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Formlabs

HardwareSomerville, Massachusetts, USAFounded 2011· One of 1636 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

Global leader in professional desktop SLA 3D printing, developing accessible high-resolution stereolithography printers and materials for prototyping, manufacturing, dental, and healthcare applications.

CEO / Founder
Max Lobovsky
Team Size
501-1000
Stage
Active
Total Funding
$254M
Latest Round
Series E
Key Investors
SoftBank Vision Fund 2, New Enterprise Associates, Pitango Growth, Foundry Group, DFJ Growth, GV (Google Ventures), Autodesk

Technology & Products

Key Products

Form 4L and 4BL series, Fuse X1 large-format industrial SLS system (launched June 2026), Tough V2 photopolymer resin, Form Now (on-demand manufacturing service for SLA and SLS 3D printing), automated post-processing system for resin 3D printing workflows, Fast Model Resin, Tough 1000 Resin, and Tough 2000 Resin.

Technical position · AMPulse analysis

Continuous innovation in printer design and material offerings, robust proprietary patents, and strategic partnerships that enhance technology integration.

Patent position

Formlabs filed 114 patent families across all years, more than MakerBot's 44 and far more than Prusa Research's 3 and Sinterit's 4, though well below Stratasys's 494. Its vat photopolymerization share rose from 83% in the prior window to 100% in the recent one. AMPulse analysis

Filing momentum
13 families filed 2022–2024, 45 in 2019–2021
Process mix, 2019–2021 → 2022–2024
Vat photopolymerization 83% → 100%
Focus, 2019–2021 → 2022–2024
Equipment 93% → 90%
Filed in
US 31%EP 30%WO 25%CN 15%JP 1%
Named competitors, AM patent families
Prusa Research 3MakerBot 44Stratasys 494Sinterit 4

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

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Provides accessible, high-quality 3D printing technology with innovative printer designs and integrated post-processing solutions for rapid prototyping and professional production.

How They Differentiate

Emphasizes professional-grade SLA and SLS printing with high resolution and material diversity, supported by integrated post-processing solutions, an open-material ecosystem for SLA and SLS, and a systemic move toward decentralized production.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Professionals and businesses across dental, aerospace, product design, healthcare, education, jewelry, and entertainment industries

Industry Verticals

Dental, Aerospace, Product Design, Healthcare, Education, Jewelry, Entertainment

Competitors

Prusa Research; MakerBot; Stratasys; Sinterit

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Valuation: $2 billion (2021). Total funding: $254-307M over 8 rounds. Revenue: $100-500M annually. Employees: 500-1000. Form 4 named TIME Best Inventions 2024.

Major Milestones

2011: Founded by Max Lobovsky, Natan Linder, David Cranor at MIT, 2012: Kickstarter campaign raised $2.95M for Form 1, 2017: Launched Form 2, became market leader in desktop SLA, 2019: Launched Form 3 with Low Force Stereolithography (LFS), 2021: Raised $150M Series E at $2B valuation, 2022: Launched Fuse 1+ 30W SLS printer, 2024 Apr: Launched Form 4 and Form 4B with LFD technology, 2024 Jul: Acquired Micronics to advance accessible SLS 3D printing, 2024 Oct: Launched Form 4L large-format printer, 2024: Form 4 named TIME Best Inventions 2024, 2026 Jun: Launched Fuse X1 large-format industrial SLS system starting at $84,999

Notable Customers

Microsoft", "Ford", "NASA", "Google", "Tesla", "Amazon", "Dental laboratories worldwide", "Jewelry manufacturers", "Healthcare providers

https://www.formlabs.com

Recent coverage of Formlabs

Official records

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

  • [C] ISO_9001 · claimed
  • [C] ISO_13485 · claimed

AM patents

AM-relevant patents linked to this company.

Patents
116
Granted
32
Families
114

Leading domains: process (116), equipment (92), material (24)

Filings by year: 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 20

  1. IMPROVED STEREOLITHOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS112512779 · CN
  2. Systems and methods of simulating intermediate forms for additive fabrication09987800 · US
  3. TECHNIQUES FOR DEBRIS REMOVAL IN STEREOLITHOGRAPHY AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS03700728 · EP
  4. TECHNIQUES FOR RELEASING PARTS IN ADDITIVE FABRICATION AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS04359201 · EP
  5. PHOTOPOLYMER BLENDS AND RELATED METHODS3615595 · EP

Funding rounds

  • Series E$150.0M2021-05-19Lead: SoftBank Vision Fund 2
  • Series D$15.0M2018-08-01Lead: New Enterprise Associates
  • Series C$30.0M2018-04-01Lead: Tyche Partners
  • Series B$35.0M2016-08-04Lead: Foundry Group
  • Series A$19.0M2013-10-24Lead: DFJ Growth

Equipment deals on record

Publicly disclosed purchases or installs only.

  • AOML 3D printer, model undisclosed

    USD 20,118.74

    Buyer: NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory · Supplier: Formlabs
  • Form 4

    1 systems · CNY 41,200

    Buyer: Harbin Institute of Technology Suzhou Research Institute · Supplier: Guangzhou Xingyou Technology
  • 3D printer system, model undisclosed

    USD 58,810.5

    Buyer: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 10 · Supplier: Formlabs
  • Formlabs Form 4B

    USD 10,810.8

    Buyer: Defense Logistics Agency · Supplier: FORMLABS INC.
  • Form 4L

    USD 27,502.34

    Buyer: Defense Logistics Agency · Supplier: FORMLABS INC.
All equipment activity

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

Formlabs occupies the leading position in professional desktop stereolithography, having shifted the market from expensive industrial SLA systems to accessible benchtop printers without sacrificing resolution or material quality. Founded in 2011 by MIT Media Lab alumni, the company raised $2.95M via Kickstarter for its first printer and has since grown into a $2B-valued firm with 500–1000 employees and annual revenue estimated between $100M and $500M.

The core technology is VPP-SLA (vat photopolymerization stereolithography), with recent models like the Form 4 and Form 4L using Low Force Display (LFD) to achieve faster print speeds and higher reliability. Formlabs also offers SLS via the Fuse 1+ 30W printer, expanding into powder bed fusion of polymers. The integrated post-processing ecosystem — Form Wash, Form Cure, and Form Cell — automates washing and curing, reducing manual labor for dental labs, jewelry manufacturers, and product design firms.

Customers include Microsoft, Ford, NASA, Google, Tesla, and Amazon, alongside thousands of dental laboratories and healthcare providers. Applications range from rapid prototyping in aerospace and automotive to direct production of dental models, surgical guides, and custom jewelry. The Form Now on-demand service extends access to SLA and SLS printing without capital expenditure.

Formlabs' strategic moat rests on a broad proprietary materials portfolio (Tough V2, Tough 1000/2000, Fast Model Resin), a large installed base, and partnerships with Autodesk and GE Healthcare. Competition from Prusa Research, MakerBot, and Stratasys is intensifying, particularly in accessible SLS and multi-material printing. The company's ability to maintain resolution and throughput advantages while scaling into larger-format and production-grade systems will determine its long-term position.