“Success doesn’t matter, having great motivation is already a result”. Massimo Moretti, founder and CEO of Waspthe all-Italian company that produces 3D printers “To solve the problems of humanity”, is an enlightened entrepreneur who expresses himself as a philosopher.
“But no – he says smiling – in reality I am a spiritual geek. That sentence about success and motivation is not mine, it is from the 1300s, it was useful when the results did not arrive and I had to cling to a philosophical basis “.
Moretti defines himself as one of the greatest experts on bankruptcy “Without ever having really failed”. “In 50 years I have created at least ten different companies – he says – None have ever failed but I have always had to start over. At one point I was tired of getting up, I couldn’t take it anymore ”. And so, with an investment of just seven thousand euros and the enthusiasm of a group of young people, all united by the desire to do something useful, not only by earning, Wasp was born. A company that embodies its mission in its name: “World’s Advanced Saving Project”.
Moretti’s idea is clear: on the one hand, profit is pursued, designing and selling – especially abroad – 3D printers that produce objects in bio plastic, clay, silicone and biocompatible materials; on the other hand, we try to use part of the revenues – about 30% – in research and development of technologies that will help create in the future “Widespread well-being”guaranteeing the right to a home for every man. The goal is to use 3D printing to build homes in low environmental impactmade with natural materials, even with mixtures that mainly use earth.
“This is year zero for us – says Moretti – we are finally ready to sell 3D printers capable of building houses. We will be rewarded for our efforts ”. The road traveled by Wasp, in fact, was tiring. “We have grown up without debts – says Moretti proudly – Today we have about 40 employees and collaborators, we produce everything in Italy and we invoice around 3 million euros per year”. A small miracle, considering that Wasp competes with foreign companies that have received up to 300 million euros of investments.
“Investors, on the other hand, have never arrived here – says Moretti. At least up to four or five years ago we were the ‘weird ones’ who wanted to make houses in 3D. Then came Chinese and American groups who made this idea credible. But they focused on the concrete. While we want to use natural materials, a difficult choice to understand “.
The widespread idea of asustainable economy, however, shed new light on Wasp. And so Moretti, at 63, still finds himself dreaming. “It is precisely at my age that you cannot help but think about changing the world – he explains – How else can you make sense of what you do every day?”.
Moretti’s new motivation is called Ithaca. It is a project that intends to condense “the knowledge that humanity has developed to date” to create a self-sufficient and disconnected from water, gas and electricity. “First of all, it is knowledge that counts” says the entrepreneur, convinced that he can create a revolutionary house inspired by the space economy and all those solutions designed for a hostile environment, which make the most of the resources of the territory.
“It will be a sort of scientific experiment – says the founder of Wasp – with a plot of 33 meters in diameter we will try to make a family independent”. For Wasp, Itaca will also be a training ground: it will give way to the company develop and test technologies that could one day be used in space.
“We have already bought the land to build a prototype but we are awaiting the authorizations. We plan to build Ithaca by 2023 ”. And while he says it, Moretti’s eyes light up: “I hope someone wants to join us, maybe we will organize a crowdfunding. I feel a little selfish to want to change the world by myself ”.