4/29/2025 Max Dudley
Written by Max Dudley
Alumnus Eduardo Torrealba (MSME 2013) has established meaningful connections and innovative work as co-founder and CEO of the computer hardware manufacturing company Lumafield.
During his graduate program at Illinois, Torrealba was able to complete his thesis research (“Droplet Repellency of Microfabricated Surfaces in Saturated Environments”) while connecting with peers and alumni. He particularly appreciated working with his advisor, Professor Bill King, who provided strong technical insights as well as encouraged high standards for his students. Torrealba’s experiences and his expectations of excellence and success gave him a better sense of the qualities of a good engineer.
“My experience [at Illinois] helped me to dream bigger and strive to make a larger impact in the world,” Torrealba said. “Before coming to Illinois, I had an idea of what I wanted my career to look like. Being at the university really changed that in a positive and meaningful way for me. I’m forever grateful for that experience at Illinois.”
As a grad student, Torrealba co-founded and ran a company called Oso Technologies. With the help of a successful kickstarter campaign, the Oso team developed a wireless soil moisture monitoring system that connects with a mobile application and collaborated with many manufacturing shops in Illinois—providing Torrealba with his first experience in manufacturing at a large scale.
He later worked as a director of engineering for Formlabs and as an individual consultant for startup companies. His experiences helped him realize his passion for both creating innovative engineering ideas and the building of companies, a combination that would lead to his latest endeavor.
“Lumafield was born out of the culmination of my professional experiences,” he said. “I loved watching how things were made as a kid, which led me to where I am today. I got into manufacturing to learn as much as I could about the industry that I wanted to make an impact in.”
Founded in 2019, Lumafield utilizes X-ray CT scanners and advanced engineering software to upgrade manufacturing in a variety of industries. The company recently announced $75 million series C funding, which acknowledges its leadership status within the manufacturing industry and opens opportunities for more expansion. With Lumafield, Torrealba hopes to continue solving meaningful problems and transforming the manufacturing industry.
In his position as CEO, Torrealba enjoys the opportunities to interact with kind and hardworking individuals. From these interactions, he has gained more perspective about the works of others across fields and disciplines. He also places importance on creating new ideas and advocates for engineers to look for opportunities for growth in their career.
“The value of an engineering education is learning how to think and how to teach yourself,” Torrealba said. “While there are concepts from past courses that I don’t tend to use on a regular basis, the learning experience that I had [at Illinois] really put things in perspective for me.”