Company: VLDXW
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000950170-25-047760
Chunk: 123

Company: Velo3D, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-03-31
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 123
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 anticipated lead times for sourcing components and assembly. 

Intellectual Property 

Our leadership in the high-value metal parts AM segment depends largely on our differentiated technology, which we seek to protect through a multi-layered IP approach. Our IP protection enables us to prevent organizations and individuals from selling or using our systems, apparatuses, devices, and software, practicing our methods, or trading in our produced parts (e.g., 3D objects), as these are all protected by various forms of IP protection including by our patents and trademarks granted in various jurisdictions, by our copyrights, and by our trade secrets.

We attempt to protect our IP rights, in various jurisdictions (e.g., United States and abroad), through a combination of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets, nondisclosure and invention assignment agreements with our consultants and employees, and nondisclosure agreements with our contractors, vendors and other business partners. 

We pursue patent protection when we believe it is possible and consistent with our overall strategy for safeguarding IP. 

Our patent profile includes a broad portfolio across our systems, apparatuses, devices, methods (e.g., of production), software, and composition of matter (e.g., 3D objects). Metal parts produced using our system technology have a signature that is readily recognizable and traceable. 

As of December 31, 2024 we owned 63 issued patents of which 43 are issued U.S. patents, and 20 are issued foreign patents. We also have 51 publicly pending patent applications of which 47 are pending U.S. patent applications, four are pending foreign patent applications. Our issued patents will expire at different times in the future, with the earliest expiring in 2035 and the latest expiring in 2047. Our currently pending patent applications will generally remain in effect for 20 years from the date of filing of the initial patent application of each. Our trademarks include six registered U.S. trademarks, 45 registered foreign trademarks, two pending U.S. trademark applications, and six pending foreign trademark applications. We also have one U.S. registered copyright. Our intellectual property is subject to a first lien security interest held by the Holder of the Secured Notes.

Human Capital Resources 

We have a strong team of employees who contribute to our success. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had 105 and 237 full-time employees, respectively, the majority of them based at our headquarters and manufacturing facility in Fremont, California. We rely on consultants and outside contractors