The Micro 3D Printer closed their crowdfunding round on Kickstarter today having raised over $3.4 million on a goal of raising just $50,000. 11,855 backers came together to support what was described as “the first truly consumer 3D printer”.
It was not that long ago when home printers were an expensive luxury. Companies quickly rushed to fill the demand to provide affordable home printers that are now ubiquitous today. The Micro 3D, created by M3D based in Bethesda, Maryland appears poised to be one of the first companies to offer an easy to use, small footprint and inexpensive 3D printer for home use. While 3D printing is an exotic piece of hardware in homes today within a few years (or perhaps months) every house will have a 3D printer on their shelves.
The 3D printer category has been a hot item in the crowdfunding space. It has become difficult to count the number of offerings from the United States and other countries. The Micro 3D now sits at the top of the list as the most funded in the category. The Form 1, that crowdfunded on Kickstarter in 2012, is the closest in funding total at just shy of $3 million. But their printer cost thousands – not the hundreds promised by the Micro 3D. The Bucaneer may be the closest competitor as their 3D printer is priced near to that of Micro’s product. Of course pricing for all 3D printers will soon drop as the hardware is commoditized but many of these devices will benefit from early mover status.
M3D was founded by Michael Armani and David Jones. Armani has a PhD in engineering while Jones is an expert software programmer and robotics engineer. The pair compiled a team dedicated to delivering a 3D printer that was easy and fun to use and accessible to all. With sufficient funds now in the bank – backers are expected to wait just a few short months to be able to bring their 3D concepts to life. Expect a presale offer on the M3D site soon – if you missed out on the Kickstarter campaign offer.
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