Cornelius Schmitt started building 3D printers for shoe designers from his college dorm in Germany. Luxury fashion houses like Louis Vuitton and Moncler took notice, using his technology to print their footwear, and in 2016, he launched Zellerfeld with the goal of democratizing the industry, allowing anyone with a laptop to submit shoe designs that the company can print out of recycled materials. Schmitt has secured $18 million in funding from investors including Peter Thiel-backed Founders Fund.