Do Shapeways and voxeljet’s Announcements Indicate Growing Momentum in AM?

2024 has not been the most straightforward one for additive manufacturing. While we have seen incredible applications and innovations throughout the year, there have also been a number of economic difficulties. Notably, we have seen companies like KIMYA closing and layoffs over the course of the year. Even at Formnext, there seemed to be an air of stagnation present. But over the past week, news from Shapeways and Voxeljet shows that the AM market is not done surprising us just yet.

Starting with Shapeways, the news that the pioneer in digital manufacturing was officially closing its doors was perhaps not surprising, but was still met with sadness in the industry. Now it seems that there is some hope. A press release from the company has announced that it will be returning to the global market, albeit with a “new” management team. Why the quotation marks? Well, though the management is technically new, it will be made up of two of the two original cofounders, who left in 2012 and 2014, as well as others who were already with the company.

The Eindhoven factory at its opening (photo credits: Silas Pelsmaeker/Shapeways)

More specifically, Marleen Vogelaar, who cofounded the company in 2007 and left in 2014, and Robert Schouwenburg, the other cofounder who left in 2012, will be joining Jules Witte, Tiago São José and Job van de Laar who stayed with the company in Eindhoven. The press releases note that significant structural and business model changes under previous leadership were what led to Shapeways’ bankruptcy in July. For that reason, the profitable Eindhoven factory management chose to join forces with two of the original founders to reset the company’s trajectory.