MakerBot Industries

What MakerBot Industries does

MakerBot Industries, LLC is a private 3D printing hardware and software company headquartered in New York that, since 2022, has operated as the education-exclusive sub-brand of UltiMaker following the merger of the two companies. The company designs and sells FDM 3D printers purpose-built for classroom environments: the Sketch Standard (entry-level) and Sketch Sprint (high-speed) anchor the K-12 line, while UltiMaker S3 and S6 printers extend the offering to higher education and professional use, supporting 190-280+ materials including composites. Hardware is paired with a cloud software stack (Digital Factory for device and student submission management, with CloudPrint now retired, and the open-source UltiMaker Cura slicer) and a recurring services layer including UltiMakerCare extended warranties and the ISTE-certified MakerBot Certification educator training program. The business model is hybrid: hardware one-time purchases range from $799 for a single Sketch Standard to $3,998 for a paired Sprint classroom, supplemented by tiered software subscriptions ($0 to $900/year), educator licensing ($99-$800), materials (PLA and Tough PLA filament), grant-funded K-12 deployments (including a $500,000 MakerBot Gives Back program in 2025), and district multi-year contracts delivered via direct e-commerce, reseller networks, and enterprise field sales across offices in the US, Netherlands, and Singapore. The company claims 10,000+ schools as customers, more than 600 free lesson plans on Thingiverse Education, and a Red Dot Award for Industrial Product Design; notable customer engagements include Calcasieu Parish (400 printers), Montclair School District, Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, and Thomas Jefferson University.

Name

MakerBot Industries

Legal name

MakerBot Industries, LLC

Website

https://makerbot.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

MakerBot Industries is the education-exclusive sub-brand of UltiMaker that designs FDM 3D printers (Sketch Standard, Sketch Sprint), cloud software (Digital Factory), training, and curriculum serving K-12 schools, districts, and higher education institutions in 10,000+ schools worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Desktop 3D Printing Hardware

NAICS

Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (3341)

SIC

Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment (3555)

akta.pro primary industry

3D Printers (Additive Manufacturing) (HDACAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

3D Printing, CAD & Digital Fabrication Programs (EDAMADAH), Additive Manufacturing Education & Academic Programs (IMAAAJAB), 3D Design & CAD for Additive Manufacturing (IMAAACAA), Machine Control, Firmware & Print Management (IMAAACAD)

Keywords

• Desktop 3D printers
• FDM 3D printing
• 3D printing materials
• Education 3D printing
• 3D printing software

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 3D Printer Hardware Sales: Sale of 3D printers including Sketch Standard ($799), Sketch Sprint ($2,399), and classroom bundles ($1,999-$3,998). Also includes advanced UltiMaker S-series printers for higher education and professional applications.
2. Software Subscriptions: Digital Factory cloud platform with tiered pricing: Free (up to 8 printers), Classroom ($600/year), School ($900/year). CloudPrint transitioning to Digital Factory.
3. Filament and Materials: Sale of PLA and Tough PLA filament materials in multiple colors (20+ colors available). Materials sold in spools for Sketch series printers.
4. UltiMakerCare Service Plans: Extended warranty and support plans for printers available in 1-, 2-, 3-, or 5-year terms. Includes hot swap service and direct access to support engineers.
5. Certification and Training: Educator certification program ($99-$800) offering professional development credits and ISTE-recognized credentials. District licenses available for customization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MakerBot Industries designs, manufactures, and sells desktop 3D printers, filaments, and companion cloud software purpose-built for K-12 classrooms, school districts, and higher education. The bundled ecosystem includes the Sketch printer line, advanced UltiMaker S-series printers, the Digital Factory cloud management platform, the free UltiMaker Cura slicer, PLA and Tough PLA filament materials, ISTE-certified educator training, and extended UltiMakerCare service plans.

Product overview

MakerBot Industries, a sub-brand of UltiMaker, offers a comprehensive 3D printing ecosystem dedicated solely to education. The product portfolio centers on the Sketch series (Sketch Standard, Sketch Sprint) as the core education-focused 3D printers, supplemented by UltiMaker advanced printers (S3, S6) for higher education and professional applications. The platform includes cloud-based print management software (Digital Factory), free slicing software (UltiMaker Cura), and educational materials (PLA, Tough PLA filaments). Supporting services include the MakerBot Certification training program, Thingiverse Education community, Educator's Guidebook, and UltiMakerCare service plans. Classroom and district-level solution bundles provide complete 3D printing setups with printers, training, curriculum, and materials for K-12 and higher education institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MakerBot Certification: A self-paced online learning platform that equips students and educators with 3D printing skills, training, and curriculum.
• UltiMaker Digital Factory
• MakerBot CloudPrint
• MakerBot Print

Products and services

• MakerBot Sketch Standard

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted by 10,000+ schools worldwide
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UltiMakercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Merger between MakerBot and UltiMaker completed in 2022, creating a combined entity focused on accelerating 3D printing innovation and global adoption. MakerBot operates as sub-brand dedicated exclusively to education. UltiMaker provides comprehensive desktop 3D printing ecosystem of hardware, software, and materials.
• Google for EducationcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to make classroom 3D printing more accessible through Google for Education ecosystem integration. CloudPrint integrates with Google Classroom for seamless student access.
• SME Education FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint MakerBot Scholarship program created by UltiMaker and SME Education Foundation to support the next generation of innovators in manufacturing and engineering careers.
• MyMiniFactoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMyMiniFactory acquired Thingiverse, MakerBot's original education community platform, ensuring continued operation and development of the 3D printing resource community.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Formlabs: Competing 3D printer OEM with a strong presence in education (Formlabs Education bundles for K-12 and higher ed). Differs on technology (SLA resin vs. MakerBot's FDM), but directly competes for the same education budget pools and district RFPs.
• Prusa Research: Established FDM 3D printer manufacturer with an active education user base and Prusa Education program. Directly comparable printer hardware and open-source ethos, competing for educational buyers seeking reliability and value.
• XYZprinting: Consumer and education-focused 3D printer OEM with dedicated da Vinci education line. Competes for the same K-12 entry-level printer budget with bundled curriculum offerings.
• Polar 3D (formerly Robo 3D): Education-focused 3D printer maker serving K-12 and STEM programs with classroom-managed printers and curriculum. Directly comparable target customer, bundled curriculum/subscription model, and price band.

Emerging players

• Dremel: Bosch-owned power-tool brand that has sold 3D printers (Dremel DigiLab) into education channels. Comparable K-12 customer profile and classroom-ready positioning, leveraging Dremel's broader tool brand.
• Creality: Large-volume Chinese FDM 3D printer OEM selling low-cost printers through consumer and education channels. Comparable FDM technology, differentiated primarily by aggressive price and broad distribution rather than integrated education curriculum.
• Bambu Lab: Fast-growing FDM 3D printer maker with strong price-performance positioning, increasingly adopted by maker/hobbyist and education segments. Comparable core technology (FDM) but lacking MakerBot's education ecosystem moat.

Broad incumbents

• Stratasys: Industrial-grade 3D printing incumbent that previously owned MakerBot (2013–2022) and continues to sell into education through programs like the Stratasys Education Suite. Comparable education vertical and historical connection to MakerBot's product line.
• UltiMaker: Parent company of MakerBot since the 2022 merger, UltiMaker sells the broader desktop FDM 3D printing ecosystem (S-series, Factor 4, Cura, Digital Factory) to professional and education markets. Directly comparable hardware/software stack and shared product roadmap.

Others

• MyMiniFactory: Acquired MakerBot's Thingiverse community and operates a competing 3D printing content platform. Not a hardware peer, but an ecosystem peer whose content/community assets are adjacent to MakerBot's go-to-market motion.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/makerbot
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@makerbot
• Facebookfacebook.com/makerbot
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/559815
• Instagraminstagram.com/makerbot

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors8 records

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

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about MakerBot Industries