Forward AM shutters U.S. operations following insolvency filing

According to a Linkedin post by Jeremy Vos, the Business Development Manager at Forward AM, the 3D printing materials company has shut down its American operations, though will continue to serve American customers from Germany. The news follows the announcement made at the end of November 2024 that Forward AM had filed for insolvency. In another LinkedIn post made today (January 7, 2025), Forward AM stated it would also be partnering with RP America, an AM distributor with expertise in Forward AM technologies, to help ensure it will “remain close to [its] customers”.

The company now known as Forward AM has an interesting history, which suggests that the current state of affairs is perhaps less a sign of the company’s downfall and (optimistically) more indicative of its next phase. Founded in 2017 by BASF New Business GmbH, Forward AM was initially known as BASF 3D Printing Solutions. At the time, the wholly owned subsidiary was based out of Heidelberg, Germany and had the mission of growing BASF’s 3D printing business primarily through material development.

Within a couple of years, not only had BASF acquired 3D printing service Sculpteo, BASF 3D Printing Solutions underwent a rebrand becoming BASF Forward AM (or Forward AM) and continued to expand its materials portfolio with polymer powders, resins and filaments, including its Ultrafuse 316L bound metal filament as well as its services under the Sculpteo brand. In 2021, the company continued to expand its footprint, with the opening of two new hubs: the Additive Manufacturing Technical Center (AMTC) in Shanghai and the Applications Technology Center (ATC) in Detroit.

As recently as 2023, BASF Forward AM was reporting positive revenue growth, with 43% YOY growth in Q1 2023 and 39% growth in H1 2023. From there, BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH span out from BASF and officially became Forward AM Technologies following a management buy out in summer of 2024. This acquisition was led by Martin Back, the CEO of BASF Forward AM and now CEO of Forward AM Technologies, and included all of BASF’s 3D printing operations, including its materials and services.

The insolvency announcement came some months later in November 2024. As Davide Sher, founder of VoxelMatters, reported at the time: “It would have been strange that BASF would spin out the Forward AM activities and brand if they were highly profitable. Instead, Managing Director Martin Back took it upon himself to prove that the company could make it into profitability.” Filing for insolvency, which was done through the District Court of Heidelberg, seems to be a necessary part of the company’s trajectory, signalling the new owner’s intention to restructure and keep the business going.

Typically, insolvency is handled in the following ways: through debt restructuring, consolidation or, in worst cases, bankruptcy. By shuttering its American operations, Forward AM seems to be pursuing the first two. Interestingly, however, Jeremy Vos did suggest in a LinkedIn comment that there is “potential to open back up in the US later in 2025”. And the RP America partnership further suggests the company is still committed to its American client base. Forward AM says: “With over 20 years of experience in the industry, RP America is a technically service-oriented partner with strong expertise in the technologies we sell. Their proven track record makes them perfectly positioned to continue delivering the trusted products, quality, and support you rely on.” In any case, we’ll continue to monitor Forward AM’s insolvency as it progresses.

[This article was updated on January 7, 2025 to include additional information from Forward AM.]