Elijah Lee, a biomedical engineering senior at Yale and co-founder of Forte3D, just secured a $250,000 deal on Shark Tank after 3D-printing a cello using carbon fiber and polymer composites. Lee said the idea began as a high school challenge from his orchestra director, who at the time urged him to merge his love of music with 3D printing.

Traditional cellos often cost over $5000, and are fragile. Lee set out to make one tougher and cheaper. Together with Alfred Goodrich, Forte3D’s co-founder and CEO, he redesigned the instrument and created a simple hybrid structure that is easy to 3D print. The instrument can withstand travel, temperature changes, and daily use while still delivering a rich, resonant sound.