Nexa3D and Stratasys Both Complete Acquisitions
It seems that it is time once again for another round of acquisitions in the additive manufacturing sector. After a year that has been relatively quiet compared to last year, this week we have seen a flurry of activity. First up, Nexa3D has announced, after a year of collaboration (and not long after its acquistion of XYZprinting’s SLS portfolio), its acquisition of Addifab, the originator of Freeform Injection Molding. Meanwhile, Stratasys has also announced it has officially completed its acquisition of Covestro’s AM material
Neither of these acquisitions may come as a surprise to the wider 3D printing market. The Covestro acquisition especially was announced already in August 2022 and that of Addifab comes on the heels of a much longer partnership between the company and Nexa3D. Still, it is a sign of wider trends within the additive manufacturing market itself.
Nexa3D will be acquiring Addifab’s patented tooling resin (photo credits: Nexa3D)
First, consolidation is often considered to be one of the signs of a healthy market and though we already saw this at length last year, the fact that it is continuing in 2023 only could be a boon for the sector, especially considering the growth seen in the most recent Wohlers Report. Adding onto that, we are also seeing the continued importance of materials. The Covestro deal is centered specifically on the acquisition of the AM materials business, with Stratasys clearly continuing to seek to grow its portfolio. Meanwhile, with the acquisition of Addifab, Nexa3D will be able to integrate not only the dissolvable tool process but also a patented tooling resin offered by the company.
Addifab Acquisition by Nexa3D to Further Digital Tooling
The core of the Addifab acquisition by Nexa3D seems to be to strength the partnership between the two companies when it comes to digital tooling. Though perhaps less discussed than end-use parts, tooling is one of the core applications of 3D printing, especially when used as a complementary technology with traditional manufacturing processes. In this case, they are furthering the use of 3D printing and tooling with injection molding.
Addifab is already well-known for its Freeform Injection Molding, proprietary and patented end-to-end digital tooling process that also includes a patented tooling resin. And for the past year, Nexa3D has been taking advantage of it. They have been collaborating more broadly to make Nexa3D’s printers available to customers of Addifab and working on exciting projects with companies such as Wilson Sporting Goods.
This acquisition will solidify the use of Nexa3D’s printers for tooling (photo credits: Nexa3D)
Indeed, Lasse G. Staal, co-founder and Business Development Leader at Addifab, commented on the synergies between the two: “Soon after teaming up with Nexa3D, it became increasingly apparent that our combined solution unlocks tremendous opportunities for customers looking to create complex injection molding tools quickly and affordably. A year into our enormously successful commercial collaboration and dozens of customer implementations with the likes of PepsiCo and Wilson Sporting Goods, I’m thrilled that we are officially joining forces.”
Through this acquisition, Nexa3D will rebrand the proprietary tooling resin to xMOLD and make it available for use with all Nexa3D resin 3D printers. Though nothing can be predicted at this stage, it certainly seems as if Nexa3D is aiming to solidify its place as a leader in the use of 3D printing for tooling. You can find out more in the press release about the acquisition from Nexa3D HERE.
Stratasys Finishes Covestro Acquisition
The Stratasys acquisition may have been in the works for some time, but its finalization is a sign of Stratasys’ continued strength in the market, especially given the recent turmoil as Nano Dimension has unsuccessfully sought to acquire the 3D printing company. It includes R&D facilities and activities, global development and sales teams across Europe, the U.S. and Asia as well as a portfolio of about 60 3D printing materials and an extensive IP portfolio. Thanks to the acquisition as well, Stratasys notes that it will be able to address new applications in key technologies including stereolithography and DLP and powder bed fusion, complementing its existing expertise in materials for PolyJet and FDM technologies.
Automotive air vent prototypes made with Somos WaterShed Black resin (photo credits: Stratasys)
Stratasys CEO Dr. Yoav Zeif concluded, “Today marks a significant milestone for us as we solidify our leadership in the polymer additive manufacturing industry. With this acquisition, we’re not just expanding our materials portfolio for our broad array of 3D printing technologies – we’re also paving the way for more new innovations. Additionally, our growing team of in-house materials experts will be in a stronger position to collaborate with our materials ecosystem partners. Together, we’ll be able to address more applications faster, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in additive manufacturing.” You can find out more in Stratasys’ press release HERE.
What do you think of both Nexa3D and Stratasys’ acquisitions? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.
*Cover Photo Credits: Nexa3D
