Backflip, a startup specializing in AI-powered 3D modeling, has successfully raised $30 million in a Series A funding round. The investment was co-led by NEA and Andreessen Horowitz, with additional support from prominent angel investors such as Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott and Android founder Rich Miner. Backflip is developing an AI platform capable of generating 3D models from various inputs, including text, sketches, and photos. The company aims to simplify the 3D design process, which can often be time-consuming for engineers using traditional computer-aided design (CAD) software. The newly acquired funding will be used to further develop and expand Backflip's AI-driven 3D modeling platform. The technology leverages a "novel neural representation" that enables the AI to think in 3D, resulting in more efficient training, faster inference, and higher spatial resolution compared to existing methods. Backflip's platform has been trained on a vast dataset of approximately 10 million 3D parts. The company envisions democratizing design, enabling anyone, from manufacturers to individuals, to generate usable 3D designs with ease using their AI models. Backflip takes safety seriously and has content checkers to filter out harmful designs.