Tag Archives: Stratasys

Stratasys Expands Its Presence in Japan Through Fasotec Acquisition

3D Printing Leader Exercises Option to Acquire Fasotec Minority Interest in Stratasys Japan

Stratasys Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd, announced that it plans to exercise the option to acquire the remaining holdings of Fasotec in Stratasys Japan. Following the exercise of the option, Stratasys Japan will become a wholly owned subsidiary of 3D printing giant Stratasys Ltd., departing from a joint venture previously established by Objet.

Related: Stratasys and Objet Complete Merger Forming $3 Billion Company

“We witness strong growth in the 3D printing market in Japan. Stratasys is positioned to invest more on infrastructure in order to build awareness and a strong foundation to support our customers, partners and the industry,” said Jonathan Jaglom, General Manager of Stratasys AP. “We wish to sincerely thank our partner, Fasotec, for their years of commitment in the partnership, which helped create new opportunities in the market for us.”

Stratasys Japan

Stratasys a leading manufacturer of 3D printers and production systems for prototyping and manufacturing.

Stratasys Japan will continue to market and sell the Stratasys product offering under Stratasys’ direction. Further, Stratasys Japan will have full ownership of the installed base and its related service contracts. This move reinforces Stratasys’ commitment to overall business coverage in Japan, and expands its local industry footprint.

Related: Stratasys Signs Aurora Group for 3D Printer Distribution in China

The decision by Stratasys to exercise the option stems from its belief that this will allow Stratasys to better prepare for future growth in the rapidly expanding Japanese market.

“The 3D printing industry is growing rapidly in Japan. By exercising the option under the JV agreement and acquiring full ownership of Fasotec, we will complete a smooth transition to a wholly owned subsidiary committed to continuing to provide best-in-class 3D printing solutions, services and technologies that are suitable for the Japan market,” said Eric Goguy, CEO & President of Stratasys Japan.

Related: Full analysis of the MakerBot acquisition by Stratasys

voxeljet Plans $91 Million IPO (VJET) to Compete with DDD SSYS XONE

3D printer company voxeljet sets terms for $91 million IPO

Germany-based voxeljet is  a leading provider of 3D printers and on-demand parts services. Earlier this week, the company announced terms for its planned IPO, where it plans to list under the symbol VJET on the NYSE.

voxeljet is raising $91 million through an offering of 6.5 million shares priced at $13 to $15 per share. This would give voxeljet a market cap of over $300 million.

voxeljet VXC800 3D printer

A deeper look at voxeljet (NYSE:VJET)

For a deeper look at voxeljet, we combined our own research with data from an in-depth analysis by 3DPrintingStocks.com contributor Gary Anderson.

voxeljet AG was founded in 1999 and its headquarters is located in Friedberg, Germany, about 60 kilometers outside of Munich.

The company sold its first 3D printer in 2002 and has installed 52 printers worldwide as of June 30, 2013. 53% of sales to date have been outside of Germany and major customers include Ford, 3M, Daimler AG, BMW, and Hyundai. 3D Systems has also been a distributor of voxeljet printers since 2011.

“voxeljet printer systems and services are aimed squarely at commercial applications in the automotive, architecture, aerospace, medical/orthopedic, engineering, and defense industries,” wrote 3DPrintingStocks.com. The vast majority of 3D printing industry sales comes from these industrial sectors, and therefore voxeljet competes with companies such as 3D Systems and Stratasys, who have multi-billion dollar market capitalizations.

voxeljet operates two primary business divisions:

  • voxeljet SYSTEMS business division focuses on the development, production and distribution of the market´s fastest and most powerful 3D printing systems. Today, voxeljet has a well-coordinated product range that reaches from smaller entry models to large-format machines, and therefore offers the perfect 3D print system for many application areas.
  • voxeljet SERVICES custom parts service centre creates sand moulds and plastic models based on CAD data on demand. Small-batch and prototype manufacturers appreciate the automatic, patternless manufacture of their casting moulds and 3D models.The company’s customer base includes well-known automotive manufacturers and their suppliers, foundries as well as innovative companies from the arts design as well as the movie and entertainment industry.

voxeljet booked $11 million in sales for the 12 months ended June 30, 2013. This is quite small compared to Stratasys ($359mm) and 3D Systems ($354mm), but within the ballpark of ExOne ($29mm) and Arcam AB ($22mm).

The company’s production facilities now stand at 16,000 square feet and are undergoing expansion to over 40,000 square feet.  Proceeds from the IPO are for the establishment of new service centers in North America and Asia, research and development, sales and marketing initiatives, and “general corporate purposes including potential acquisitions”.

The video below showcases the VXC800, the world’s first continuous 3D printer.

voxeljet received some fame in 2012 for fabricating stunt-double Aston Martin cars used in the James Bond action flick “Skyfall.”

For more details on the company’s technology and patents, products and services, and key financials from their recent F-1 filing, read more analysis at 3DPrintingStocks.com.

Stratasys Signs Aurora Group for 3D Printer Distribution in China

The Aurora Group (震旦集團) yesterday inked an agreement with U.S.-based Stratasys Ltd., making it the sole distributor for the American company’s line of 3D printers in the vast Chinese market.

CES 2013 Stratasys Objet Booth

As reported by The China Post:

Since its entry into China in 1993, Aurora, an electronics and office supplies retail giant, has established itself in over 500 locations in the Chinese market, in addition to employing a full force of product service and sales personnel.

The company stated that it was chosen by Stratasys to act as its sole distributor in China due to its considerable retail coverage.

Aurora is poised to distribute Stratasys’s Idea line of 3D printers, consisting of the entry-level Mojo, and the larger uPrint SE and uPrint SE Plus variants. The Idea line of 3D printers currently ranges from US$10,000 to US$20,000 in the U.S. market.

Propelled by encouraging prospects, shares of Aurora yesterday rocketed to NT$62.1, gaining NT$4, or 7 percent, the maximum intraday movement allowed in the Taiwan Stock Exchange, while retaining its soaring performance at the end of yesterday’s trading.

Inventor of 3D Printing Scott Crump: “My Dreams Started in a Garage”

Inside 3D Printing Conference Kicks Off in San Jose

Alan Meckler, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of WebMediaBrands, welcomed the packed crowd to the Inside 3D Printing San Jose. “3D printing is not a device, but an ecosystem,” Meckler said, preparing the audience for 2 days of 3D printing experts from across the value chain.

Conference attendees have come from 38 states and 10 countries are represented, Meckler said.

This success is leading Meckler to continue his 3D printing conference world tour in Singapore, Seoul and Shenzhen over the next year. (Related: read our recap from Inside 3D Printing Chicago)

Alan Meckler Inside 3D Printing San Jose

Keynote by inventor of FDM, Scott Crump

Cornell professor Hod Lipson introduced Stratays’ co-founder S. Scott Crump, giving Mr. Crump credit for not only inventing key technology in 3D printing, but also seeing it through to build one of the biggest 3D printing companies in the industry.

Mr. Crump shared his personal story of inventing FDM (fused deposition modeling) in his garage with his wife Lisa in 1988, 25 years ago. His journey was initially a personal one. He wanted to create a toy froggy for his 2-year-old daughter. But he also had a broader vision of giving engineers the capability to create a physical object from a CAD file.

In 1992, Mr. Crump created the first operational 3D printer. He raised funding, developed a facility, and launched his company Stratasys.

Scott Crump Stratasys

Mr. Crump shared details about the scale of Stratasys. The company now has 24 different 3D printers, ranging from those designed for the home to prototyping to full production, and collectively those 3D printers use over 120 different output materials. These 3D printers range from $2,000 to over $600,000. Stratasys is always innovating, with over 560 patents pending or granted.

Stratasys, now combined with MakerBot, has sold over 50,000 3D printers (25,000 sold by MakerBot), and generated over $360 million in revenue last year.

Making a Difference

Perhaps the most passionate part of the presentation was Mr. Crump’s examples of how 3D printing is making a difference.

He shared the story of Emma, a toddler who was fitted with 3D printed magic arms to address a rare condition she was born with called arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. 3D printing literally gave Emma a second chance at life. (Related: read our article about Emma’s story)

Emma Magic Arms 3D Printing

In the long run, Mr. Crump said, everyone can benefit from 3D printing, whether you’re an engineer, jeweler, or investor. “My dreams started in the garage, where will yours start?” he concluded.

 

 

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.

3D Systems Stock June11-Sep13

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 Inside 3D Printing Chicago

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.