The Richard King Mellon Foundation recently awarded Surface Design Solutions, a manufacturing software company, with a $365,000 grant through the foundation’s Social-Impact Investment Program. The program invests in for-profit startups whose social missions aligns with the foundation’s philanthropic strategy.
Surface Design Solutions will use the funding to scale its newly developed software, build intuitive software interfaces tailored to meet production workers needs, and co-develop training materials.
“With the rise of retirements in manufacturing and a clear need to train new talent faster, Surface Builder is designed to bridge that gap,” Dr. Tevis Jacobs, Surface Design Solutions president and co-founder, said. “Thanks to the Richard King Mellon Foundation’s support, we’re not just building smarter tools; we’re helping ensure the knowledge of today’s experts becomes the foundation for tomorrow’s workforce. The funding allows us to preserve critical shop-floor knowledge, reduce onboarding time, and drive long-term manufacturing resilience.”
The company’s new Surface Builder, Surface Design Solutions shop-floor software gives production workers real-time feedback on surface performance and eliminates the need for testing. The company is working with machinists and technicians to create training materials aimed at new hires. One early partner has reported a 35 percent increase in production efficiency since using the software.