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.