What ColorFabb does

ColorFabb BV is a Netherlands-based private manufacturer of 3D printing filaments, founded in 2013 and operated as a founder-led (Ruud Rouleaux, founder & CEO) direct-to-consumer e-commerce business serving professionals and hobbyists in Europe, North America, and additional global markets reached via DHL shipping. The company operates its own extrusion/production facility in Belfeld (Venlo area) under the claim of "EU made in house," with a precision manufacturing tolerance of ±0.05mm, and maintains two regional storefronts — colorfabb.com for global/EU customers and colorfabb.us for US/Canada.

The product strategy is built on proprietary material formulations rather than generic commodity filament. Distinctive lines include the PLA/PHA bioplastic blend, LW-PLA and LW-ASA lightweight foaming filaments, the varioShore TPU platform (variable shore hardness, foaming technology, prosthetic variant with silver) co-developed with Lubrizol, carbon-fiber-reinforced XT-CF20 and nGen-CF10, and an array of specialty effect composites (woodFill, bronzeFill, copperFill, steelFill, corkFill, stoneFill, glowFill). The catalog spans 1,423+ SKUs across materials, colors, and spool sizes (600g–8000g), and includes 190+ RAL colors available through a PLA Color on Demand customization service. Distribution is extended into industrial-grade polymers via reseller partnerships with Igus (Iglidur) and Lehvoss (Luvocom), and into large-format additive manufacturing through FGF pellet sales.

The revenue model is fundamentally transactional DTC filament sales at €18–€50 per spool for standard materials, with premium pricing on the PLA Color on Demand service (€60.49 per spool), value-pack bundles offering 5–30% bulk discounts, accessory sales (E3D hardened steel nozzles, 3D Lac Plus), and B2B custom filament development services. Customer segments are diversified across hobbyists/makers, professional engineers, industrial manufacturers using FGF systems, aerospace and automotive users, medical and prosthetic applications, architecture and design, education, and fashion/cosplay — with no single customer concentration disclosed. No revenue, funding, parent ownership, or leadership hiring data has been disclosed.

Name

ColorFabb

Legal name

colorFabb BV

Website

https://colorfabb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ColorFabb is a Netherlands-based manufacturer of high-quality 3D printing filaments, serving professionals and hobbyists worldwide through direct-to-consumer e-commerce with proprietary material formulations, custom RAL colors, and global shipping.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

3D Printing Filaments

NAICS

Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513), Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080)

akta.pro primary industry

Polymer Filaments (FDM/FFF) (IMAAABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Polymer Compounds & Masterbatches (Compounding, Color/Fill/Additive Concentrates) (IMAEANAJ), Bioplastics Compounding & Masterbatch (bio-based additives, colorants, fillers) (IMANANAB), Dyeing, Coloring & Texturing (Dye, Pigment, Hydrographics, Texture) (IMAAAGAJ)

Keywords

• 3D printing filaments
• FDM printing materials
• Bioplastic PLA filaments
• Flexible TPU filaments
• Specialty composite filaments

Headquarters

HQ city

Venlo

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Filament Product Sales: Core revenue from selling 3D printing filaments in various materials (PLA, PETG, TPU, ASA, PA, PHA, nGen) and effect variants. Products sold in multiple spool sizes from 600g to 8000g with pricing from €18-50 per spool for standard materials
2. Custom Color on Demand: Bespoke PLA filament production in custom RAL colors. Made-to-order service with premium pricing at €60.49 per spool. Lead time of 5-8 business days for matched colors, 2-3 weeks for custom formulations
3. Value Pack Bundles: Multi-spool bundle products offering 5-30% discounts for bulk purchases. Includes specialized packs for LW-PLA, LW-PLA-HT, PETG Economy, PLA Economy, and Special filaments
4. FGF Pellets: Large-format 3D printing pellet sales for industrial customers operating pellet-fed extrusion systems
5. Accessories: 3D printing accessories including E3D hardened steel nozzles and 3D Lac Plus adhesion products
6. Filament Development B2B Services: Custom filament development and formulation services for business customers requiring specialized materials

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ColorFabb is a Netherlands-based manufacturer of 3D printing filaments for FDM/FFF printers, producing a broad portfolio of PLA, PLA/PHA, PETG/co-polyester, ASA, TPU, PA nylon, and PHA bioplastic filaments, plus specialty composite filaments (woodFill, bronzeFill, steelFill, stoneFill, corkFill, glowFill) and engineering-grade carbon fiber reinforced materials (XT-CF20, nGen-CF10). The company also operates a custom PLA Color on Demand service offering 190+ RAL colors, sells FGF pellets for large-format industrial printers, and distributes partner brands Igus Iglidur and Lehvoss Luvocom filaments. Production is performed in-house at its EU facility with ±0.05mm diameter tolerance.

Product overview

ColorFabb is a Netherlands-based manufacturer of high-quality 3D printing filaments serving professionals and hobbyists worldwide. The company operates as a single-brand portfolio of filament products with customization services. The core offering centers on diverse filament types including PLA/PHA (signature bioplastic blend), PLA High Speed Pro (advanced fast-printing formulation), PETG/co-polyester variants (colorFabb XT, colorFabb HT, nGen), ASA and LW-ASA (UV-resistant outdoor materials), TPU elastomers including varioShore TPU (lightweight foaming technology) and Prosthetic variants with silver for medical applications, PA/nylon for industrial use, and PHA/allPHA for biodegradable options. The specialty portfolio includes composite filaments with aesthetic effects: woodFill, bronzeFill, copperFill, steelFill, corkFill, stoneFill, and glowFill, plus engineering-grade XT-CF20 and nGen-CF10 carbon fiber reinforced materials. ColorFabb offers a unique Color on Demand service producing custom RAL colors in PLA, and provides sustainable options including rPLA (recycled), rPETG, PLA Regrind, and PLA Economy. The company also distributes Igus Iglidur and Lehvoss Luvocom branded filaments, sells FGF pellets for large-format printing, and offers 3D printing accessories. With filaments available in 1.75mm and 2.85mm diameters and precision tolerance of ±0.05mm, the company ships worldwide from its EU-based in-house production facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• varioShore TPU: Variable shore hardness TPU filament with foaming technology, reduced weight and density, and soft touch finish. Developed in cooperation with Lubrizol.
• LW-PLA
• PLA/PHA
• woodFill
• bronzeFill
• XT-CF20
• PLA Color On Demand

Products and services

• PLA/PHA Filament

Quantifiable outcome

• Part density as low as 0.43 g/cm³ with LW-ASA printed at 40% flowrate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LubrizolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partnership with Lubrizol for varioShore TPU formulation. colorFabb developed the variable shore hardness TPU material in cooperation with Lubrizol, combining colorFabb's foaming technology expertise with Lubrizol's polymer technology.
• IgusminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership where colorFabb resells Igus Iglidur filament products through their e-commerce platform, expanding the product portfolio for customers seeking industrial-grade tribological polymers.
• Lehvoss (Luvocom)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership offering Lehvoss Luvocom high-performance filaments for professional industrial applications. colorFabb serves as a distribution channel for these specialized materials.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Prusament (Prusa Research): Own-brand premium filament from one of the largest desktop 3D printer OEMs, emphasizing tight diameter tolerance and quality control; competes with colorFabb's precision-positioned specialty and standard SKUs, especially where printer OEM lock-in exists.
• MatterHackers: US-based retailer and filament producer (MatterHackers Pro Series and MH Build Series) covering prosumer, professional, and industrial tiers; competes with colorFabb both as a filament manufacturer and as a multi-brand distribution channel.
• Fiberlogy: Polish specialty filament maker with a comparable focus on engineering materials, composites (carbon fiber), and effects; targets the same hobbyist-and-pro crossover buyer as colorFabb across Europe.
• Fillamentum: Czech specialty filament manufacturer known for engineering-grade materials (Extrafill, Nylon, Flexfill) and unique aesthetics; directly comparable to colorFabb's XT-CF20 and varioShore TPU offerings in positioning and channel.
• Polymaker: Premium global filament brand offering PolyMax, PolyLite, and specialty engineering-grade materials with strong direct-to-consumer distribution; competes with colorFabb in the professional and prosumer specialty filament segment worldwide.
• Formfutura: Dutch-based specialty 3D printing filament manufacturer with a very similar portfolio of engineered, effect, and sustainable filaments; competes head-to-head with colorFabb in the EU prosumer/maker channel and through its own global e-commerce storefront.
• Spectrum Filaments: Polish filament manufacturer offering a deep portfolio of PLA, PETG, ASA, TPU, and specialty materials; similar dual-segment positioning across hobbyists and professionals that overlaps with colorFabb's EU-centric specialty positioning.
• eSun: Large-scale Chinese filament manufacturer offering an extremely broad PLA/PETG/ABS/resin catalog at highly competitive commodity pricing; sets the price floor that pressures colorFabb's entry-level PLA/PHA SKUs.
• Hatchbox: Mass-market US filament brand dominant on Amazon and consumer channels; competes with colorFabb's standard PLA/PHA and PETG economy ranges on price and availability for hobbyist buyers.

Broad incumbents

• BASF 3D Printing (Forward AM): Industrial materials arm of BASF offering professional-grade filaments and photopolymers for industrial 3D printing; relevant as a much larger specialty materials incumbent that colorFabb competes against when moving up-market into industrial FGF/professional use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/colorfabb
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/colorfabbfilament
• Facebookfacebook.com/colorfabb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colorfabb
• Instagraminstagram.com/colorfabb_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 ColorFabb