Formlabs and the Rise of Desktop Manufacturing

Founded in 2011, Formlabs is a Somerville, Massachusetts–based hardware startup that transformed the 3D printing industry by making high-resolution, professional-grade 3D printers affordable and easy to use. The company is best known for bringing stereolithography (SLA) and selective laser sintering (SLS) technologies out of industrial factories and into studios, labs, hospitals, and startups.

Formlabs’ mission is to empower anyone to make anything, lowering the barriers to advanced manufacturing worldwide.

Founding Story

Formlabs was founded by Max Lobovsky, Natan Linder, and David Cranor, three MIT Media Lab graduates.

The idea originated when the founders realized that existing industrial 3D printers were prohibitively expensive, complex, and inaccessible to most designers and engineers. Their breakthrough came with a low-cost SLA printer prototype, which they launched on Kickstarter in 2012.

The campaign raised nearly $3 million, becoming one of the most successful hardware Kickstarter projects at the time and validating massive demand for accessible professional 3D printing.

Funding and Growth Milestones

Formlabs scaled rapidly after its early success:

• 2013: Closed a $19 million Series A, one of the largest hardware Series A rounds at the time
• 2015: Launched the Form 2 SLA printer, expanding adoption across design and engineering firms
• 2018: Raised $15 million in Series C funding, pushing global expansion and R&D
• 2021–2023: Expanded into SLS printing, dental manufacturing, and medical applications
• Today: Over 100,000 printers installed worldwide across more than 100 countries

Formlabs has become one of the largest privately held 3D printing companies globally.

Business Model and Technology

Formlabs operates at the intersection of hardware, materials science, and software:

• 3D Printers: SLA, SLS, and dental-grade printers for professional use
• Materials Ecosystem: Proprietary resins and powders tailored for engineering, healthcare, and manufacturing
• Software: PreForm software for print preparation and optimization
• Customers: Engineers, product designers, dental labs, hospitals, universities, and startups
• Revenue Streams: Hardware sales, recurring material sales, and service contracts

By controlling the entire ecosystem, Formlabs ensures reliability, precision, and repeatability.

Market Impact

Formlabs fundamentally reshaped modern manufacturing:

• Lowered Costs: Reduced professional 3D printing costs by over 10x compared to legacy systems
• Faster Prototyping: Enabled rapid product iteration for startups and enterprises
• Medical Innovation: Widely adopted in dental labs, orthopedics, and surgical planning
• Startup Enablement: Became a core tool for hardware startups building MVPs and production-ready parts

Formlabs helped move 3D printing from a niche industrial process to a mainstream manufacturing tool.

Challenges and Competition

Despite its success, Formlabs faces ongoing challenges:

• Hardware Margins: Managing profitability in a capital-intensive hardware business
• Global Competition: Competing with industrial giants and low-cost Asian manufacturers
• Supply Chain Risks: Navigating component shortages and manufacturing logistics
• Technology Pace: Continuous innovation required to stay ahead in materials and speed

The company counters these risks through deep R&D investment, vertical integration, and customer-driven product development.

Future Outlook

Formlabs continues to expand its role in advanced manufacturing:

• Production-Grade Printing: Moving beyond prototyping into small-batch manufacturing
• Healthcare Expansion: Scaling dental, medical, and biocompatible material offerings
• Automation: Developing print farms and automated workflows
• Materials Innovation: Creating stronger, faster, and more sustainable materials

Formlabs is positioning itself not just as a printer company, but as a core manufacturing platform.

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From an MIT prototype to a global manufacturing powerhouse, Formlabs is a prime example of how hardware startups can disrupt legacy industries through accessibility and design-driven engineering. By democratizing professional 3D printing, the company has enabled innovation across healthcare, engineering, education, and entrepreneurship.

Formlabs proves that lowering barriers to creation can unlock entirely new waves of innovation.