Larry Lukis

Larry founded Protolabs (NYSE: PRLB) in 1999 to reduce the amount of time it took product developers to get plastic injection-molded parts. He wrote front-end software programming that automated design analysis on 3D CAD models, which could then be sent digitally to interconnected manufacturing equipment for quick-turn part production.

As a result of his pioneering software and automation advancements, Protolabs grew from a small startup in Long Lake, Minnesota to become a global innovator in digital manufacturing with production facilities in the United States, Europe and Japan. In 2012, Protolabs went public on the New York Stock Exchange and by the end of 2020, the company reported nearly $450 million in annual revenue. Larry founded Digi Labs in 2014 to invest in and accelerate startup companies with products ranging from compact marine tech to virtual reality devices. Larry holds a B.S. in Physics from Canisius College and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University at Buffalo.