What 3Doodler does

3Doodler is a privately held consumer products company founded in 2013 in Massachusetts that invented the 3D printing pen category and remains its best-selling brand, with cumulative unit sales exceeding 5 million across 83 countries. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes a portfolio of filament-extrusion pens segmented by use case: the Start+ for children ages 6+ using proprietary low-temperature BPA-free compostable filaments, the Flow for teens and hobbyists with integrated LCD temperature control and a continuous-flow spool system, the Pro/PRO+ for architects and engineers supporting wood, copper, steel, nylon, and carbon fiber filaments, and the Chef and Candy lines that extrude food-safe isomalt for edible creations. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales ($49.99–$249.99 per pen) and recurring proprietary filament and capsule consumables, distributed via direct e-commerce (the3doodler.com plus UK and international storefronts), nine major retail channels including Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Costco, Michaels, and JOANN, education specialty distributors, and direct institutional sales to schools via purchase order. The business also serves over 20,000 US classrooms with bulk EDU Learning Packs and a 600+ lesson plan library, supplemented by accessibility-focused products co-developed with the Royal National Institute of Blind People. The company was bootstrapped through a $2.34M Kickstarter in 2013 and a $1.5M round in 2015, with no disclosed institutional investor backing since.

Name

3Doodler

Legal name

3Doodler

Website

https://the3doodler.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

3Doodler is the privately held creator of the world's first and best-selling 3D printing pen, selling five-plus million units across 83 countries via direct e-commerce, nine major retail chains, and education distributors, serving kids, hobbyists, professionals, bakers, and K-12 classrooms with proprietary hardware and consumable filaments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

3D Printing Pens

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950), Plastics Products, Nec (3089)

akta.pro primary industry

3D Printers (Additive Manufacturing) (HDACAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hotend/Extrusion & Material Delivery Components (Nozzles, Extruders, Feed Tubes) (IMAAAIAB)

Keywords

• 3D printing pens
• STEM education tools
• Creative design tools
• Filament refills
• Educational toys

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 3D Printing Pen Hardware Sales: Primary revenue from selling 3D printing pen devices across multiple product tiers (Start+, Flow, Pro, Chef, Candy) targeting different age groups and use cases from kids to professionals.
2. Filament and Refill Consumables: Recurring revenue from proprietary filament refills including Start+ Eco-Filaments, Flow filaments (PLA/ABS), Pro filaments (wood, copper, bronze, nylon), and candy/chef capsules. Different pens require specific branded refills.
3. Accessories: Sales of accessories including DoodlePads, nozzle sets, accessory kits, and charging cables for various pen models.
4. Educational Institution Sales: Sales of classroom learning packs and EDU bundles specifically designed and priced for educational institutions, including teacher kits and student packs with bulk filament.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

3Doodler designs, manufactures, and sells 3D printing pens that extrude melted plastic filament through a nozzle, allowing users to draw three-dimensional structures in mid-air. The company offers five pen models (Start+ for kids, Flow for hobbyists, PRO for professionals, Candy and Chef for edible creations) along with proprietary filament/capsule refills, accessory kits, and bulk EDU classroom learning packs, sold through its own e-commerce stores and a global network of consumer and education retailers across 83 countries.

Product overview

3Doodler is the world's first and best-selling 3D printing pen company, offering a diversified portfolio of creative tools across multiple product lines. The core product family includes the Start+ (for children ages 6+), Flow (for teens and hobbyists ages 14+), PRO (for professional creators), Chef (for edible culinary creations), and Candy (for kids' candy decoration). These pens are complemented by specialized filament lines (Eco-Filament for Start+, Create+ Filament, Flow Filament) and edible capsule refills (Candy Capsules, Chef Capsules). The company also maintains an education sub-brand offering classroom learning packs with 12 pens each for K-8 (Start+) and grades 8-12 (Create+) settings, along with various accessory kits. The ecosystem is unified by the company's proprietary filament technology, with different product tiers targeting different age groups and use cases from safe, low-temperature kids' products to professional-grade pens supporting advanced materials like wood, copper, steel, and nylon filaments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Start+: Award-winning 3D pen designed for kids ages 6+, featuring low-temperature operation, non-toxic BPA-free and compostable filaments, and child-safe design. The company's most popular pen for young creators.
• Flow
• PRO / PRO+
• Chef
• Candy

Products and services

• 3Doodler Start+ 3D Printing Pen Award-winning 3D printing pen designed for children ages 6+, featuring low-temperature operation, non-toxic BPA-free compostable filaments, ergonomic design for small hands, and a wireless rechargeable battery with up to 45 minutes of continuous use. The Start+ can be used to doodle directly on skin safely and is the brand's most popular kids' pen.
• 3Doodler Flow 3D Printing Pen 3D printing pen for creators ages 14+, featuring adjustable temperatures, integrated LCD screen for real-time temperature monitoring, continuous-flow spool-based filament system, and compatibility with 1.75mm PLA and ABS filament including third-party options. The Flow pen supports interchangeable nozzles for design customization.
• 3Doodler PRO 3D Printing Pen Professional-grade 3D printing pen for architects, artists, designers, and engineers, featuring dual-drive system, precision temperature control, and compatibility with advanced filaments including wood, copper, steel, nylon, and carbon fiber. Priced at $249.99 USD for professional-grade capability.
• 3Doodler Chef 3D Printing Pen Specialized 3D pen for edible creations using food-safe isomalt sugar substitute, designed for professional chefs, bakers, and food enthusiasts to decorate desserts and craft edible sculptures. Priced at $99.99 USD as a complete culinary pen kit with candy capsules.
• 3Doodler Candy 3D Pen 3D pen for children ages 8+ that creates edible candy decorations using isomalt capsules, diabetic-friendly, gluten-free, and suitable for vegetarians. Features an easy capsule loading system and comes in a kid-friendly complete kit.
• 3Doodler Start+ Eco-Filament Refills Non-toxic, BPA-free, compostable filament strands designed specifically for the Start+ pen, melting at low temperatures for safe use by children. Provides recurring consumable revenue tied to the Start+ pen user base.
• 3Doodler Create+ Filament Refills Filament refills for Create+ and PRO+ pens, available in PLA, ABS, FLEXY, and WOOD variants, manufactured in USA, UK, and Spain with extensive safety testing. Compatible with multiple professional and hobbyist-grade pens.
• 3Doodler Flow Filament Refills 1.75mm spooled filament for Flow and PRO pens, compatible with PLA and ABS materials from both 3Doodler and third-party manufacturers. Designed for the continuous-flow spool-based system.
• 3Doodler Candy Capsule Refills Edible candy capsules made from isomalt for Candy and Chef pens, diabetic-friendly, gluten-free, vegetarian suitable, available in 5 vibrant natural colors at $14.99 USD per pack of approximately 140 capsules.
• 3Doodler Chef 3D Capsule Refills Food-safe edible capsules for Chef pen, 7-ounce bags containing approximately 140 candy capsules in 5 vibrant natural colors, gluten-free and vegetarian suitable. Priced at $19.99 USD per 7oz bag.
• 3Doodler EDU Start+ Learning Pack (12 Pens) Classroom kit containing 12 Start+ pens, 1200 strands of filament, teacher materials, lesson plans, and accessories designed for K-8 educational settings with focus on STEM subjects. Priced at $531.00 USD with bulk institutional pricing and purchase order support.
• 3Doodler EDU Create+ Learning Pack (12 Pens) Classroom kit for grades 8-12 containing 12 Create+ pens, 1200 strands of filament, teacher materials, lesson plans, and accessories for more advanced student projects. Priced at $720.00 USD (regularly $1,199.00 USD) with bulk institutional pricing and purchase order support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5 million 3D pen sets sold worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered moderate and core.

• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerRNIB partnered with 3Doodler to develop accessible products for users with vision impairments. RNIB conducted comprehensive case studies with participants aged 8 to 78 with varying degrees of sight loss to test the 3Doodler Start+ pen. Their feedback shaped tactile markings placed on the Start/Stop button and On/Off switch for easier navigation by touch.
• Amazon (US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, UAE, Australia)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary e-commerce distribution partner across major global markets including US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, UAE, and Australia. Products available through Amazon's marketplace and Amazon branded stores.
• Best Buy (US and Canada)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConsumer electronics retail partner in US and Canada with both physical store and online presence, serving as key channel for reaching tech-savvy consumers and parents seeking educational products.
• Target, Walmart, Costco, Sam's ClubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMass retail distribution partners providing broad consumer access through major retail chains in North America, with Costco also serving Australia, Canada, and New Zealand markets.
• Michaels, JOANN, Barnes & NoblemoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCraft and specialty retail partners appealing to creative users, artists, and educators. Michaels and JOANN serve the maker/craft community while Barnes & Noble reaches book-reading consumers.
• School Specialty, Pitsco, Nasco, EduporiummoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducation specialty distributors serving K-12 schools and educational institutions with curriculum-aligned products, supporting the company's EDU market segment.
• Smyths Toys (UK)moderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary UK toy retailer partner providing physical store presence in the United Kingdom market through Smyths Toys Superstores.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MYNT3D: MYNT3D is the most prominent direct 3D printing pen competitor, offering filament-extrusion pens at lower price points (~$25-$50) targeting the same kids/hobbyist audience, sold extensively on Amazon and through similar educational retail channels.
• Scribbler (Scribble 3D / Scribblenauts): Scribbler 3D is a direct 3D pen competitor using similar PLA/ABS extrusion technology, sold through Amazon and competing for the same makerspace, classroom, and home use cases as 3Doodler Start+ and Flow.
• Polaroid 3D Pen: Polaroid's Hi-Def 3D Pen is sold through mass retail and online channels as a direct alternative to 3Doodler Flow and Pro, leveraging the Polaroid brand for consumer electronics distribution in similar gift and hobbyist use cases.

Emerging players

• CreoPop: CreoPop is an emerging 3D pen specialist using photopolymer/UV-curing extrusion instead of heated filament, making it inherently safer for younger users and a partial competitor in the kid-safe 3D pen niche.
• Sphero (littleBits): Sphero (which absorbed littleBits) produces STEAM-based maker kits, programmable robots, and creative electronics kits for K-12 classrooms - competing for the same hands-on STEM/spatial-reasoning curriculum spending as 3Doodler EDU.

Broad incumbents

• Creality: Creality is the world's largest consumer 3D printer manufacturer (Ender, K1 lines), increasingly active across hobbyist/maker ecosystems. It competes indirectly via the user's choice between a 3D printer and a 3D pen for entry-level additive manufacturing.
• Bambu Lab: Bambu Lab is a leading consumer/prosumer 3D printer brand (X1, P1, A1 lines) serving the same STEM hobbyist, prototyping, and educator buyer profile that 3Doodler addresses with its Pro and Create+ pens.
• MakerBot: MakerBot (a Stratasys brand) is an established K-12 and prosumer 3D printing platform that has historically competed with 3D printing pens for school STEM budgets, with its Replicator and Sketch lines targeting overlapping classroom use cases.
• LEGO Education: LEGO Education (part of the LEGO Group) is a dominant K-12 STEM educational product vendor with SPIKE, MINDSTORMS and WeDo lines - competing for the same school district purchasing dollars that 3Doodler EDU Learning Packs target.
• Mattel (ImagiNext / Maker Studios): Mattel is a global toy/educational products incumbent (Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, Barbie) that competes for retail shelf space, holiday gifting dollars, and educational institution purchasing with 3Doodler's kid-creative products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/3doodler
• YouTubeyoutube.com/3doodler
• Facebookfacebook.com/3doodler
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3doodler
• Instagraminstagram.com/3doodler/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about 3Doodler