Dr. Joseph DeSimone’s academic resume just keeps getting more impressive. So, too, does his entrepreneurial record.

In an exclusive Q&A, the inventor-entrepreneur-academic talks about his new 3D printing technology venture in Silicon Valley and Monday’s announcement that he is now part of the Institute of Medicine as well as academia’s other big two (Engineering, Sciences).

As DeSimone signs every email: “La vita e bella.”

Life is beautiful.

A photo from the DeSimone Group research website (he teaches at both UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State) captures that “life is beautiful” feeling as he shares a jubliant moment with a group of students. And when WRAL TechWire reached out to the good doctor/inventor on Monday the first people he wanted to praise were his students as well as the universities which employ him.

The Institute of Medicine selection followed his naming to the National Academy of Engineering (2005) and the National Academy of Sciences (2012) – the triple crown of academia which UNC points out that fewer than 20 people have achieved. (DeSimone is a huge football fan, but perhaps he will appreciate the baseball  and horse racing analogy.)

“Hey Rick! Thanks for your interest in covering this new honor for our group,” DeSimone wrote. ” Election to all three National Academies is a testimony to the convergent approach my students from UNC-CH and NCSU take in approaching solutions to their studies. A great honor for our team!”

Indeed.

Just as life is beautiful, so too is it to be shared.

“They say only three types of people have the privilege in society to wear the robe: Religious, judges and scholars. And those of us who have the privilege to be in academia are fortunate to have the opportunity to share with the world the accomplishments of our students and coworkers,” DeSimone explained. “So this is personally very satisfying!”

On Sabbatical for First Time

DeSimone could be making huge news on the entrepreneurial front in the near future, too, through his new startup known as Carbon3D. The company is largely in stealth mode in the moment, and DeSimone has taken a sabbatical to concentrate first-hand on its launch. That’s how important this latest venture is to DeSimone, who also hatched Triangle-based Liquidia among others.

“I have never taken a sabbatical in my almost 25 year career so I was excited to get this opportunity,” DeSimone explained.

“I started just a few months ago and the plan is to return after a year. As you know, I’ve started several companies in my career and I teach entrepreneurship, but I’ve never had the opportunity to actually be on the field to help lead one.”

Any startup CEO can tell DeSimone that he will face many trials and tribulations along with plenty of financial risk. While academia has its own pressures, meeting payroll and dealing with investors just might be a bit different from his previous experiences. He realizes that.

“So the opportunity at Carbon3D is a great experience that I will be able to eventually share with students in the classroom,” he said.

The Unfolding Carbon3D Story

DeSimone’s work in nanotechnology apparent is paving the way for Carbon3D.

“Carbon3D is pursuing a radical new approach to 3D printing that is 100 [times] faster than traditional technologies and is focused on printed parts that have the requisite properties to be final products as printed,” DeSimone noted.

And he sees the chance to turn this capability built on nanoparticles into a giant opportunity – thus his choice not to license but to develop.

“I am a FIRM believer that to really move technologies forward, starting a company is far better than a licensing deal,” he explained. “A focused newco brings clarity of purpose that can not be had through a licensing deal to another company with a different mission.”

A Split Home Base

While Carbon3D calls the Valley home, DeSimone pointed out that he’s not abandoning the Triangle

“Our company is technically bi-coastal with sites in Chapel Hill and Redwood City in Silicon Valley but the center of gravity is now in Silicon Valley,” he stressed.

“The technology we are pursuing requires a level of integration, expertise and speed to market that we felt Silicon Valley was a necessity, especially to be close to our main investors.”

As with any startup, the questions quickly moved to money and investors.

“We are adequately capitalized at this point,” DeSimone said. As for who is backing him, he said the company will “have an announcement soon.”

The Appeal of Entrepreneurship

Carbon3D also gives DeSimone another chance to capitalize on the feeling of being an entrepreneur.

“I love building teams whose mission is to build a different future,” he wrote. “Nothing is more stimulating than that!”

Of course, so too is academia. Just check out his email signature:

Chancellor’s Eminent Professor of Chemistry at UNC
William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at NC State University and of Chemistry at UNC
Co-founder of Carbon3D, Liquidia Technologies, Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions, and Micell