Jason Ballard, often recognized by his trademark cowboy hat, is solving two huge problems! One is the housing crisis, and the other is an ambitious quest for accessible, affordable housing on extraterrestrial landscapes like Mars and the Moon.

His solution? Harnessing the power of 3D printing!

Introducing ICON

In 2017, Ballard, alongside Alex Le Roux and Evan Loomis, co-founded ICON. This innovative company pioneers 3D printing within the construction sector, leveraging this cutting-edge technology to erect homes and buildings that are more sustainable, cost-effective, and safer. In Jason’s words, their mission is to make “dignified housing accessible to everyone.”

This Austin, Texas-based company has closed roughly $500M of investment in funding rounds. It has also embarked on a groundbreaking 100-house project, envisioning a community where homes are not merely structures but manifestations of advanced construction methods.

Their collaboration extended beyond Earth's confines, catching the attention of NASA. Partnering with the space agency, ICON is venturing into pioneering 3D printing technology in space and other worlds, aiming to revolutionize how we envision human settlements beyond our planet's boundaries.

Sounds interesting, right?! But until now, we have barely scratched the surface of Jason Ballard’s story! Let’s dig deeper and start from the beginning!!!

Jason Ballard: Early Days

Jason did not have a conventional “CEO” career path, which is usually in the corporate sector around the tech world! Instead, his early days connected him more to his roots and his genuine interests and passion.

According to the 60-minute documentary made on Jason and INC, Jason grew up as a spiritual, outgoing, and nature-loving extroverted kid.

Jason Ballard's unconventional journey began with his graduation in Biology at Texas AMS University, where he studied Conservation Biology.

Since then, he’s had a diverse background, spanning environmental consultancy, carpentry, and aiding the homeless before pursuing sustainable building initiatives.

After his undergrad, Jason started his career as a program staff, contributing to the welfare of the homeless community in Boulder, CO, in 2006.  

Further, engaged in general carpentry and painting, Jason honed his skills in sustainable building practices while working for Steve Hatland Construction/Eco-Handyman.

Jason also took on the role of an environmental consultant and forester, gaining insights into forestry and environmental management in Southeast Texas/Southwest Louisiana.

Jason, who grew up as a spiritual person, also served as a lay minister, contributing to the spiritual well-being of the community in 2010. That could have contributed to his leadership skills, upbeat attitude, optimism, and just a general motive to serve and contribute!

His endeavors culminated in co-founding TreeHouse, an innovative home upgrade company, where he emphasized healthy, sustainable living.

His upbringing in East Texas and experiences rebuilding after hurricanes fueled his passion for redefining housing solutions.

Ballard initially had an inclination towards becoming an Episcopal priest, which shifted towards housing advocacy as he felt a calling to address the housing crisis.

Recognizing the need for change in home construction, Ballard, alongside Evan Loomis, delved into exploring robotics, advanced materials, and software, envisioning a transformative approach to housing.

Digging Deeper into ICON

Founding story of ICON

The story of ICON's genesis began as Jason Ballard, fueled by a growing itch about the inadequacy of housing, embarked on a journey that intertwined his passion for sustainable living and his hometown's distressing encounter with a devastating hurricane.

Teaming up with his friend Evan Loomis, a finance-savvy comrade from Texas A&M, Ballard envisioned merging robotics, advanced materials, and software to transform the housing sector.

They started doing their research! They spent several nights and weekends in a borrowed warehouse to understand the intricate mechanics of 3D printing, aiming to create a monumental 3D printer capable of building structures—a dream that initially faltered.

Enter Alex Laro, a recent engineering graduate who was working on a similar mission. He already had built a 3D-printed shed before!

The trio officially founded ICON in 2017, securing funding to debut a small 3D-printed house at Austin's South by Southwest Festival. Despite initial setbacks and a comical mishap where their printer veered off course, punctuating layers of the house, their determination never wavered.

They finally finished their 350-square-foot house and unveiled it. That garnered attention, igniting a wave of innovation awards, investor interest, and high-profile collaborations.

Among these collaborations was with Austin innovator Alan Graham, who started building homes for the homeless almost two decades back and started facilitating the printing of homes for his Community First village, a haven for hundreds of previously homeless individuals.

ICON started by printing three residents' houses and a service center in the village. The first North American person to live in a 3D-printed house was a 73-year-old former heroin addict named Tim Shay.

The growth story of ICON

After working with Community First Village, ICON opened a new factory and a facility called “Print Land” to test new designs, and printing technology, and improve its concrete quality. Since 2018, it has built 100+ houses/structures in the US and Mexico.

In 2019, the company launched its first open-for-purchase construction printer Vulcan II, a groundbreaking large-scale 3D printer designed to construct entire homes on-site using advanced materials and robotics.

Then, in 2020, ICON launched Project Olympus, a pioneering venture in collaboration with NASA, aiming to advance lunar-based construction technology using 3D printing robotics, cutting-edge software, and advanced materials ICON - Project Olympus.

This project has received significant attention and funding from NASA, including a $57 million contract awarded to ICON to develop 3D printing technology for building infrastructure like roads, launchpads, and homes on the lunar surface.

Finally, in 2023, the company completed its 100-home community built by robots in Georgetown, Texas.

With over 41,000 employees across 106 locations in 53 countries by September 2023, ICON's global presence signifies its expansion and scalability.

Funding story of ICON

In October 2018, the company secured a seed round of $9 million from Flourish Capital and 16 other investors. Subsequently, in August 2020, ICON raised $35 million in a Series A funding round, with significant contributions from the Bjarke Ingels Group and 11 additional investors.

This substantial funding aimed to support the company's innovative endeavors in revolutionizing construction technology. Their Series B funding in August 2021 exceeded $200 million, led by Norwest Venture Partners, emphasizing their commitment to meeting the escalating demand for 3D-printed construction worldwide. 

Welcoming Jeff Crowe of Norwest Venture Partners to their Board of Directors further showcased ICON's strategic growth initiatives and solidified its position as a leader in the field. The recent round led by Tiger Global in February 2022, raising $185 million, propelled ICON towards a valuation close to $2 billion.

ICON’s Technology!

Understanding 3D Printing

To understand what is it exactly ICON does, we need to first understand what 3D printing is. 3D printing is a manufacturing process that creates three-dimensional objects by adding material layer by layer based on a digital design.

It involves the following steps:

• Designing: Using specialized software, a digital 3D model of the object is created or obtained.
• Slicing: The digital model is sliced into thin horizontal layers to prepare it for printing.
• Printing: The 3D printer reads the sliced file and builds the object layer by layer, following the instructions from the digital design.
• Finishing: Once the object is printed, it might need post-processing, like cleaning, sanding, or painting for a smoother finish.

What’s a 3D-printed house?

3D-printed houses utilize digital architectural plans translated into machine instructions for massive construction robots. These robots deposit materials in precise layers, significantly expediting the building process, making it cost-effective, and offering limitless design possibilities.

How ICON Uses 3D Printing to Construct Houses

ICON's way of building homes is different. They use a special machine that works a bit like an extra-large ice cream dispenser. Instead of using hammers and saws, this machine squirts concrete in layers, like making a soft serve ice cream cone.

What's cool is that even though they're made with this new technology, these houses don't look cold or industrial. They have nice curved walls, giving them a cozy vibe. ICON plans to build a whole community of 100 houses using this method, starting at $400,000 each. It's a way to make modern and unique homes more accessible.

Here's how they do it: First, they mix a big sack of dry concrete powder with water, sand, and some other stuff. Then, a special machine takes over, adding one layer of concrete every 30 minutes. They strengthen it by putting in steel every tenth layer. The whole house, made up of about 160 layers, takes around two weeks to finish.

One big plus of this method is that there's way less leftover material compared to regular building. It's better for the environment. Plus, these 3D-printed homes are super strong, go up faster, and can resist things like termites and fire better than houses built the usual way.

ICON’s Vulcan II

Launched in 2019, the Vulcan II, developed by ICON, represents a groundbreaking leap in construction 3D printing technology. It's a sizable printer uniquely engineered to build complete homes directly on-site, utilizing cutting-edge 3D printing robotics and advanced materials.

This mobile printer can be swiftly transported to construction locations, streamlining the process by swiftly creating structures. It also includes user-friendly tablet-based controls, remote monitoring capabilities, LED lighting for night printing, and the use of ICON's Lavacrete material.

Advantages of ICON and its 3D-printed construction technology

3D-printed construction technology offers a transformative solution to several pressing challenges in the industry.

Automates manual work

Its automated approach not only addresses the acute shortage of skilled labor but also presents an avenue for workers to transition to operating and managing the 3D printing process. This addresses the scarcity while creating opportunities for skill development in robotics.

Earthquake Resilience

In terms of safety and resilience, these homes are designed to withstand seismic activity, demonstrating their durability against a magnitude 7.2 earthquake without any damage. Moreover, they surpass local building codes in strength and safety, exceeding standards by three and a half times.

Climate Change Resilience

Addressing concerns related to climate change, these homes offer increased energy efficiency, surpassing local building codes by two and a half times in Texas. They are also equipped to withstand extreme weather, having passed a 200 mph wind certification and boasting enhanced fire resistance and termite-proof materials.

Can 3D-printed homes withstand a changing climate?

Affordable and faster construction

It promises affordable housing by streamlining construction, reducing labor costs, and optimizing material usage. The technology's remarkable speed, with an average of 24 hours per house achieved by ICON, combined with the ability to print two houses simultaneously, ensures quicker construction times and the potential for rapid scaling.

High-quality concrete

ICON’s concrete is durable and resistant to fire, termites, and rot. That makes it a superior choice for sustainable, long-lasting homes compared to traditional wood-based constructions.

Social Impact of ICON

One of the primary social impacts of ICON lies in its capacity to address the global housing crisis. By aiming to revolutionize the construction industry, ICON seeks to provide sustainable, affordable, and dignified housing solutions for communities facing housing shortages, homelessness, or inadequate living conditions.

ICON worked with New Story to help indigenous communities in Mexico, historically marginalized and lacking proper housing infrastructure. By providing earthquake-resistant, 3D-printed homes to these communities, ICON directly addresses the housing needs of the most vulnerable populations.

New Story + ICON + Échale | “3D Printed Housing for Those Who Need It Most”

The initial scaled project wasn't driven by profit motives but was undertaken in service of impoverished communities.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, 3D printing is the future of real estate and one of the fastest-growing technologies in this sector. More companies like the Oakland-based Mighty Buildings, funded by Khosla Ventures, India-based Tvasta, and others, are working on the same technology.

But what sets ICON apart is its CEO, Jason Ballard, whose leadership and upbeat attitude make him a perfect face for the company, the overall branding and storytelling the company is doing, its seemingly genuine interest in social impact, and its team!

Jason’s journey as an entrepreneur is nothing like you read about in business books and seminars. Jason’s hybrid background in sustainable housing, environmental consultancy, carpentry, and aiding the homeless gives him his likable personality and passion for his mission!

ICON is ahead of all its competitors in terms of eyeballs, funding, collaborations, and even technology! With investors like Tiger Global Management and partners like NASA, the company has surely taken a good leap over the last six years!

It’s also important to acknowledge the overall tech team and leadership of the company, with which they have come so far! Had Evan and Jason not met their CTO, Alex, their first project would not have been possible!

It would be interesting to see where Jason and ICON journey from here onwards!