Israeli-based 3D-printing firm Stratasys has agreed to acquire MakerBot, the company that manufactures the Replicator 2 3D printer. Stratasys will pay $403 million in stock for the company and MakerBot will in turn merge with a Stratasys subsidiary.
MakerBot has sold 22,000 3D printers to date, including 11,000 Replicator 2 units, which were recently added to Amazon's newly launched 3D printer store. The company assembles its printers largely by hand in its factory in Brooklyn.
"MakerBot's 3D printers are rapidly being adopted by CAD-trained designers and engineers," said David Reis, Stratasys CEO in a press release. "Bre Pettis and his team at MakerBot have built the strongest brand in the desktop 3D printer category by delivering an exceptional user experience. MakerBot has impressive products, and we believe that the company's strategy of making 3D printing accessible and affordable will continue to drive adoption."
The merger is still pending regulatory approval, but is expected to be completed in Q3 of this year. If successful, the deal would combine two of the industry's leading companies.
Together, the firms say they hope to leverage their respective strengths and help drive adoption of 3D-printing technology both for business applications and personal use.
"The last couple of years have been incredibly inspiring and exciting for us," said Pettis. "We have an aggressive model for growth, and partnering with Stratasys will allow us to supercharge our mission to empower individuals to make things using a MakerBot, and allow us to bring 3D technology to more people. I am excited about the opportunities this combination will bring to our current and future customers."
Under the terms of the deal, MakerBot will continue to operate as an independent company and maintain its own brand. The merger allows Stratasys to offer affordable 3D printers and provides MakerBot with a much more robust distribution infrastructure. In short: everyone wins.
