Hubs

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

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

• Digital manufacturing platform
• CNC machining services
• 3D printing services
• Sheet metal fabrication
• Injection molding services

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Protolabs (Parent Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtolabs 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/3dhubs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1nzmktP1usjdqewrBDN_uQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/HubsManufacturing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/proto-labs
• Instagraminstagram.com/protolabsmfg

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hubs