Materialise will acquire Link3D in $33.5 million deal

Belgian 3D printing company Materialise is expanding its business with the acquisition of Link3D Inc., a New York-based company specializing in SaaS AM workflow software. The acquisition, which is set to be finalized by the end of 2021, will see Materialise acquire 100% of Link3D’s equity interests for for $33.5 million. Materialise first acquired the option to buy Link3D in April 2021 and is now exercising this right.

The decision to acquire Link3D is highly strategic and will enable Materialise to accelerate the creation of its comprehensive Materialise software platform, which will offer customers cloud-based tools for managing and streamlining AM workflows. Link3D’s MES solution will be integrated with the Materialise Magics platform specifically to support customers as they scale their additive manufacturing production.

“Materialise continues to lead the way in advancing the AM industry and this acquisition strengthens our position in the high-growth manufacturing market,” says Fried Vancraen, CEO of Materialise. “As companies accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing into increasingly digital production environments, they require a strong and unified AM software platform. Today’s announcement creates a merger of forces that serves as the foundation for such a scalable and sustainable platform.”

By offering a highly integrated AM software solution, Materialise aims to give its customers the tools they need to establish efficient, repeatable and highly automated production lines for the mass production of 3D printed goods. Link3D’s MES software platform is designed to help manufacturers scale their AM production seamlessly across supply chains and IT environments. Specifically, the software offers solutions for centralizing orders and optimizing pricing, maximizing throughput, managing manufacturing execution, facilitating traceability and more.