Nov.6, 2013
Belgian 3D printing firm, Materialise, is considering plans to IPO, Financial news reported.
A spokeswoman for Materialise said: "Materialise constantly explores, with an open mind, various opportunities that may fuel its growth. A public transaction involving equity is one possibility, but there are many other alternative means to finance our growth. Today none of these many options has been ruled out."
Materialise, together with LayerWise and Melotte in Belgium forms the largest industrial 3D printing hub of Europe. CEO Wilfried Vancraen is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the industry who has been developing breakthroughs in the medical and industrial applications of Additive Manufacturing (AM) at Materialise for more than 20 years.
Materialise originated as a university project focused on rapid prototyping applications. From the very beginning, Vancraen has concentrated on researching and developing solutions for the transfer of data to AM machines. He also pioneered several major applications in the AM sector including stereolithographic medical models, colored stereolithographic medical models, perforated support structures, RapidFit Fixtures, surgical guides for oral and orthopaedic surgeons, and automated hearing aid design.
Materialise's Patented Mammoth Stereolithography Technology.
In 2010, Materialise launched a new consumer website called i.materialise, which empowers consumers to create designs by turning their ideas into 3D reality.
People familiar with the firm said it is leaning towards an IPO, either on NYSE Euronext or Nasdaq, and said it could raise between $70 million and $100 million.
If it does decide to list, Materialise will join a growing number of rivals on the public markets. Last month, Germany-based Voxeljet listed on the New York Stock Exchange for $13 dollars per share, raising $100 million. The stock bounced nearly 90% in the first hour-and-a-half of trading.
Voxeljet follows the IPO of The ExOne Co, which listed in February on Nasdaq. The stock floated at $18 a share raising $110 million, and bounced to a high of $79 in August, before falling back down to $55.
Posted in 3D Printing Services
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