3D Superstar MakerBot May Be Up For Sale

Founded in 2009, Brooklyn-based MakerBot has certainly skyrocketed to superstardom in the world of 3D printing. The technology is still not mainstream, but MakerBot, with its goal of bringing 3D printing to the home, is at the head of the pack. And earlier this year, rumors have been hounding the company – rumors of being up for sale.

The fact that the rumors have arisen and not disappeared is not surprising at all. After all, with 3D printing only becoming more and more popular – and controversial, as well, with the 3D-printed gun – who wouldn’t want his fingers in this pie? The chances are that the niche will only get more lucrative with time.

Earlier this month, MakerBot opened a factory, with founder Bre Pettis (who also happens to be the current CEO) declining to say anything about the rumors of his company being up for sale. His comment, “We’re not going anywhere,” does not dismiss the speculations, however. That is very much open to interpretation!

In spite of the noncommittal comment of Pettis, the latest news is that MakerBot is in talks with Stratasys, a professional 3D printing company. It has been around for a while, and in fact, one of its machines was used in creating the much-talked about 3D-printed gun, Liberator. What the company does not have is a share of the market that MakerBot has – machines that average people like you and me could buy at some point and have some fun with at home. As such, it is not unthinkable that talks between the two companies are going on.

In other news, MakerBot seems to be taking a stand against controversial 3D-printed items. If you take a look at Thingiverse, where you can find designs for 3D printing, you’ll see that weapons are expressly prohibited. I wonder how this can affect the possible acquisition talks between the two companies?

[Image via MakerBot]