
Klaas added: “Fractory offers the most advanced and intelligent approach to cloud-based metal fabrication.
“By automating and digitally coordinating every step of the manufacturing process–from quoting to production to delivery we create value for both customers and manufacturing partners.
“Fractory’s model doesn’t only solve today’s challenges, it’ll shape the future of the manufacturing industry. I’m excited to scale it further and build on the incredible work already done by Fractory’s team.”
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