Tag Archives: 3D Systems
3D Systems CEO Video Interview: A Leader’s Perspective on 3D Printing
Avi Reichental Shares His Perspective on Materials, M&A, and More
Avi Reichental is CEO of the $5 billion 3D printing market leader 3D Systems. After delivering an inspiring keynote at at the Inside 3D Printing conference in San Jose, Mr. Reichental gave On 3D Printing an exclusive interview, where we discussed the future of materials for 3D printing, materials safety, unintended consequences and risks, and of course, M&A.
Watch the video below to see the full interview.
Related stories:
- 3D Systems Continues Acquisition Trail with 3D Printing Startup The Sugar Lab
- 3D Systems: Will the 3D Printing Giant Continue to Thrive?
- 3D Systems Acquires UK-Based Rapid Prototyping Firm CRDM
- 3D Systems CEO Predicts Moore’s Law Will Hit 3D Printing Technology – Inside 3D Printing Chicago
- 3D Systems Issues New Common Stock; Watch Out for M&A
- 3D Systems: Geomagic Design to Advance CAD and 3D Printing
3D Systems Continues Acquisition Trail with 3D Printing Startup The Sugar Lab
“The overlap of technology, food and art is so rich, and the potential for customization and innovation is limitless,” said Liz von Hasseln
Just days after we posted a deep analysis on 3D Systems and their M&A activity, the 3D printing giant acquired another company: The Sugar Lab.
The Sugar Lab is a start-up micro-design firm based in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to 3D printing customized, multi-dimensional, edible confections in real sugar. The Sugar Lab adopted 3D Systems’ Color Jet Printing (CJP) technology to print on a sugar bed using different flavored edible binders that meet all food safety requirements.
The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
3D Systems plans to immediately integrate The Sugar Lab 3D printing technique into its professional and consumer content-to-print platforms with a variety of production-quality applications as well as the ability to 3D print indulgences at home.
“The overlap of technology, food and art is so rich, and the potential for customization and innovation is limitless,” said Liz von Hasseln, cofounder of the Sugar Lab. Existing commercial applications for printable sugar include complex sculptural cakes for weddings and special events that are made possible only with 3D printing, and customizable confections for bake shops and restaurants. Continued von Hasseln, “We see our technology quickly evolving into a variety of flavors and foods, powered by real food printers for professionals and consumers alike and we could not think of a more qualified partner than 3D Systems to help make that a reality.”
“I believe there is a social covenant for indulgence that begins with desserts and The Sugar Lab will accelerate our ability to bring edible 3D printables to the masses while empowering chefs, restaurateurs and confectioners with never before explored digital creation tools for food,” said Avi Reichental, President and CEO of 3D Systems. “We are absolutely thrilled to partner with two kindred spirits; Liz and Kyle von Hasseln to quickly re-purpose our core 3D Systems print technology and jointly create delicious, custom confections.”
Below is a gallery of the sweet sugar 3D printed creations by The Sugar Lab:
Related stories about 3D printing in sugar:
3D Systems: Will the 3D Printing Giant Continue to Thrive?
What is next for the $5 billion 3D printing company?
In a critical analysis published in the Wall Street Journal, Rolfe Winkler wrote, ”[3D Systems'] valuation and the insider selling are potentially worrisome signs that 3D hype may be outpacing reality.”
Winkler has a number of concerns, from adoption of consumer 3D printing to distribution risks to weak materials sales.
Let’s take a deeper look at how far this 3D printing giant has come.
Since May 2011, when the company transferred from the NASDAQ to the NYSE, its stock price has grown nearly 300%. Their stock is riding near its all-time high, shown in the chart below.
Expanding Revenue and Building a Consumer Business
The company expects to generate around $500 million of revenue this year, with the majority of sales in the industrial sector. But it has also expanded aggressively into the consumer business with the Cube and CubeX 3D printers, and expects prices of desktop 3D printers to come down from $1300 to below $500 over time.
3D Systems recently presented a full business update at the Citi 2013 Global Technology Conference; you can read the full transcript at Seeking Alpha.
The company has acquired 37 companies since 2009 and continues to look at M&A as a way to fill in the gaps of their business. Here are some key acquisitions:
- Bespoke Innovations in May 2012 for 3D printed personalized prosthetics
- FreshFiber in May 2012 for 3D printed electronics accessories
- My Robot Nation in April 2012 for creative solutions to support 3D printing community Cubify for kids and adults
- Paramount Industries in April 2012 to advance aerospace and medical device 3D printing
But the company missed their chance to acquire MakerBot, the leader in desktop 3D printing. MakerBot was acquired by Stratasys, 3D Systems’ competitor, for $403 million earlier this year.
Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
3D Systems has had its share of success. In fact, it was recently ranked #5 of the Fortune Magazine’s top 100 fastest growing companies. But will that success continue and what are it’s challenges?
Can the Cube 3D printer series beat out the Stratasys-MakerBot partnership? Can 3D Systems maintain its industrial 3D printer sales growth and continue to optimize its supply-chain and reseller network? Will its entry into the consumer market distract from its larger industrial business?
Perhaps only time will tell. With $350 million on the balance sheet and a $5 billion market cap, 3D Systems seems poised to be competitive as the 3D printing industry continues to accelerate.
Top 3D Printing News Last Week: MakerBot Digitizer, Deltaprintr, M&A
3D Printing News
A roundup of the top 3D printing news from August 19 to August 25:
Tuesday, August 20
- Win a Solidoodle 3D Printer at 100% Design Competition in the UK
- 3D Systems Acquires UK-Based Rapid Prototyping Firm CRDM
Wednesday, August 21
Thursday, August 22
Friday, August 23
Sunday, August 25
3D Systems Acquires UK-Based Rapid Prototyping Firm CRDM
3D Systems Continues Acquisitions with UK-Based CRDM
3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) announced that it has acquired CRDM, Ltd. , a leading UK provider of rapid prototyping and rapid tooling services based in Bucks, England. The company intends to immediately integrate CRDM into its global Quickparts Solutions custom parts and manufacturing services. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
CRDM, Ltd. designs, prototypes and manufactures parts and tooling for a variety of automotive, aerospace, medical device and motorsports applications, including F1. With almost two decades of experience and a loyal customer base, CRDM extends 3D Systems’ offerings and its footprint in the UK, further positioning the company at the center of the rapidly growing, direct manufacturing opportunity.
“CRDM is a strategic and geographically important addition to our rapidly growing 3D content-to-print services portfolio,” said Ziad Abou, Vice President and General Manager, Quickparts Solutions, 3D Systems. “With a proven track record in advanced manufacturing and rapid tooling, CRDM complements and expands our extensive range of custom parts services.”
More information is available at www.3DSystems.com
