BCN3D acquires American company AstroPrint and will offer cloud solutions

The Catalan company BCN3D, based in Gavà, has acquired AstroPrint, a US firm specializing in software that offers cloud solutions to its users, more than 200,000 worldwide. Among its functionalities is the ability to control a 3D printer remotely. The original investors of the American company ---founded in San Diego (California) in 2013--- were Techstars, Stanley Ventures, Mundi Ventures, and 500 Startups. BCN3D has financed the entire operation with its own funds.

For the 3D printer manufacturer, the agreement will serve to expand its range of products and services, starting with the launch of an online platform for its customers, which include Louis Vuitton, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, and Camper, among others. However, AstroPrint's platform (AstroPrint Cloud) will remain operational independently.

The acquisition also includes the incorporation of six software engineer programmers ---who were previously part of the AstroPrint team--- into the Catalan company, which has a workforce of around 100 employees, 90% of whom are in Spain. Parallel to the platform, the idea is to innovate and create new products together. "We want to do something never before seen in the 3D printing industry," explain company sources. The merger of the two teams will be led by AstroPrint's co-founder and CTO, Daniel Arroyo, who has now been appointed chief software officer of BCN3D.

"The acquisition of a company with so much experience in this field will serve to boost our BCN3D printing profile to its maximum potential, and the merger of our teams will undoubtedly bring countless benefits," said BCN3D CEO, Xavier Martínez Faneca. BCN3D does not rule out making more acquisitions. In fact, it has expressed its desire to continue discovering entities that can help them grow and improve.

The Catalan entity was born in 2019 as a spin-off of the CIM Foundation of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). After the last investment round, which took place in July 2020, its investors are Danobatgroup, CDTI (Innvierte), Mondragón's specialized fund, Accurafy4, JME Ventures, and Victoria Venture Capital. In 2019, the last year for which data has been provided, BCN3D had a turnover of more than 4 million euros.