3D Printing: WSJ Reports Makerbot in Talks To Be Acquired
Exactly who Makerbot is talking to was not disclosed.
From News.com:
MakerBot, one of the biggest names in the personal 3D printer business, is in acquisition talks.
That’s according to The Wall Street Journal, which reported Wednesday that the Brooklyn, N.Y., company is in discussions with possible buyers.
From the Wall St. Journal:***
The talks are continuing, but it is far from certain that they will lead to an acquisition, the people said. Ultimately, MakerBot, whose investors include Amazon.com Inc. CEO Jeff Bezos, may end up raising more venture capital to continue building its business instead of cashing out.
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The company generated around $10 million in revenue last year, the people familiar with the matter said. The company projects it will reach or exceed $50 million in sales this year, the people said.
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MakerBot was founded in 2009 by former public school teacher Bre Pettis, website developer Zack Hoeken Smith and software developer Adam Mayer. Messrs. Smith and Mayer are no longer with the company. The company raised $10 million in venture capital in 2011, including money from Mr. Bezos. It currently employs around 250 people and is hiring another 50 employees for a new factory.
Mr. Pettis, the CEO, owns a large chunk of the company and will end up driving the decision, one of the people said. Mr. Pettis didn’t reply to requests for comment.
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About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.