3DHubs, a 3D printing service market place has raised a $4.5 million Series A to help bring their local 3D printing system to the world. The service allows a person to find and order 3D prints from printers in his/her area. 3DHubs is a unique concept as it lets 3D printer owners utilize the printer idle time to earn income.
This unique venture is started by two very innovative individuals Bram de Zwart and Brian Garret in 2013. The main aim of the company is to connect owners of 3D printers with people in the neighboring areas who are interested in 3D printing objects but are unable to afford them. It makes every individual owning a 3D printer a seller. All that you have to do is follow these three basic steps:
- Choose your area
- Upload the model
- Receive fast and affordable 3D printing services from the nearest 3DHubs
Following these three simple steps the company has connected more than 7000 3D printers in almost 140 countries! Now the company wants to expand their overseas business by opening more hubs in other countries. Recently the company opened their first 3DHubs in the United States of America at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Among the other recent developments the company has secured an amount of $4.5 million in order to expand the global 3D printer’s network. This amount was generated in Series A led by Mark Evans who is the General Partner at the Balderton Capital. The amount is expected to increase the number of 3DHubs all over the world and connect more people to this chain.
In a press release the company said, “Our goal for the coming year is to become the #1 platform for 3D printing by connecting over 25% of the world population to local 3D printers. We see this network of 3D Printers as the foundation, not the end goal.”
The company partners with companies of all sizes. It partners with Autodesk, a big company and also partners with lesser known companies such as Fairphone. With this wide range of partners the company is bound to flourish anywhere in the world. As the 3D Hubs report says, “75,000 unique 3D models were uploaded and over 30,000 prints were made in less than a year. So it is not a crazy idea for the company to open a new office in New York. “[It is] the hotbed of 3D Printing.”
With all that money that 3d Hubs has secured, we hope that India is also a potential office centre for the company. The opening of such hubs is the best means of spreading this technology among commoners.
