Formlabs, the designer and manufacturer of 3D printing systems, has raised $35 million in Series B funding from Foundry Group and Autodesk, and says it plans to collaborate strategically with Autodesk.
The latest investment round, led by Foundry Group, includes participation from existing investors DFJ Growth, Pitango Venture Capital, and Cagni Ventures, bringing Formlabs’ total investment to date to $55 million.
The new investment will enable Formlabs to scale its operations to meet growing customer demand worldwide, grow research and development efforts, and to extend Formlabs’ reach in the market and ecosystem.
Max Lobovsky, co-founder and CEO of Formlabs, says: “Formlabs’ efforts over the years in introducing new materials and capabilities have defined the category of professional desktop 3D printing, resulting in significant growth for the company along the way.
“With the new investment, we’re excited to develop more powerful tools to enable anyone working with 3D content to create remarkable things. Formlabs will continue to grow the stereolithography business and bring new tools to the world to advance our goal of making digital fabrication more powerful and accessible.”
Joining Formlabs’ board will be Brad Feld, co-founder of Foundry Group whose investments include MakerBot and Fitbit. Feld has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur for over 20 years and was co-founder of Techstars.
Brad Feld, co-founder of Foundry Group, says: “From the moment of its founding, Formlabs saw the opportunity in making professional desktop 3D printing accessible and was a key pioneer in the category.
“While the excitement and hype around consumer 3D printing has waned, the professional 3D printing category has had unabated demand, with Formlabs emerging as the leader in desktop 3D printing.”
With Autodesk’s investment in Formlabs, the two companies plan to strategically collaborate on software integration and joint marketing initiatives.
Carl Bass, CEO of Autodesk, says: “Formlabs has brought a lot of innovation and great execution to the desktop 3D printing market, and Autodesk is excited to invest in the company’s future.
“But even more importantly, we’re eager to work together to improve digital design and manufacturing for product designers everywhere.”
Pascal Cagni, who was head of Apple in Europe, will be joining as a strategic advisor to help bolster Formlabs’ expansion efforts across the EMEA territory.
Through an expanding network of distribution partners, Formlabs’ global reach now extends across five continents in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.
With rapid growth across all business fronts, Formlabs has seen 100 percent growth in annual sales for the third consecutive year and is shipping over 1,000 printers a month. Formlabs printers are now the top-selling 3D printers in stereolithography worldwide.
Earlier this year, Formlabs acquired Pinshape, the fast-growing 3D printing community online that hosts a flourishing marketplace of 3D designs. Most recently opening a location in Japan, Formlabs now has over 190 employees across offices in North America, Europe, and Asia.
