3MF Consortium
The 3MF Consortium is a Linux Foundation–hosted industry association that develops and promotes the open, ISO/IEC 25422:2025-standardized 3MF file format for full-fidelity 3D model transfer across additive manufacturing software, hardware, and service-bureau workflows.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What 3MF Consortium does
The 3MF Consortium is an industry association, structured as a Joint Development Foundation project under The Linux Foundation, that develops and promotes the 3MF (.3MF) file format — an open, XML- and ZIP-based specification for full-fidelity 3D model transfer across additive manufacturing (AM) applications, platforms, services, and hardware. Founded in 2015 and governed by a Steering Committee of 15 major software and hardware companies (including Autodesk, HP, Stratasys, Microsoft, Siemens, Dassault Systèmes, PTC, 3D Systems, Materialise, nTopology, EOS, SLM Solutions, Prusa Research, and Altair) plus 20 associate members, the consortium maintains a base Core Specification (v2.0) and nine published extensions covering materials and color, production workflows with UUID-based traceability, parametric beam lattices, slice-based geometry, secure/encrypted content for IP protection, volumetric and implicit (SDF) representations, boolean operations, and a toolpath extension currently under review. In July 2025 the .3MF format was officially recognized as international standard ISO/IEC 25422:2025, jointly published by ISO and IEC. The consortium serves software vendors (CAD, CAM, computational design), AM hardware manufacturers, service bureaus, and regulated end-use OEMs (aerospace, medical, defense) by solving STL-era data-loss problems through watertight geometry, embedded manufacturing metadata, dramatic file-size reductions, and compliance-ready documentation. Its commercial model is non-licensing: the specification, reference library (lib3mf), 3MF Viewer, and 3MF Editor are all released as free, open-source assets (Apache 2.0) on GitHub, with operating funding derived from member dues; the format is reported as adopted by every major AM platform and supported by over 100 software applications. Duann Scott serves as Executive Director (appointed November 2022) and Alexander Oster as Technical Director.
3MF Consortium firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 3MF Consortium
- Legal name
- 3MF Consortium
- Website
- https://3mf.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The 3MF Consortium is a Linux Foundation–hosted industry association that develops and promotes the open, ISO/IEC 25422:2025-standardized 3MF file format for full-fidelity 3D model transfer across additive manufacturing software, hardware, and service-bureau workflows.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
3MF Consortium industry classification
Industry- Product category
- 3D Printing File Format Standard
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- 3D Design & CAD for Additive Manufacturing (IMAAACAA)
Keywords
Where 3MF Consortium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
3MF Consortium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free and Open Source — no licensing fees for using the 3MF specification |
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
3MF Consortium product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The 3MF Consortium develops and maintains the 3MF (3D Manufacturing Format) file format specification — an open, XML + ZIP-based, vendor-neutral standard published as ISO/IEC 25422:2025 for full-fidelity 3D model transfer across additive manufacturing applications, platforms, services, and hardware. It supports the specification with the open-source lib3mf reference library, the web-based 3MF Viewer inspection tool, the open-source 3MF Editor, and a public Compatibility Matrix documenting which of the 100+ software applications support each of the nine published extensions.
Product overview
The 3MF Consortium maintains an open, vendor-neutral file format standard for additive manufacturing, along with reference implementations, tools, and documentation. The core offering is the 3MF Format Specification (ISO/IEC 25422:2025) — an XML + ZIP-based standard for full-fidelity 3D model transfer. This is extended through a suite of published extensions covering materials, production workflows, beam lattices, sliced geometry, volumetric/implicit representations, secure content, and boolean operations. Supporting the specification, the Consortium provides the lib3mf open-source reference library, the 3MF Viewer web tool, the 3MF Editor (open-source inspection tool), and a Compatibility Matrix documenting which of the 100+ software applications support the format.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 3MF Format Specification The open, XML + ZIP-based 3D Manufacturing Format specification — an ISO/IEC 25422:2025 international standard — designed for full-fidelity 3D model transfer across additive manufacturing applications, platforms, services, and hardware. Defines the container, units, coordinate systems, base geometry, mesh, and transforms, and is extensible through published extensions (Materials & Properties, Production, Beam Lattice, Slice, Secure Content, Volumetric, Boolean Operations, and Toolpath). Free and open source under Apache 2.0; targeted at software vendors, AM hardware manufacturers, service bureaus, and regulated OEMs.
- 3MF Viewer A standalone web-based tool for viewing and inspecting 3MF files, hosted at 3mfviewer.com. Targeted at designers, engineers, and developers who need to inspect 3MF content outside of a full CAD or slicer application.
- 3MF Editor An open-source tool for inspecting 3MF files, released as v1.0.0 in May 2026 and distributed via the 3MF Consortium GitHub repository. Targeted at developers, engineers, and AM professionals who need to verify and debug 3MF content.
- lib3mf Reference Library The open-source reference library implementation of the 3MF specification, distributed on GitHub at github.com/3MFConsortium/lib3mf. Targeted at software developers integrating 3MF reading and writing capabilities into CAD, CAM, slicing, and AM applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 99.9% file size reduction for lattice structures compared to STL mesh representation
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use 3MF Consortium
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
3MF Consortium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature9 records
3MF Consortium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
26 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Spherene (Associate Member)majorAssociate member as of May 2026. Spherene develops software for intelligent internal structures using Adaptive Density Minimal Surfaces (ADMS) technology. Contributes to the Volumetric Extension development for representing implicit geometry without mesh discretization. Demonstrated that implicit 3MF files can be smaller than screenshots of the same part.
- AMIS (Associate Member)majorAssociate member as of March 2025. AMIS is a startup focused on build preparation software for MJF, SLS, Binder Jetting, and Material Jetting. Has built its entire platform on 3MF, achieving nesting speeds up to 100x faster and packing densities 50% higher.
- AI Build (Associate Member)majorAssociate member as of March 2025. AI Build is contributing to the development of the Toolpath Extension for multi-axis 3D printing, bringing expertise in complex AM toolpath representation.
- Imaginarium (Associate Member)majorAssociate member since July 2023. India's largest additive manufacturer, bringing perspective on high-volume AM production workflows and service bureau data exchange needs.
- Joint Development Foundation (now part of The Linux Foundation)coreThe 3MF Consortium operates as a Joint Development Foundation project (established 2015), which provides the corporate and legal infrastructure for the consortium. The Joint Development Foundation is now part of The Linux Foundation, providing organizational governance, legal framework, and operational support for the standards development collaboration.
- Autodesk (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member guiding development, adoption, and promotion of the 3MF standard. Representatives from Autodesk contribute to technical working groups. Autodesk products including Fusion 360 and Netfabb support 3MF export.
- HP (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member. HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) printers support 3MF for full-color and multi-material 3D printing. HP was among the founding members driving adoption.
- Stratasys (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member. Stratasys PolyJet and other printers support 3MF for full-color 3D printing via GrabCAD Print. Deep integration with 3MF for multi-material workflows.
- Materialise (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member and founding consortium participant. Materialise's Magics software and 3D printing services support 3MF. CEO Brigitte de Vet-Veithen publicly praised the ISO standard designation milestone.
- Microsoft (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member. Previously hosted the 3MF Service (now sunsetted) and 3D Builder application. Longtime supporter of 3MF innovation and adoption.
- Siemens (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member. Siemens NX and other industrial software tools support 3MF for AM workflows, contributing to the standard's adoption in industrial manufacturing environments.
- Dassault Systèmes (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member. Dassault's 3DEXPERIENCE platform and SOLIDWORKS support 3MF export including full color textures and multi-material data for additive manufacturing.
- PTC (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member. PTC Creo supports 3MF export for 3D printing, enabling engineering workflows to preserve metadata and manufacturing information through to production.
- 3D Systems (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member. 3D Systems' 3D Sprint software supports 3MF, facilitating adoption across the company's professional 3D printing ecosystem.
- nTopology (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member. nTopology's computational design software natively supports 3MF Beam Lattice export and the Volumetric Extension, enabling advanced lattice and implicit geometry to be preserved through the AM workflow.
- EOS (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member. EOS metal and polymer AM systems benefit from 3MF support for standardized data transfer in production-oriented workflows.
- SLM Solutions (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member. SLM Solutions contributes to the development of 3MF specifications relevant to metal AM production workflows and traceability.
- Prusa Research (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member. PrusaSlicer supports 3MF export, allowing users to save 3D models, print settings, and G-Code as 3MF files for full workflow preservation.
- Altair (Steering Member)coreSteering committee member. Altair joined in November 2023 to contribute simulation and optimization expertise to the 3MF specification for design-for-AM workflows.
- Hexagon (Associate Member)majorAssociate member. Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence division uses 3MF in Simufact Additive, Esprit Additive, and plans to add it to Digimat-AM. Contributes perspective from sensors and precision measurement devices for quality assurance data communication via 3MF.
- TechSoft 3D (Associate Member)majorAssociate member providing HOOPS SDK support for 3MF. Enables software developers to integrate 3MF reading and writing capabilities via their developer toolkit.
- Vistory (Associate Member)majorAssociate member. French cybersecurity company developing blockchain-based MainChain platform for trusted distributed AM. Working on affixing unforgeable digital identifiers (watermarks) to 3MF files for IP protection and traceability in distributed manufacturing.
- Additive Flow (Associate Member)majorAssociate member. Additive Flow focuses on additive manufacturing process optimization and uses 3MF to develop and communicate complex AM data workflows, working with ZEISS on end-to-end process optimization.
- Oqton (Associate Member)majorAssociate member. Oqton's 3DExpert and 3DXpert software integrates Polygonica's libraries for mesh operations, and supports 3MF for data exchange across the AM workflow.
- Polygonica / MachineWorks (Technology Partner)majorTechnology partner. Polygonica provides polygon mesh software libraries used in 3D Systems, Stratasys, ANSYS, Desktop Metal, and other major AM software platforms. Developed bridge between 3MF and Polygonica using open-source lib3mf libraries, including beam lattice extension support.
- Ultimaker (Integration Partner)coreUltimaker has used 3MF as the default export format for Ultimaker 3D printers since Cura version 3.5 in 2018, and has supported 3MF since 2016. CTO Siert Wijnia publicly endorsed 3MF as the modern, future-proof format for the industry.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
3MF Consortium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Prusa Research: Steering member whose PrusaSlicer supports 3MF export including print settings and G-Code. Prusa is a direct peer in open AM hardware/software whose community-driven ecosystem and default 3MF integration have driven significant grassroots adoption of the format.
- Materialise: A founding 3MF Consortium steering member and one of the largest independent AM software and service bureau companies. Materialise's Magics software natively supports 3MF including the Beam Lattice extension, making it a direct participant in the 3MF ecosystem and a benchmark for AM software interoperability.
- Ultimaker: Longtime 3MF integration partner that has used 3MF as the default export format in Cura since version 3.5 (2018). Ultimaker is a direct peer in open AM software whose early and continued 3MF support has been critical to 3MF adoption in the desktop/prosumer AM segment.
- nTopology: Steering member whose computational design software natively exports 3MF Beam Lattice and Volumetric Extension data. As a leading AM design software company, nTopology is a direct peer in advancing 3MF adoption for generative and lattice-based design workflows.
Broad incumbents
- HP (Multi Jet Fusion): Steering member and founding consortium participant whose Multi Jet Fusion printers natively support 3MF for full-color, multi-material AM. HP is comparable as a major AM platform whose ecosystem-level adoption of 3MF shapes industry-wide standards.
- Autodesk (Netfabb): Steering member whose Fusion 360 and Netfabb AM software natively export and import 3MF including Beam Lattice. Autodesk is a broad incumbent across CAD/CAM/AM whose participation is foundational to 3MF's adoption across the design-to-print workflow.
- 3D Systems: Steering member and one of the original AM companies, with its 3D Sprint software supporting 3MF. As a broad AM hardware and software incumbent, 3D Systems is comparable in operating across the AM workflow that 3MF seeks to standardize.
- EOS: Steering member and global leader in industrial metal and polymer AM systems. EOS contributes to 3MF's production-oriented extensions and is directly comparable as an AM platform vendor whose systems rely on standardized data exchange for production AM.
- Stratasys: Steering member and global AM hardware leader whose GrabCAD Print software natively imports 3MF for full-color PolyJet and FDM printing. Stratasys is a broad incumbent in AM whose deep 3MF integration makes it both a peer and a critical driver of 3MF adoption in production workflows.
- Dassault Systèmes (3DXML): Steering member and CAD/PLM incumbent whose 3DEXPERIENCE platform and SOLIDWORKS support 3MF — while also promoting its own 3DXML format. Dassault is a broad incumbent with strategic interest in both 3MF and competing proprietary formats, making it a unique dual-position peer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
3MF Consortium social profiles
Digital presence3MF Consortium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
3MF Consortium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
3MF Consortium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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3MF Consortium M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about 3MF Consortium
What does 3MF Consortium do?
The 3MF Consortium develops and maintains the 3MF (3D Manufacturing Format) file format specification — an open, XML + ZIP-based, vendor-neutral standard published as ISO/IEC 25422:2025 for full-fidelity 3D model transfer across additive manufacturing applications, platforms, services, and hardware. It supports the specification with the open-source lib3mf reference library, the web-based 3MF Viewer inspection tool, the open-source 3MF Editor, and a public Compatibility Matrix documenting which of the 100+ software applications support each of the nine published extensions.
Is 3MF Consortium a public or private company?
3MF Consortium is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was 3MF Consortium founded?
3MF Consortium was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 3MF Consortium based?
3MF Consortium is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
Who are 3MF Consortium's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Prusa Research, Materialise, Ultimaker and nTopology. Broad incumbents are HP (Multi Jet Fusion), Autodesk (Netfabb), 3D Systems, EOS, Stratasys and Dassault Systèmes (3DXML).
Does 3MF Consortium have an API?
No public API is recorded for 3MF Consortium.
What industry is 3MF Consortium in?
3MF Consortium's product category is 3D Printing File Format Standard. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAAACAA, 3D Design & CAD for Additive Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7371.