You might not have heard much from Desktop Factory lately, as they’ve been a bit preoccupied with a rather difficult problem. They’re a startup company intending on creating the world’s first quality desktop commercially available 3D printer for less than USD$5,000. They’re very close to completing their first model, but have run out of funding due to circumstances beyond their control.
They appealed for investors recently and apparently did find sufficient funds – but again unforeseen circumstances forced out one of the investors and they’re back where they were months ago. Today they’re again asking for investors to step forward and help them out.
We believe now is an excellent time to invest in Desktop Factory, as this period of economic downturn is a time when new companies of the future emerge. Desktop Factory could be one of them, and Fabbaloo readers certainly would like to see them not only survive, but thrive.
Via DesktopFactory
Say…you wouldn't be tied in with the reprap people would you?
Desktop Factory was founded in 2004, and first started demonstrating machines in 2005. 4 years later, they've had, what, 3 different funding crunches? And they still can't give a straight answer about when the thing will be released. Meanwhile, the reprap project was started in 2005 and there are two companies that will sell you printers based on it for about half the asking price of a nonexistent Desktop Factory; Stratasys has dimension prices down to only a little over 3x the price. I honestly don't see how anyone can recommend investing in them at this point (unless they already invested in them and don't want to see that go down the drain). Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on you again. Fool me three times, shame on me.
Damn that bites. I guess they won't be going to the moon.