Hubs
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Hubs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hubs
- Legal name
- Protolabs Europe B.V., 3D Hubs, Inc., and 3D Hubs Manufacturing LLC
- Website
- https://hubs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hubs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- On-Demand Digital Manufacturing Services
- NAICS
- Machine Shops (33271)
- SIC
- Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Engineering Prototype Builds (Form/Fit/Function) (IMAAAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Prototype Program Management & Low-Volume Pilot Runs (Bridge to Production) (IMAAAFAO)
Keywords
Where Hubs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
Hubs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- On-demand Manufacturing Services: Transaction-based manufacturing service where customers pay per part or per order. The platform charges for CNC machining, 3D printing, sheet metal fabrication, and injection molding services. Volume pricing is available for larger orders, and the platform handles all aspects from quoting to delivery including customs clearance for EU, UK, and US customers.
- Production Orders: Full program management for end-use production parts with dedicated support, quality control, and volume pricing optimization. Includes complete order management from Protolabs Network's team of experts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Instant quoting with free design analysis |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Hubs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hubs (rebranded as Protolabs Network after its 2021 acquisition by Protolabs) operates an on-demand digital manufacturing platform that connects customers to a global network of hundreds of vetted manufacturing partners for CNC machining, 3D printing (FDM, SLA, SLS, MJF), sheet metal fabrication, and injection molding. Users upload CAD files to receive ML-generated instant quotes, configure specifications in real time, and order custom prototypes or production parts with lead times as short as one business day. The platform handles manufacturer selection, quality assurance under the Protolabs Network Standard (AS 9100 / ISO 9001), and customs clearance for EU, UK, and US deliveries.
Product overview
Protolabs Network (formerly Hubs) is a cloud-based digital manufacturing platform that provides on-demand access to a global network of vetted manufacturing partners. The platform operates as a platform-plus-services model combining the Protolabs Network digital platform with Protolabs' in-house factories. Core manufacturing services include 3D Printing (FDM, SLA, SLS, MJF), CNC Machining (milling and turning), Sheet Metal Fabrication (laser cutting, bending, post-processing), and Injection Molding (prototypes and production tooling). These are complemented by Surface Finishing Services (anodizing, bead blasting, polishing, powder coating, vapor smoothing) and Production Orders for full-scale manufacturing with program management. The platform uses machine learning algorithms for instant quote generation and applies centralized quality standards (Protolabs Network Standard) across all partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 3D Printing Service On-demand 3D printing service offering FDM, SLA, SLS, and Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technologies for prototyping and production parts, with tolerances of ±0.3% (lower limit ±0.3 mm / ±0.012 in) and lead times from 1 business day. Targeted at product developers, engineers, and procurement teams needing rapid iteration and small-to-medium batch production.
- CNC Machining Service On-demand CNC machining service offering milling and turning across a broad range of metals and plastics, with tolerances down to ±0.020 mm (±0.001 in) and lead times from 5 business days. Serves engineers and procurement teams needing precision custom parts for prototyping and production.
- Sheet Metal Fabrication On-demand sheet metal fabrication service including laser cutting, bending, and post-processing, with tolerances down to ±0.1 mm (±0.004 in). Targeted at customers needing custom metal enclosures, brackets, and structural components for prototyping and low-volume production.
- Injection Molding Service On-demand injection molding service for prototype and production tooling supporting volumes from 1 to 1,000,000 parts. Serves product developers and manufacturers needing low-to-high volume plastic parts with quick-turn tooling options.
- Surface Finishing Services Standalone post-processing services including aluminum anodizing, bead blasting, polishing, powder coating, vapor smoothing, black oxide, and smooth machining, available for CNC and 3D printed parts to meet cosmetic and functional requirements.
- Production Orders Full-scale production manufacturing service with complete program management from Protolabs Network's team of experts, optimizing cost, quantity, and quality control for end-use production parts. Designed for enterprise customers scaling beyond prototyping into ongoing production volumes.
- Protolabs Network Local Fast local manufacturing option offering lead times as short as five days through an expanded network of CNC machine shops in the US and EU, enabling customers to source parts closer to their location for time-sensitive projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- Parts manufactured in as fast as 1 day for prototypes
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Hubs
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Hubs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
Hubs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Protolabs (Parent Company)coreProtolabs Network (formerly Hubs/3D Hubs) is now part of the Protolabs family. Protolabs provides in-house factory capabilities with ultra-fast lead times, while the network provides broader capabilities and volume pricing through vetted manufacturing partners. The combined solution offers the industry's most comprehensive manufacturing solution from prototyping to production.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hubs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Xometry: Xometry (NASDAQ: XMTR) is the largest publicly-traded on-demand manufacturing marketplace, offering CNC, 3D printing, sheet metal, and injection molding through a global vetted partner network with AI-driven instant quoting — directly competing with Hubs on both SMB and enterprise segments.
- Fictiv: Fictiv operates a digital manufacturing platform with instant quoting and a network of vetted CNC, 3D printing, and injection molding partners, targeting hardware startups and enterprise engineering teams — a close US-based analog to Hubs' model.
- Geomiq: Geomiq is a UK-based online custom manufacturing platform connecting engineers with a vetted global network of CNC, 3D printing, and sheet metal suppliers — competing head-to-head with Hubs for European hardware-company prototyping and bridge-to-production work.
- RapidDirect: RapidDirect is a China-headquartered instant-quoting platform offering CNC, 3D printing, sheet metal, and injection molding from its own and partner factories — competing with Hubs on cost-sensitive global production orders.
- Plethora: Plethora is a France-based on-demand manufacturing platform offering instant quoting for CNC machining and 3D printing services across a vetted supplier network — directly comparable to Hubs in the European prototyping market.
- Shapeways: Shapeways operates an online 3D printing marketplace connecting designers and engineers with manufacturing partners for on-demand production parts — overlapping with Hubs' 3D printing and marketplace capabilities.
Broad incumbents
- Protolabs: Protolabs (NYSE: PRLB) is the publicly-traded parent company that acquired Hubs in 2021 and rebranded it as Protolabs Network. It operates automated in-house factories for ultra-fast prototyping and production, overlapping with Hubs' network-based offering.
- Materialise: Materialise (NASDAQ: MTLS) is a Belgium-based 3D printing services and software provider serving medical, aerospace, and industrial customers with both its own factories and a manufacturing network — a broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities.
- Stratasys: Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) is a major 3D printing equipment OEM and service provider whose installed base of polymer systems overlaps with Hubs' FDM/SLA/PolyJet/P3 service offering — an incumbent that could expand deeper into on-demand parts.
Emerging players
- JLCPCB: JLCPCB (Shenzhen JLC Electronics) is a China-based low-cost instant-quoting platform for PCBs, CNC, 3D printing, and sheet metal — competing with Hubs on price-sensitive prototyping orders, particularly from hardware startups.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hubs social profiles
Digital presenceHubs compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Hubs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hubs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Hubs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hubs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hubs
What does Hubs do?
Hubs (rebranded as Protolabs Network after its 2021 acquisition by Protolabs) operates an on-demand digital manufacturing platform that connects customers to a global network of hundreds of vetted manufacturing partners for CNC machining, 3D printing (FDM, SLA, SLS, MJF), sheet metal fabrication, and injection molding. Users upload CAD files to receive ML-generated instant quotes, configure specifications in real time, and order custom prototypes or production parts with lead times as short as one business day. The platform handles manufacturer selection, quality assurance under the Protolabs Network Standard (AS 9100 / ISO 9001), and customs clearance for EU, UK, and US deliveries.
Is Hubs a public or private company?
Hubs is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Hubs founded?
Hubs was founded in 2013. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Hubs based?
Hubs is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Hubs make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. On-demand Manufacturing Services are the primary driver. The others are production Orders.
Who are Hubs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Xometry, Fictiv, Geomiq, RapidDirect, Plethora and Shapeways. Broad incumbents are Protolabs, Materialise and Stratasys. JLCPCB is listed as an emerging player.
Does Hubs have an API?
Yes. Protolabs Network offers programmatic access through their online quoting platform. The platform uses machine learning algorithms to compare uploaded CAD designs to millions of previously manufactured parts and generate instant quotes. Users can upload CAD files (STEP, STP, IGES, IGS, SLDPRT, 3DM, SAT, X_T formats), configure part specifications, select lead times, and receive pricing updates in real-time. The API handles order management, production tracking, and quote generation through their manufacturing platform. Developer documentation is at www.hubs.com/how-ordering-works.
What industry is Hubs in?
Hubs's product category is On-Demand Digital Manufacturing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAAAFAB, Engineering Prototype Builds (Form/Fit/Function), with a secondary code of IMAAAFAO, Prototype Program Management & Low-Volume Pilot Runs (Bridge to Production). Its NAICS code is 33271 and its SIC code is 3559.