BASF, the world's largest chemical manufacturer, has acquired Sculpteo, a Paris-based 3D printing service provider.
On November 14, 2019, BASF New Business Co., Ltd. (BNB), a division of German chemical company focused on innovative technologies, signed a formal acquisition agreement with Sculpteo. It is expected that the agreement will take effect within a few weeks after the relevant departments obtain regulatory approval. The terms of the transaction, including the value of the transaction, have not been disclosed. After the acquisition is completed, Sculpteo's management team will remain unchanged.
The acquisition will be used to help BASF 3D Printing Solutions Ltd. (B3DPS), a subsidiary dedicated to additive manufacturing, sell and produce new 3D printing materials at a faster rate. "By acquiring Sculpteo, we can enable customers and partners to obtain our innovative 3D printing solutions faster," explains Dr. Dietmar Bender, BASF's general manager of 3D printing solutions.
"We, together with SCULPTEO, are pursuing the goal of establishing additive manufacturing and turning it into a trusted industrial mass production technology."
Expand Sculpteo to the global 3D printing network
Sculpteo was founded in 2009 and has been operating as an online platform for 3D printing services for more than a decade. Through this site, customers can choose from ten 3D printing technologies, 75 materials and finishing options to create prototypes, produce single objects and / or mass produce. The company has offices in Paris and San Francisco and factories in Europe, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany and Switzerland.
Through this acquisition, BASF plans to further develop the Sculpteo 3D printing platform into a global network. Therefore, B3DPS customers and partners will get an additional channel to market their services and expand their customer base: "In addition, our customers will benefit from a range of services."
Combining the strengths of the two companies, Sculpteo will be able to provide other 3D printing materials to its customer base, thereby expanding its product portfolio. In addition, Sculpteo Design Studio and BASF's technical experts will provide customers with end-to-end services for 3D printing support. Clément Moreau, CEO and co-founder of Sculpteo, said: "We are very pleased to join the BASF team and benefit from BASF's outstanding research and development to provide customers with innovative solutions."
BASF enters the 3D printing industry
BASF develops and provides a variety of 3D printed filaments, resins and powders in its broad material portfolio. The company is an outstanding figure in the 3D printing industry and has established important material partnerships with various 3D printer manufacturers including HP, BigRep, Essentium, BCN3D, etc. Over the years, BASF has also made several investments in the 3D printing business, including a US $ 25 million investment in Belgium`s 3D software and service provider Materialize in 2018.
BASF's 3D printing solution was established in 2017 by BASF's new business, which aims to further develop the company's business in the 3D printing industry. Recently, BASF announced that B3DPS will be renamed Forward AM in time before Formnext 2019.
In order to improve BASF's 3D printing material production, BASF's new business also acquired many companies other than Sculpteo. For example, in 2017, BASF`s new business announced that it has acquired the Dutch filament manufacturer Innofil3D. In the second year, BASF's new business further acquired two European materials companies, Advanc3D Materials and Setup Performance. Subsequently, all three companies were incorporated into the business of BASF 3D printing solutions.