Toward the end of June, 3D printing companies Stratasys and MakerBot confirmed what TechCrunch had already uncovered, the former would be acquiring the latter for $403 million (or 4.7 million shares) in exchange for 100 percent of MakerBot’s outstanding capital stock.
Stratasys has long been a dominant force in 3D printing, long before we were buying 3D printers for our homes. The company specializes in factory-level printing and prototype printing for designers and manufacturers.
But as is made crystal clear with the entry of companies like MakerBot, FormLabs, and other consumer-facing 3D printing companies, there is most certainly a demand for at-home 3D printing.
MakerBot was one of the first companies to offer an affordable 3D printer for your home, selling more than 22,000 MakerBots since 2009. That said, the merger truly signifies one of the first time a 3D printing firm will be offering both enterprise and consumer-facing products simultaneously.
“We are excited for the future,” said MakerBot founder Bre Pettus in the press release. “Full steam ahead!”
On the one hand, Stratasys is obviously aggressively entering the consumer space, but this acquisition is also a huge resource to MakerBot. Since 2009, the company was working in its own factory in Brooklyn off of $10 million in venture funding.
Having Stratasys’ 25+ years of experience and resources will surely accelerate innovation and growth at MakerBot.
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