Shapeways 3D printed products have already attracted several key investors.
The world’s largest 3D printing service, Shapeways, has teamed up with Netherlands-based investor, INKEF Capital to fund future projects within the 3D printing industry along with new investors include Hewlett Packard Ventures and Presidio Ventures. Both join a long list of current investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Union Square Ventures and Lux Capital.
According to Peter Weijmarshausen, Shapeways CEO and Co-Founder, the company is “redefining how products are being made.” Weijmarshausen believes that “manufacturing is moving from analogue to digital and as a result will disrupt product creation” thus making the process “more accessible to everyone.” This is a vision which is shared by Shapeway’s partners.
Robert Jan Galema of INKEF Capital, who now joins Shapeways, believes that his new partners are at the forefront of this rapidly-developing industry, “The 3D printing industry itself is at an inflection point shifting the user base beyond the innovating group of designers only. The long term impact of industry game changers is very often underestimated and no one really knows how fast things will happen, but it is happening now!”
With this capital, Shapeways intend to invest in their community, continue work on developing new features and materials for its platform, whilst boosting the company’s already impressive production environment and supply chain, which consists of two factories and a variety of manufacturing partners.
Regarding their new partnership, Managing Director of Hewlett Packard, Lak Ananth, claims his company are “excited to help Shapeways accelerate their momentum and scale their business around the world.” Ananth goes on to say that “as a strategic partner, we will build upon our existing relationship with Shapeways to help make the vision and promise of 3D printing and additive manufacturing a reality."
INKEF Capital intends to use their investment to finance Dutch-rooted globally relevant technology companies; “Considering the Dutch roots of the company, as a Netherlands based investor we are especially delighted to support Shapeways in this next stage of development," claims Galema.
Since their launch in 2008, Shapeways has 3D printed over 2.5 million products, with 150,000 designs being uploaded onto the site every month. The Shapeways community is currently home to 620,000 members, 30,000 of which sell their products on the company marketplace, drawing in audiences from around the world.
