MakerBot/Stratasys Merger: What do you Think?

MakerBot/Stratasys Merger: What do you Think?

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MakerBot’s announcement yesterday that it was merging with Stratasys was arguably the biggest news to date to hit the rapidly growing consumer 3D printer market. As such it’s got people talking. Here’s a sampling of some of the chatter on Twitter:

Insight ‏@Insightmta

The potential for 3D printing to go mass market continues to gain momentum as industrial 3D printing giant #Stratasys buys #MakerBot.

MakerBot ‏@makerbot

MT @stevegarfield: “We are not merging with a printer, we are merging with an ecosystem.” David Reis @stratasys @makerbot

Bre Pettis ‏@bre

So proud of the MakerBot team and buckled up for an exciting adventure into a bright future with Stratasys.

Anil Dash ‏@anildash

Congrats to @bre & @makerbot. Proud of an NYC startup that’s been thoughtful, innovative & meaningful since its start.

Kate Ertmann ‏@GOK8

Good for everyone! RT @core77 What the @Stratasys, Objet & @MakerBot Merger Means for the Future of 3D Printing http://bit.ly/146V4cW 

Kati London ‏@picklesnumber

Congrats! “We started with $75K in seed funding from friends then got $10M…that’s a real moment for start-ups” – @bre @makerbot

Lauren Goode ‏@LaurenGoode

David Reis, CEO of Stratasys, says he’s pleased his daughter will now associate him with something “cool” #makerbot

Todd Blatt ‏@tblatt

“Thingiverse won’t change” @bre #makerbot

CloudFab ‏@cloudfab

Scott Crump just paid $400 million for something he already invented in the 80’s. Touche Marketing and PR. #Makerbot #ByeCube

What do you think of the MakerBot/Stratasys deal? Do you think it’s a smart move by Stratasys? What does it mean for the growth of consumer class 3D printers? What does it say about the compatibility of open source hardware and big business? Let us know in the comments below.

13 thoughts on “MakerBot/Stratasys Merger: What do you Think?

  1. Eric Weinhoffer says:

    I think it’s a smart move by Stratasys. They make fantastic high-end machines and will bring that expertise/tech (and IP) to the cheaper machines, expanding their hold on the now-GIANT 3D Printing market. MakerBot will continue to be at the forefront of consumer-level printers for years to come, I imagine.

  2. haqnmaq says:

    I can’t say I’m too happy about this. I understand that they need to grow, and that takes money, but Makerbot seems to have forgoten where they came from. I still remember Bre on weekend projects with Zach Hoeken designing and building a rep-strap. Then I remember the announcement of the Cupcake CNC with Adam Mayer, and remember watching it fall apart on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. A couple months later, I purchased a Cupake CNC. One of the reasons they started it was because they couldn’t afford one of the more expensive (Statasys)3d printers. Now Makerbot sells to a company that would rather throw lawsuits around over I.P., then help with the inovation of 3d printers, like what you get with open-source and thousands of people sharing their ideas. I wonder how long it will be before Makerbot has disputes (or lawsuits) with open-source 3d printer companies. I really wasn’t worried when Makerbot went closed-source, because I knew they were maker-oreintated, and they still are. I am just worried about how Stratasys will deal with the open-source market. I know Bre is the only one left of the 3 founders, but Bre used to always say “Sharing is Caring”, I just hope Makerbot can still live up to that original idea. Time will ultimately tell whether this was the right move or not, but I haven’t lost all hope…..not yet anyway.

  3. Tim4 says:

    I like how Make: didn’t include anyone who doesn’t think the merger is good.

    1. Stett Holbrook says:

      Read a little closer. This is from the last tweet from ‏@cloudfab:

      Scott Crump just paid $400 million for something he already invented in the 80′s.

      1. Tim F says:

        looks to me like that comment is in more backhanded towards Stratasys.

        There are people (myself included) that think this will ruin makerbot. Make: didnt include anyone who felt the merger was bad for makerbot and its supporters/owners

        1. Stett Holbrook says:

          At the time I searched for tweets about the merger I didn’t find anyone who felt it was bad for MakerBot and its supporters/owner. But I’m interested to hear why you and others think so.

  4. David Perry (@dsp39) says:

    @haqnmaq, “How Stratasys will deal with the open-source market”? Or rather, how MakerBot can leverage patents to create superior machines? The very patents that are hampering the OSHW community! Bre can chose to run the company as he sees fit, and I see logic in his move as a business owner, but it’s time to hang up the OSHW coat and talk straight. MakerBot’s actions have always spoken much louder than Bre Pettis’ words.

    1. haqnmaq says:

      Yeah, it’s good that Makerbot will have access to the I.P. that Stratasys owns, and “Makerbot” can finally have a closed “heated” build area, which is crucial for good prints. They might also be able to incorporate other technoligies like the polyjet process from Objet down the road. “it’s time to hang up the OSHW coat”? Makerbot was founded on open source hardware. There would be no Makerbot without the open source hardware from RepRap that came before Makerbot. The open source community has done more for 3d printing in the last 4 years, then the entire industry has done in 20 years. Our innovation halts and can’t move forward because of larger 3d printing companies, and their I.P. Yes this might be a good move for Makerbot, but it’s a bad move for the 3d printer community, and an industry as a whole. What would happen if their were only 2 companies, or even 1 company in each industry. It doesn’t help innovation, it stifles it.

  5. ANders says:

    I cannot se how peopl endorses this.
    Its a insult to all us makers.
    Lets black box one of the most useful and makerfriendly thing that has ever come out of the maker community.

    Bre Pettis just wants the Cash.

    A sad sad day for the maker community.

  6. wow says:

    Everyone wins… Except Stratasys shareholders, and Makerbot owners.

    1.) collect underpants
    2.) ** convince some board your company is worth $400 million
    3.) profit

  7. sally says:

    Makerbot bre like the cheese took from open source reprap community and did not give back. The reprap community will continue to produce the better printer.

  8. Denbo says:

    “Greed is good” – Gordon Gecko

  9. katiee1 says:

    10 If you want breitbart’s tmz Freelancer Income Survey

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Stett Holbrook is editor of the Bohemian, an alternative weekly in Santa Rosa, California. He is a former senior editor at Maker Media.

He is also the co-creator of Food Forward, a documentary TV series for PBS about the innovators and pioneers changing our food system.

View more articles by Stett Holbrook

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