The Top 11 companies at the forefront of 3D printing in 2020

5 min readMar 29, 2021

From 3D Systems to HP to Relativity Space, the list of companies investing in 3D printing is an exciting mix of old and new….

In the 30-year history of 3D printing, a number of pioneers have stood out and been instrumental in advancing the technology. First, there are the founding fathers of the technology, like Chuck Hulls’ 3D Systems. Then there are the media icons, like Bre Pettis’ MakerBot, who give the technology its image and represent it to the public. Last but not least, there are the young guns, like Tim Ellis’ Relativity Space, who are not afraid of disruptive ideas and their implementation. The open-source scene that emerged around the turn of the millennium has contributed as much to the state of 3D printing as our current industry does.

From basic research to opening up new planets

As more and more new 3D printing technologies have emerged, the spectrum of startups and long-established companies involved has also broadened.

Industries range from architecture to space and aerospace. However, our industry serves as the main driver, discovering disruptive potential in 3D technology, just as it did with robotics.

Desktop Metal (Massachusetts, USA)

Industry: Metal printer manufacturer
Technology: Bound Metal Deposition
www.desktopmetal.com/

With investors including Google, GE Ventures, BMW and Stratasys, startup Desktop Metal is a pioneer in 3D printed metal and carbon fiber. Their goal is to make the new technology affordable and easily accessible. Their printing processes can produce objects that are twice as strong as steel, but only one-fifth the weight. Users come from robotics, automotive engineering as well as aerospace.

Relativity Space (Los Angeles, USA)

Industry: Aerospace
www.relativityspace.com/

Founded in 2015 by Tim Ellis and Jordan Noone, Relativity Space is a startup that aims to use new technologies such as 3D printing and robotics to automate manufacturing processes in the aerospace industry. The “Terran 1” demonstrates that they have the potential to disrupt the industry. Relativity’s 3D-printed rocket not only reduces parts by a factor of 100, but also cuts construction from an original 72 months to just eight. Their vision goes far beyond that. According to Ellis, they plan to send robots to Mars and build rockets right on the surface. This coincides quite well with NASA’s research and goals.

Formlabs (Massachusetts, USA)

Industry: Manufacturer Printer
Technology: Stereolithography
www.formlabs.com/de/

In a basement in Cambridge, three MIT students Maxim Lobovsky, Natan Linder and David Cranor founded the startup Formlabs in 2011. The three financed their first printer, the FORM 1, via a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. As it turned out, with $2.95 million raised, it was one of the highest of all time. Since then, the company has grown significantly with printers such as the FORM 3, and it’s hard to imagine the industry without them.

Wake Forest Institute for regenerative medecine (North Carolina, USA)

Industry: Medicine
https://school.wakehealth.edu/Research/Institutes-and-Centers/Wake-Forest-Institute-for-Regenerative-Medicine

WFIRM conducts research on regenerative medicine (the “new evolution of medical treatments”) and is considered one of the leading research institutes in the application of novel types of medical treatments. Their researchers were the first to implant lab-grown human tissue in a human. Their collaborations range from 3D printing to nanotechnology to gene modification.

AI SpaceFactory (New York, USA)

Industry: Aerospace manufacturing
https://www.aispacefactory.com/

SpaceX and Relativity Space aren’t the only ones demonstrating that new technologies are ideally suited for space exploration. AI SpaceFactory, founded in 2017, is already focused on colonizing alien planets with its work on multiplanetary architecture and technology. They’ve also been able to apply lessons learned from their NASA Habitat Challenge win to Earth in their TERA project, one of the “most advanced and sustainable buildings ever conceived.”

ICON (Austin, USA)

Industry: Construction
www.iconbuild.com/

The three founders of ICON’s startup aim to make homes affordable for everyone, sustainable and available to the 1 billion people without shelter. They are tackling these three goals with 3D printing technology. Back in 2018, ICON built the first 3D-printed home in America, for just $4,000. Their printer, the Volcan II, also uses a particularly environmentally friendly concrete printing process. The shortest printing time of a house was 24 hours. ICON works with nonprofits like New Story in developing countries. For example, in Tabasco, Mexico, where they gave 50 families a home.

MakerBot (Brooklyn, USA)

Industry: Maker Printer
Technology: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
www.makerbot.com/de/

Founded in 2009 by Bre Pettis, Zach Smith and Adam Mayer, MakerBot was an integral part of the initial open source 3D printing scene. Bre Pettis, in particular, made a high-profile contribution to raising awareness of the technology. After retreating from the free availability and do-it-yourself mentality, MakerBot was acquired by Stratasys in 2013. This led to a wave of problems, which are now history. Today, MakerBot delivers professional quality desktop 3D printers.

3D Systems (Rock Hill, USA)

Industry: Manufacturer Printer
Technology: Stereolithography
https://de.3dsystems.com/

Just two years before Chuck Hull founded 3D Systems, the first 3D printing company, in 1986, the first e-mail was received in Germany (at the University of Karlsruhe, to be precise). At the time of its founding, Germany was still divided into East and West. So Hull’s foresight may be called visionary. Especially in industrial printers, 3D Systems still plays a central role in the industry today

Stratasys (Eden Prairie, USA / Rehovot, Israel)

Industry: Manufacturer Printer
Technology: Fused Deposition Modeling
https://www.stratasys.com/de

Along with 3D Systems, the American-Israeli company Stratasys is one of the original players in the 3D landscape. The inventors of today’s most widely used printing technology, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), are in use in industry by market leaders such as Airbus and Audi. Their products are more relevant than ever.

HP (Palo Alto, USA)

Industry: Manufacturer Printer
Technology: Multi Jet Fusion
https://www8.hp.com/de/de/printers/3d-printers.html

Founded in 1939, Hewlett-Packard (HP for short) is probably more of a household name to most people today for their computers as well as printers, rather than 3D printing processes. Their computer and printer development has been consistent. HP’s move from 2D printers to 3D printing processes, and their openness to manufacturing the future, is evidenced by their research funding in the billions of dollars per year.

Carbon® (Redwood City, USA)

Industry: Manufacturer Printer
Technology: CLIP (Continuous Liquid Interface production)
https://www.carbon3d.com/

Founded in 2014, printer manufacturer Carbon has invented CLIP, a 3D printing technology that is notable for its 100x speed. This innovation has allowed the company to record high investments.

This article can only provide a first, small insight into the 3D printing ecosystem. Hopefully, it will serve as an impetus to discover more exciting companies.

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