ReadingResearchRadarInvestment framework
Sign in / Sign up
← Back to reading
NewsTopic · 涌泉创新桌面CNC路线Material4 min readDisconfirmAI Editorial

Wang Hao, Founder of Yongquan Innovation: Five-Axis Lacks PMF Today; Three-Axis is the Correct Starting Point for Desktop CNC

Wang Hao, founder of Yongquan Innovation, argues that prioritizing five-axis capabilities and positioning for AI-generated sculptures lack product-market fit in the 2026 desktop CNC market, as most needs are met by three-axis machines. Based on this, he chose a strategy centered on three-axis basics with upgradable five-axis linkage, a judgment validated by over $16 million in crowdfunding.

2026-11-04 10:54 GMT+8

The 2026 desktop CNC sector is being ignited by the concept of five-axis machining, with multiple players launching crowdfunding campaigns centered on five-axis as their core selling point, seemingly suggesting that whoever launches five-axis first gains the first-mover advantage. Wang Hao, founder of Yongquan Innovation, holds the exact opposite view: five-axis currently lacks Product-Market Fit (PMF); only a very small number of items absolutely require five-axis processing, while the majority of needs can be satisfied with three-axis.

Wang Hao's reasoning is built upon his long-term research into the Maker industry. After leaving DJI in August 2023, he spent over a year studying the entire desktop manufacturing landscape, covering metal 3D printing, multi-material printing, UV printers, and CNC. He almost exhaustively reviewed user discussions on Reddit and Discord, manually performed business intelligence analysis, gathered nearly all available data regarding desktop CNC product demand online, and then integrated this with his own practical needs as an engineer to define the product direction.

After defining the product, he conducted quantitative validation through questionnaires and user interviews, finalizing parameters item by item. Just as the product definition was taking shape, Chaojiang Technology launched its first desktop CNC, whose product definition was quite similar to what Wang Hao had envisioned at the time. With the first-mover already occupying the space, Wang Hao re-evaluated: the direction remains unchanged, but he needed to figure out how to do it better.

Sign in / Sign up
ReadingResearchRadarInvestment framework

He identified three main differentiators: a target processing power of 1.5 kW, which is 100% higher than Chaojiang Technology's; a processing area of 400×300 mm, offering three times the volume; and a design centered on three-axis capability but retaining the ability to upgrade to five-axis. A North American user wanted to modify motorcycle parts requiring a total length of approximately 16 inches and worried that an 800W spindle would lead to low efficiency—this user's needs perfectly aligned with Wang Hao's three key points.

Regarding five-axis, Wang Hao's logic is that while five-axis will certainly meet future user needs, it currently serves only a very limited number of scenarios. Many manufacturers making five-axis machines have habitual thinking, assuming that since Bambu Lab makes sculptures, CNC should also make sculptures. However, the primary use case for five-axis today is not sculpture—four-axis handles sculpture well, and 3D printing does so too; with so many competing processes, five-axis offers little advantage. Many competitors initially defined their products around AI-generated sculptures followed by machining, a concept carrying PMF risk; users are not buying into it, as they primarily want to make components.

Yongquan Innovation's crowdfunding results support this judgment. Having been established for just over a year, the company was not among the earliest crowdfunding players this year, yet it entered the public eye with over $16 million in new product crowdfunding. Wang Hao believes that Chaojiang Technology and Zao Wu Shi Dai, despite having correct product definitions, achieved decent crowdfunding results even if their implementation wasn't extreme; Yongquan performed better in product definition, implementation, and marketing, hence achieving superior results.

A deeper logic lies in the path to breaking out of the niche. Wang Hao believes that for CNC to break out, it must move from core professionals to non-professionals. The current main business scenarios remain within the professional sphere, whether companies or individual professionals. The first layer of breakout involves bringing manufacturing capabilities back from factories to engineers and craftsmen; museum restoration, violin making, and handbag manufacturing all require CNC for metal or wooden parts. This layer does not require prices in the thousands of RMB; tens of thousands are acceptable. The second layer of breakout, moving from tool to toy, requires more stringent conditions and time.

In just over a year since its establishment, the company has consecutively completed Seed, Angel, and Pre-A funding rounds, with investors including Source Code Capital, Matrix Partners China, Fang Guang Capital, Yaotu Capital, Jingya Capital, and Yuansheng Capital. The team has expanded to approximately 200 people. Wang Hao stated that former DJI product managers played a triple role combining product requirements management, project management, and systems engineering, leading the product from start to finish. He brought this methodology into Yongquan Innovation—believing that excelling in product definition, implementation, and marketing is necessary to truly win.

Sources

  • leiphone.com↗
Topic

涌泉创新桌面CNC路线

【背景】2026年桌面CNC赛道爆发,资本追逐“下一个拓竹”,但技术路线存在分歧:多数玩家押注四轴或高端五轴,而涌泉创新(ToolDance)创始人王昊认为五轴当前不具备PMF(产品-市场匹配),坚持“3+2”路线——以三轴为基础,支持五轴…

4 steps1 piecesUpdated 2026-11-04 14:07

How it got here

  1. 2025-04-01涌泉创新(ToolDance)在深圳成立,创始人为前大疆产品经理王昊。leiphone.com ↗
  2. 2026-05-15雷峰网报道桌面CNC元年,指出资本疯抢“小拓竹”,涌泉创新估值破亿美金,采用“3+2”路线引发行业关于五轴是否伪需求的讨论。m.leiphone.com ↗
  3. 2026-08-24涌泉创新宣布完成Pre-A轮融资,累计融资额达数亿元人民币,由方广资本领投,源码资本跟投。recodex.pro ↗

What is still unsettled

  • ToolDance X1实际交付后的精度稳定性及用户复购率如何?
  • 随着更多玩家推出低价入门机型,涌泉创新的“高端设备”定位是否会受到挤压?
  • 五轴模块的升级路径在实际操作中是否足够简便,能否真正转化为销量?
Read the full topic →
Continue researching →