There’s news from Shapeways.
Wait – didn’t Shapeways go bankrupt? Well, yes, they actually did some months ago. But in the interim, former Shapeways leaders managed to purchase the assets of the company and restart it under the same name and website.
It’s now been operating in this way for a few months.
My question has been, will this venture succeed? That’s always a question after a business failure — are the conditions that caused the first failure still present? What will the new company do differently to survive where the other company did not?
I’ve been waiting to see how this will play out, and this week we received some encouraging news from Shapeways. The company has issued a slew of announcements, all of which seem quite positive. They include:
- Launching a new FDM 3D print service
- Providing quick access to metal 3D printing
- Restoring full-color MJF 3D print services
- Expanding their vapor smoothing services to meet increasing demands
These, combined with their previous announcement of the acquisition of a majority stake in Thangs, present us with a pretty positive picture: Shapeways seems to be in very good shape. They are expanding, acquiring, and adding services.
I believe their major challenge remains the recovery of many of their previous Shapeways long-term clients. After the bankruptcy, all were forced to find new services to get their parts made, and they may be reluctant to go through the effort to switch back to Shapeways.
Further to this, I still encounter people who believe Shapeways is bankrupt and are unaware that they have been resurrected. These folks are seeking new 3D print services elsewhere, and it’s important that the new Shapeways somehow finds them.
Otherwise, things appear pretty peachy at the 3D print service.
Via Shapeways
