3D Hubs today announced a 7 million dollar (6.34 million euro – as of July, 15) series B investment led by EQT Ventures, followed by original backer Balderton Capital. This allows the company to continue its expansion and to focus on its professional user base.
3D Hubs is a network of 3D print hubs, be it private or business owned. So instead of being an online marketplace for 3d print items, it’s an online marketplace for 3d print services – making 3d print technology accessible to everyone. The startup was founded by Bram de Zwart (right on the photo) and Brian Garret (left) in 2013 and is headquartered in Amsterdam.
The funding was needed to keep growing. It also allows 3D Hubs to hire 10 to 20 more developers in Amsterdam. The company isn’t necessarily thinking about opening new offices – it has one overseas office in New York – but is focussing on the product. To be more specific, the startup wants to increase its service to the professional users of the marketplace, says chief brand manager Filemon Schoffer to StartupJuncture.
Professional vs. DIY
This doesn’t mean the DIY scene will ‘suffer’ from that focus. “When we started, our growth was based on the DIY maker scene, and it still is, we continue to be a community-driven company”, Schoffer explains. “With time, the technology became better and better, so it’s a logical thing to do to focus on our core customer – which nowadays is the professional user.”
You can say 3D Hubs has run the classic path of a startup: first a consumer focus, which it quickly outgrew, then scaling up to an enterprise focused business. “This eventually benefits the consumers as well. Our vision is still to decentralize manufacturing, be it on a small or a large scale.”
3D Hubs funding
3D Hubs now raised 11.5 million dollar in funding to date. In 2014 it secured a 4.5 million dollar series A round, led by Balderton Capital. Last year, that funding round in The Netherlands was crowned ‘deal of the year‘. Balderton also put in seed money.
New investor EQT Ventures (Sweden) is putting the money from their recently created half-billion-euro-fund to work. Ted Persson, Design Partner at EQT Ventures, will be joining the Board of Directors.
Persson: “We’ve only seen the beginning of what 3D printing will offer, and 3D Hubs is by far the most well-positioned company we’ve encountered in this space. We are very impressed with what Bram, Brian and the rest of the team have managed to build in just under three years, so when EQT Ventures was invited to support their future journey we didn’t hesitate.”
Image: 3D Hubs