Formlabs Acquires Micronics to Accelerate Its SLS 3D Printing Capabilities

Formlabs has acquired Micronics, a Wisconsin-based 3D printing company, to give it more momentum as it aims to make SLS 3D printing more accessible across industries. With the acquisition, the Micronics founders and team will join Formlabs in the company’s shared mission to make SLS 3D printing accessible for product designers, engineers, innovators and other makers around the world.

“We’re excited to welcome Henry and Luke to Formlabs,” says Max Lobovsky, Formlabs CEO and co-founder. “After meeting the Micronics co-founders at Open Sauce 2024, we discovered our shared vision for accessible, powerful 3D printing. The Micronics team’s talent and innovative spirit will help us to accelerate accessible SLS 3D printing to market and enable anyone to bring their ideas to life.”

Micronics is a new 3D printing company that announced its first desktop SLS 3D printer, Micron, on Kickstarter in June 2024. The printer is designed to deliver the strength and precision of SLS 3D printing technology in a compact form factor for detailed prototypes and durable end-use products.

As provider of SLS 3D printing with its Fuse 1 Series printers — which it says accounts for more than half of the worldwide powder bed fusion printers sold — Formlabs was attracted to Micronics for its shared focus on powerful and accessible 3D printing, and demonstration of engineering excellence, which will enable Formlabs to accelerate its SLS 3D printing capabilities. As an optimal choice for engineers, designers, manufacturers and decision-makers around the world, Formlabs continuously expands its ecosystem with the tools that make it possible for anyone to bring their ideas to life.

“We are thrilled to join forces with Formlabs, a company we have long admired,” says Henry Chan, Micronics CEO. “After the outpouring of excitement around our Kickstarter, we’re confident that this move will enable us to bring the best SLS 3D printing experience to users around the world by leveraging the incredible talent and experience at Formlabs. We are excited about this next phase in our mission to make digital fabrication even more accessible, and can’t wait to get started.”

This acquisition follows Formlabs’ successful acquisition of Spectra in 2019, which built out the company’s materials capabilities and added an ISO 13485-certified facility. Micronics will now complement Formlabs’ SLS team to bring new tools and solutions that enable product designers and innovators to unleash creativity, take design risks, and print robust end-use parts. These combined efforts are designed to expand access to 3D printing, further making the technology accessible for product users seeking the benefits of unmatched reliability, print quality and ease of use.

Following the close of the acquisition, Micronics Kickstarter backers will be refunded and receive a credit for any Formlabs 3D printer for use now or in the future.