Erik Palitsch

CEO @freeform_future / Former @SpaceX

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

When I was at SpaceX, running the Merlin engine program for Falcon 9, my brain kept coming back to one question: How will we make things on Mars?

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

The relentless willingness to try something new and fail is required to build anything of lasting value. Iterative improvements to existing technology won’t move the needle. @EdwardMehr and I go deep on this.

[Machina Labs @MachinaLabs_]

$57 of steel vs a $2,000 machined part.

Where did the other $1,943 go?

@freeform_future CEO @ErikPalitsch joins our CEO @EdwardMehr to unpack the first-principles thinking behind SpaceX and why being willing to blow up an engine was part of the learning process.

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

@EdwardMehr gets it. The factory is the machine.

When the boundaries between operations disappear, the whole factory runs as one system.

Great conversation on the @machinalabs floor. Worth a watch.

[Freeform @freeform_future]

What does a factory look like when the boundaries between operations disappear?

Sensing and control span every step. Parts move as one continuous process. The factory is the machine.

@ErikPalitsch and @EdwardMehr dig into it at @MachinaLabs_.

Full discussion👇🏽

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

We’re honored to be named one of @FastCompany's Most Innovative Companies of 2026. 🏆

We built our first factory system with less than 20 people and $20M, delivering 10x the throughput of the status quo. This year, we go 25x bigger, unveiling a step change in advanced manufacturing technology.

Freeform is proof that the future of manufacturing doesn’t have to look like its past.

https://t.co/kovLrNkvXm

[Freeform @freeform_future]

. @FastCompany just named us one of the Most Innovative Companies of 2026. For decades, metal printing forced a choice: speed or quality. We refused. The future of manufacturing doesn’t have to look like its past: https://t.co/K6Di3fb8Jx #fcmostinnovative #manufacturing #additivemanufacturing #freeform

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

Had a great time sitting down with @TimFernholz at @TechCrunch to share more about Freeform's Series B and more importantly, our deployment of Physical AI to bring manufacturing into the future.

https://t.co/mf3TIkKs7s

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

Most factories are stuck in the past. We’re building the platform to change that.

With our Series B closed, we’re 25xing production and 10xing our material range. Proud of the team for hitting these milestones.

The next-gen factory starts now.

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

Love to see @freeform_future in @Forbes with my @SpaceX alumni: https://t.co/XH7jaOBBik

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

Totally right. For decades we’ve been designing what factories can handle, not what we actually want to build. Additive hinted at a way out, but without factories that can print flight-grade metal parts at real production volumes, it’s a science project - not an industrial base. Freeform built those factories and are taking manufacturability off the table so teams like @anduriltech can ship whatever they want.

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

Engineering at its finest. Super proud of the work this team is doing everyday.

Foreground: ME's, EE's, and SWE's deving out critical subsystems for our next-gen factory tech.

Background: The world's highest throughput metal printing system - producing perfect parts around the clock, with no human in the loop.

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

When things were difficult in the early days of SpaceX, a friend of mine used to say that these are the fun times, and I thought he was crazy... (6/8)

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

They are a part of something special that is going to transform industries, and when we succeed, it’s going to be extremely satisfying and special. (5/8)

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

@CornTerry5 On it.

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

@DeltaClimbs Let's go.

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

Last week, we completed our first print using the next generation of our custom software stack. This includes no legacy components, an entire GPU accelerated pre-print stack, and online dynamic laser scheduling. Our current production system is fully reserved for existing orders. As demand continues to increase, this software will be the heart of our next gen production lines.

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

Building the world's most advanced autonomous printing factory requires developing custom software and hardware in house. Looking for former founders and talented leaders who want to build with us.

If that’s you, send in your info, or send me a note. https://t.co/lLNHswiQ6P

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

@JoeTegtmeyer No special power source required. We power from the grid today and in California a decent portion of grid power is from renewable. Maybe equivalent to several average homes worth of power.

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

When I was at SpaceX, running the Merlin engine program for Falcon 9, my brain kept coming back to one question: How will we make things on Mars?

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

With physical AI, the factory itself starts to think. And when that happens, every industry can scale.

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

Let’s talk about physical AI - and why it’s the future of manufacturing:

[Erik Palitsch @ErikPalitsch]

Physical AI changes that. It’s 100x smarter. It means machines can sense, learn, and adapt. It means systems improve with every cycle - making more affordable, perfect parts in a shorter amount of time.