10 Years Ago, Shapeways Was Sparked

Ten years ago today, Shapeways was just an idea. “I remember the day well. Walking into a small office in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, there was a chair, a table and that was it. I had a plan, but also a lot of figuring to do.” It was March 1, 2007 – Co-Founder & CEO Pete Weijmarshausen’s first day working full-time on Shapeways, and the unofficial birthday of the company. Still, to Pete, it seems like yesterday. “I almost can’t believe it has been 10 years. It seems time flies when you are having fun!”

Having fun has a lot to do with why Pete was drawn to the idea of Shapeways; he’s always loved to geek out on futuristic tech. “I love to share cool technologies with as many people as possible, and I felt 3D printing was one of the coolest, most magical technologies I’d ever seen.” And, it’s no surprise that the idea for the company was born in the 3D design community – the same community that still fuels and sustains it. “When I learned about 3D printing, the first thing I thought was, ‘OMG, this is something I need to share with my friends in the Blender community!’ I knew that so many people use 3D software (like Blender) to create beautiful things they are passionate about on their computers, in the digital domain, but could not hold those in their hands. I wanted to change that.”

I sat down with Pete to talk about how he took that vision and turned it into a 10-year-old company that’s now the world’s largest 3D printing community.

What would you say is the biggest or most unexpected challenge you’ve encountered and overcome since starting Shapeways 10 years ago?

The biggest, perhaps not unexpected challenge was (and perhaps still is) that the technology we call 3D printing was not initially made for manufacturing. When we started Shapeways, the technology was called Rapid Prototyping or Rapid Manufacturing. It was for the largest part used for prototyping, which has totally different requirements than manufacturing in terms of quality, speed, and especially cost. The challenge for us was to use what was and is available for manufacturing.

The biggest challenge of the three components was cost. For years we struggled to make the products our community wants at a cost that was a good fit. We have made huge progress in that front, but I do not think we are done yet. That is also why I am still very excited about the entry of HP into the market. They have built a new machine, starting with the idea that 3D printers are not (completely) made for manufacturing, that they are too expensive, do not yield high enough quality, and are too slow. The new machine we are currently testing seems to fix that to a large extent. But again, we are not done.

Pete opens Shapeways’ New York office, 2010

The landscape of 3D printing has changed widely since 2007. How has Shapeways adjusted and remained a big player in the space?

The market of 3D printing final products for consumers almost did not exist when we started. We are still growing that market. It is really cool to look back 10 years and observe what has happened.

When we started, there was no one that knew about 3D printing, although the technology had existed for almost 20 years, even back in 2007! So, our first hurdle was to create awareness. Together with MakerBot, we started the 3D printing hype. Where we have the vision that consumer 3D printing is a platform play, the industry seemed to think it was the desktop machine.

I think what has happened over the last two years or so is that the idea of the desktop printer being the answer for consumer 3D printing has been debunked. In a sense, we have stayed true to our vision that giving consumers access to high-end 3D printers is the way to unlock their creativity and enable them to make amazing products. We continue to work to make our website easy to use, adding features and tools that unlock creativity, and helping our users to get what they want. We also continue to work to make the quality top-notch, for a great price, and as fast as people want – which is now! The progress we have made and the things we can still do will further unlock the market.

What does the future of consumer 3D printing look like?

I think as the technology matures, both on the printing side and on the creation side (3D software), it will become easier and more relevant for anyone to use it. I think that the announcement of HP’s entry into the market has incentivized other big players like CANON and Toshiba to consider making 3D printers.

HP’s groundbreaking printer arriving at our Eindhoven factory

At the same time, new players are preparing to and are entering the market, like Carbon3D and Desktop Metal. But, it has also re-incentivized existing players to accelerate their R&D. All of that leads to enhanced abilities to deliver amazing products for consumers. Meanwhile, the software is getting better and better. New web-based 3D software like Onshape, but also Oculus Medium (a VR 3D modeling tool), Sixsense (VR) and 3D scanning are becoming mature. All of that will enable people to more easily express what they want. Shapeways’ role is to be the platform to connect people with all this technology, making it easy for them to get amazing products.

Are there any Shapeways designers who have been with the community since the beginning? How did you form those first relationships?

Yes of course! I remember well the first time I talked to Bathsheba Grossman and Oskar van Deventer. I think Bathsheba found us through our website. I noticed what she was doing and I reached out. Bathsheba was already using 3D printing way before we started and could tell me a lot about the industry. She also introduced me to Oskar, who unleashed the 3D printed puzzle scene! In those early days it was incredibly difficult to get designs uploaded (I remember Oskar having made a tutorial several pages long to get his puzzles uploaded – things have changed!)

I’m glad to see that after all these years they are still a loyal part of our community!

Oskar van Deventer’s record-breaking puzzle

Bathsheba Grossman’s Gyroid sculpture

What are some of the biggest growth areas for the community, and the company in general? Do you have any predictions for the next 10 years?

We are building a platform that provides access to the next generation of manufacturing for anyone to use, which will play a huge part in the 3rd Industrial Revolution. This platform works in two ways: We give our community access to incredible machines, and we help 3D printing companies gain access to the biggest community of Makers. As a result, we are going to see some incredible growth in the amount of products made, and what it’s possible to make.

The new 3D printers coming to the market will be the next generation of professional 3D printers which will enable our users to make even more compelling products, at an even higher quality. The machines will be made for manufacturing, making it easier for our team to get those products in the hands of our community faster (next-day shipping!). In terms of materials, true full-color plastic will really open up a lot of creativity.

From a software perspective, I expect it to become easier and easier for people to express what they want. The rise of VR tools, next-generation online 3D software, and 3D scanning will have a large role to play in that.

Overall, I think we will see the mass adoption of 3D printing as a way for Makers to get their own products, and just as important, as a way for anyone to engage and get the products they want. This will massively disrupt how we think about the way products get made, and even have an impact on society at large. I think and hope Shapeways will play a pivotal role in this change, that we continue to earn the trust of our community, and that they continue to see us as the one-stop platform to make their dreams come true.