Desktop Metal

Subsidiary of Nano Dimension

HardwareBurlington, Massachusetts, United StatesFounded 2015· One of 1636 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

Desktop Metal was a pioneer in metal and sand 3D printing systems for mass production applications.

CEO / Founder: Ric Fulop
Team Size: 201-500
Stage: Defunct
Total Funding: $437M
Latest Round: Acquired
Key Investors: Google Ventures, BMW, Ford, NEA, Lux Capital, Koch Disruptive Technologies, GE Ventures

Technology & Products

Key Products

Shop System, Production System, X-Series (sand printing), Studio System

Technical position · AMPulse analysis

Bound metal deposition and binder jetting technologies for production-scale metal parts

Patent position

Equipment's share of Desktop Metal's filed patent families rose from 57% in 2019-2021 to 94% in 2022-2024, and binder jetting rose from 41% to 67%, while its 102 families across all years compare with 83 for Markforged and 300 for 3D Systems. AMPulse analysis

Filing momentum: 18 families filed 2022–2024, 30 in 2019–2021
Process mix, 2019–2021 → 2022–2024: Binder or fusing-agent jetting 41% → 67%
Focus, 2019–2021 → 2022–2024: Equipment 57% → 94%Materials 86% → 82%
Filed in: US 28%EP 28%WO 27%CN 11%JP 6%
Named competitors, AM patent families: Markforged 83 3D Systems 300

102 AM patent families in total. Recent years are still being published, so read a filing change against the same-office figure.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Made metal 3D printing accessible for mass production through binder jetting and bound metal deposition.

How They Differentiate

Production-focused systems vs. prototyping-only competitors; acquired multiple AM technologies

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Manufacturing companies, automotive OEMs, aerospace suppliers

Industry Verticals

Manufacturing, Automotive, Aerospace, Dental

Competitors

HP Metal Jet, Markforged, 3D Systems

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Raised over $1B total funding; 2018: Fastest-growing unicorn in US history ($1.2B valuation in 21 months); 2020: SPAC IPO at $2.5B valuation; 2025: Acquired by Nano Dimension for $183M; Never turned a profit

Major Milestones

2015-10: Founded in Cambridge, MA by 7 founders including MIT professors; 2018-05: Fastest unicorn in US history at $1.2B; 2019-01: Raised $160M at $1.5B valuation; 2020-12: SPAC IPO at $2.5B valuation (NYSE: DM); 2021-02: Acquired EnvisionTEC for $300M; 2024-07: Agreed to Nano Dimension acquisition ($183M); 2025-03: Court ordered Nano to close; 2025-04: Acquisition completed; 2025-07-28: Filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Notable Customers

Ford Motor Company, BMW, Various aerospace and automotive manufacturers

https://desktopmetal.com

Recent coverage of Desktop Metal

Desktop Metal files Chapter 11 bankruptcy after Nano Dimension acquisition unravelskavout.comJun 26, 2026
Desktop Metal Production System lineup expands with new 3D printer bridging process development and mass productionfabbaloo.comJun 14, 2026
Desktop Metal Stock Trades at $0.55 on Nasdaq, Remains in Penny Stock Territoryit-boltwise.deJun 8, 2026
Desktop Metal acquisition offer by Nano Dimension confirmed; integration strategy under scrutinyit-boltwise.deMay 29, 2026
ARC Gains ORNL Supercomputer Access for AI-Driven Defense Manufacturing via Exascale Foundry3dprint.comApr 25, 2026

Official records

Filings, certifications, and programme counts AMPulse can show for this company.

[C] RAPID + TCT 2024 · exhibitor

AM patents

AM-relevant patents linked to this company.

Patents: 112
Granted: 17
Families: 102

Leading domains: process (108), material (87), equipment (84)

Filings by year: 2023: 2 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 25

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING WITH METALLIC COMPOSITES108778595 · CN2018-11-09
TECHNIQUES FOR CONTROLLING BUILD MATERIAL FLOW CHARACTERISTICS IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS2020102025 · WO2020-05-22
TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE MHD JETTING PERFORMANCE2020061544 · WO2020-03-26
付加製造のための金属の空気噴射31510879|2019510879 · JP2019-04-18
THREE-DIMENSIONAL FABRICATION WITH LOCALLY ACTIVATED BINDING OF SINTERABLE POWDERS109874324 · CN2019-06-11

Funding rounds

Acquisition$183M (acquired)2025-04Source: Press
SPAC IPO$580M (SPAC)2020-12Source: Wikipedia
Series E$160M2019-01Source: Wikipedia
Series D$115M2017-07Source: Crunchbase
Seed$14M2016-01Source: Crunchbase

Equipment deals on record

Publicly disclosed purchases or installs only.

S-Max
1 systems · Not disclosed
2022-03-25Buyer: Kimura Foundry Group · Supplier: Desktop Metal / ExOne
Shop System; Production System P-1
2 systems · Not disclosed
2021-06-01Buyer: Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) · Supplier: Desktop Metal
STUDIO+ AND SHOP SYSTEM 3D PRINTERS
USD 507,425
2021-01-08Buyer: Department of the Navy · Supplier: DESKTOP METAL OPERATING, INC.
Production System P-1
1 systems · Not disclosed
2020-12-17Buyer: Ford Motor Company · Supplier: Desktop Metal
STUDIO 3D PRINTER SYSTEM
USD 267,000
2019-02-01Buyer: Department of the Army · Supplier: DESKTOP METAL OPERATING, INC.

All equipment activity

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

Desktop Metal was founded in 2015 to address the gap between prototyping-focused metal AM systems and the throughput requirements of mass production. Its core technologies—binder jetting (BJT) and bound metal deposition (MEX)—were designed to produce metal parts at speeds and costs competitive with traditional manufacturing, a departure from the slower LPBF processes common in the industry.

The company's product line included the Shop System, Production System, and Studio System for metal, plus the X-Series for sand printing. These systems targeted manufacturing companies, automotive OEMs like Ford and BMW, and aerospace suppliers. Desktop Metal also expanded its technology portfolio through acquisitions, notably EnvisionTEC in 2021, which added over 140 DLP patents for ceramics and composites.

Desktop Metal raised over $1 billion from investors including Google Ventures, BMW, and Ford, and went public via SPAC in 2020 at a $2.5 billion valuation. Despite rapid growth, the company never turned a profit. In 2025, it was acquired by Nano Dimension for $183 million and subsequently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Its assets and IP now reside within Nano Dimension, marking the end of its independent run.

The company's strategic moat lay in its production-scale binder jetting systems and broad IP portfolio, but it faced intense competition from HP Metal Jet, Markforged, and 3D Systems. The open question is whether Nano Dimension can successfully commercialize Desktop Metal's technology at scale, or whether the production metal AM market will consolidate further.