# START pod: Ansel Dias, Founder & CEO, AutoFAB: “Building a distributed 3D-printing network. Local microfactories, one platform, zero inventory”

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/start-7171926/start-pod-ansel-dias-founder-ceo-autofab-building-a-distributed-3d-printing-network-local-microfactories-one-platform-zero-inventory
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/start-7171926/start-pod-ansel-dias-founder-ceo-autofab-building-a-distributed-3d-printing-network-local-microfactories-one-platform-zero-inventory.md
Podcast: [START](https://stenobird.com/podcast/start-7171926)
Published: 2026-05-21T22:12:54+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/dcb065c3
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/dcb065c3/72bd3ccf.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/start-7171926/episodes/start-pod-ansel-dias-founder-ceo-autofab-building-a-distributed-3d-printing-network-local-microfactories-one-platform-zero-inventory
Duration seconds: 230

## Resource

Ansel Dias is using his robot factory to build more robot factories AutoFAB is a robotic desktop factory that prints, assembles, quality-checks, and packages hardware autonomously It’s already being used to manufacture more of its own robotic arms The insight behind it is simple: Prototyping is easy Production is the completely different ballgame - and that’s where hardware startups die Factories. QA. Packaging. Scaling production. That’s the bottleneck AutoFAB wants to eliminate The long-term vision: AutoFABs making more AutoFABs 🎙️ Ansel Dias, Founder & CEO, AutoFAB on Fondo START pod 00:18 AutoFAB is a robotic desktop factory 00:33 It prints things, then assembles them 00:41 It does quality checks and even packs shipping boxes 01:03 Putting hardware into production is extremely difficult 02:01 AutoFAB to make more AutoFABs 02:14 Growth will become geometric 02:37 Right now it's making more of its own robotic arms Check out autofab.net to learn more

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## Transcript

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