At this point in time 3D printing has a significant amount of buzz. With that buzz comes investment, as entrepreneurs attempt to build new businesses in the new space. But there’s another kind of investment: raw capital. Wall Street types, attracted by the buzz, want to plow money into 3D printing startups, hopeful that they’ll grow dramatically and convert that pile of money into an even bigger pile of money.
At this week’s 3D printing conference in New York City, Wall Street is literally only blocks away. It was thus unsurprising that around 25% of the attendees were from the investment community. It was very common to see a name badge with “XYZ Capital Corp” or similar displayed.
That didn’t prepare us for the blatant and aggressive investment conversations we heard. Consider these actual quotes overheard from a pair of well-suited gentlemen surveying the expo floor:
Which company is going to get big?
and
I’m looking for the next Shapeways!
And delivered in a tone similar to shopping at Wal-Mart. Yes, these are actual, true quotes from actual suits.
Who knew making millions was this easy?
Image Credit: Wikipedia
