Shapeways, a 3D-printing New York City-based startup, has raised $30 million with eyes on global expansion, most notably building a factory in Asia.
The latest round of funding was led by Netherlands-based INKEF Capital and involved Presidio Ventures, the investment arm of the Tokyo-based Sumitomo Corporation.
Peter Weijmarshausen, CEO and co-founder of Shapeways, says he’s “open” to the idea of a location in the East. “It makes sense to think about Asia,” he said.
Brooklyn-based Makerbot announced plans to enter the Asian market last month which could potentially entice Shapeways to do the same in the near future.
Of the 620,000 Shapeways users, only 30,000 sell products on the marketplace.
As a result, Weijmarshausen says Shapeways plans to build new features and materials asked for by the existing members while also attracting new users.
