A 3D printing technique that might be up to 100 times faster than current technologies has received the backing of Autodesk, a US software company, in a move that will help speed up its commercialisation.

The company yesterday announced a $10 million (€9.4m) investment in Carbon3D, a Silicon Valley start-up that is pioneering a technique that pulls a three-dimensional object out of liquid resin.

“Continuous liquid interface production” might accelerate uptake of 3D printing in manufacturing by making the process of forming complex objects faster, and producing better parts.

The investment is part of Autodesk’s Spark Investment Fund, which it launched last October with the aim of investing up to $100 million in 3D printing start-ups. Carbon3D is the fund’s first announced investment.

Carl Bass, Autodesk chief executive, said: "The 3D printing industry needs to deliver on its promise to drive the next industrial revolution. [The fund] enables us to identify and support new technologies and teams that will fundamentally change how products are manufactured."

– Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2015