Shapeways
Shapeways provides on-demand additive manufacturing services that let businesses produce precision prototypes and end-use parts without traditional tooling constraints. The company leverages 12 additive technologies and over 90 materials—including Nylon 12 for durable, flexible parts and metals for structural components—to support complex geometries and consolidated builds that reduce assembly time. A seamless digital workflow integrates on-demand manufacturing, automated order processing, and global fulfillment, enabling customers to move from a single prototype to full-scale production.
- Manufacturing / Industry 4.0
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Founder details are not available yet.
Product
Problem
Product development teams often face high costs and long lead times when prototyping and manufacturing parts through traditional methods, which typically require expensive tooling and large minimum order quantities. These barriers slow iteration cycles, delay time-to-market, and make it difficult for companies to validate designs cost-effectively before committing to large-scale production.
Solution
Shapeways provides on-demand additive manufacturing services that enable businesses to produce precision prototypes and end-use parts quickly without tooling constraints. The company leverages 12 additive technologies and a wide range of materials—including Nylon 12 for durable, flexible parts and metals for structural components—to support complex geometries and consolidated builds that reduce assembly time. A seamless digital workflow integrates on-demand manufacturing, automated order processing, and global fulfillment, allowing customers to move from a single prototype to full-scale production without traditional manufacturing complexity. Proprietary inspection processes and expert 3D printing operators ensure reliable quality across every order.
Target Audience
Primary customers are engineers, product designers, startups, and established companies needing rapid prototyping, iterative development, or bespoke manufacturing across industries including aerospace, automotive, medical, and consumer products.
Features
- Over 90 materials and finishes spanning plastics, metals, and specialized formulations like carbon-reinforced nylon and gold-plated brass
- 12 additive manufacturing technologies including SLS, MJF, SAF, SLA, Material Jetting, FDM, and Lost Wax Casting
- Ability to print complex geometries and thin features as one piece or consolidated in one build to reduce assembly time
- Scalable prototyping services supporting both unique single-unit prototypes and iterative development cycles
- Seamless digital integration through APIs and design tools that streamline ordering and production workflows
- Custom quality checks, First Article Inspection, and quality program capabilities for manufacturing compliance
- Post-processing options including vapor smoothing, spray painting, and assembly services
- Global fulfillment with direct shipping to teams or testing locations worldwide