www.3ders.org

May 3, 2016 | By Tess

3D printer company Formlabs, responsible for some of the most popular desktop SLA 3D printers on the market, has been gradually rising to the top of the desktop 3D printing industry since its founding in 2011. With over $19 million secured in investor funding, and the overwhelming success of their most recent product the Form 2 3D printer, heralded as the most advanced SLA desktop 3D printer to date, there has been little doubt of the company’s growth and staying presence within the 3D printing industry. Now, with the announcement that Formlabs has officially acquired online 3D printing marketplace Pinshape, their growing presence in the industry is even further cemented.

Pinshape, the Vancouver, Canada based online marketplace, which has called itself the “iTunes for 3D printing,” has provided makers and designers from all over the world with a platform for selling and sharing their 3D printable designs. Earlier this year, however, the small company, which was founded in 2013, announced it would be shutting down its 3D design services to the dismay of its many users. Fortunately, the termination was only a brief hiatus as the company announced just a day later that their services would continue thanks to the takeover by a like-minded company.

That company, as it turns out, was Somerville, Massachusetts based Formlabs. As Max Lobovsky, co-founder and CEO of Formlabs expresses, “Pinshape is a company that shares the same passion and drive as Formlabs in making sophisticated 3-D printing technology widely accessible. Pinshape is one of the fastest growing 3-D design marketplaces, and Formlabs wants to make sure Pinshape stays that way. Formlabs is building the biggest desktop 3-D printing company in the world, and we want to grow the collaboration part of the ecosystem to the same level.” The take over, for which the terms have not been disclosed, marks Formlabs first acquisition.

Lucas Matheson, CEO of Pinshape, says of the mutually beneficial business deal, “We had a chance to speak to a lot of companies around the industry and for us it was clear that Formlabs was the best positioned company to take Pinshape to the next level. They have a great team over there. Leaving the community in good hands is a number one priority for us.”

Currently, Formlabs employs more than 160 people in its Somerville and Berlin offices, and Pinshape is made up of 8 employees at its Vancouver location. And though Pinshape will continue to run more or less autonomously under Formlabs, the company will have to begin its transition to Massachusetts. Matheson explains, “…we’re a team of eight, and the priority right now is working closely with FormLabs to help them understand technology, the platform and the community and to eventually decide in the coming months have we can ultimately transition the platform to the Formlabs team out in Boston.”

 

 

Posted in 3D Printer Company

 

 

Maybe you also like:

• The Cosmogony 3D printed prosthetic hand features a built-in space-themed game
• Adafruit shares designs for very cool and stylish 3D printed 10" Raspberry Pi Tablet
• Raspberry Pi powered MrRobot lets users control 3D printable Rapiro robot using an Ubuntu phone
• This very cool 3D printed RDAS Unfolding CubeSat rover robot can aid safety in disaster scenarios
• Australian man builds the first ever hybrid petrol/electric bicycle using UP Mini 3D printer
• Aurora Labs' low-cost '100 times faster' metal 3D printer gains interest from NASA
• Autodesk teams with LLNL to design 3D printable objects (helmet) in next-gen materials
• Is 3D printing for all generations? YouTubers expose the elderly to 3D printer
• The + Shelf 3D printed joints let you design and construct your own modular furniture

   

Leave a comment:

Your Name: