Desktop Factory Ends. Or Begins?

 

We've written much about Desktop Factory over the past year and a half. They've attempted to build the first commercial 3D printer priced at less than USD$5,000. And they almost made it happen.

Recently they've undergone severe financial issues that brought the company near to collapse. In fact, according to their most recent news release:

As we drew closer to our last 30 days of cash we turned to our 'end of the road' strategy, the sale of the business or, at a minimum, the sale of our intellectual property. And make no mistake about it we did view this as our worst case scenario; the end, a complete loss for us, for the product and for you, our supportive and valued customers.

Sounds bad, indeed! However...

But a funny thing happened as we launched our effort to sell Desktop Factory. We found interested parties who do understand the exciting potential for this breakthrough technology. We found companies that value the industry and can visualize the myriad applications for this affordable printer. Most important, we have found organizations that engage with customers and truly want to be a part of this next major wave in additive fabrication.

And, along the way we have found the best opportunity to place the assets, the intellectual property and many of our people with a leadership brand; a company with the resources and the desire to deliver on the promise of a truly low cost, easy to use 3D printer. We are cautiously optimistic that we can successfully conclude this sale of Desktop Factory within the next 30 days.

Somebody's buying Desktop Factory, but we don't know who! Here's some possibilities:

• An existing 3D printing competitor that wants to use Desktop Factory's technology to extend their product reach into the low-end zone
• An existing 3D printing competitor that wishes to bury the technology before others can get it
• A third party not currently in the 3D printing space that wants to enter the market

We'd like to hope the buyer is a company with a long-term vision for 3D printing with the financial and corporate clout to make it really happen. Whichever way it goes, we wish those at Desktop Factory all the best!

Via DesktopFactory (hat tip to Brad Walker)