Linear AMS
Provides metal and polymer additive manufacturing services for mold tooling and production parts, specializing in conformal cooling inserts and on-demand manufacturing to reduce lead times and costs.
- CEO / Founder
- John Tenbusch
- Team Size
- 51-200
- Stage
- Established
- Total Funding
- N/A (Acquired by Moog in 2015, repurchased in 2017)
- Latest Round
- Acquired by Shapeways (May 2022)
- Key Investors
- Shapeways
Technology & Products
Key Products
Metal AM services (DMLM, EBM); Polymer AM services (Multi Jet Fusion); Plastics mold tooling and production; Engineering/design services; Mold flow analysis and simulation; Full machine shop capabilities
Technological Advantage
Verified expertise in metal LPBF and EBM for high-density parts (99.5%+ density) and polymer MJF for scalable production; defensible through process know-how and customer partnerships in regulated industries.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Reduces injection mold cooling cycle times by up to 70% and lead times from weeks to days through 3D-printed conformal cooling inserts, enabling faster production and lower tooling costs.
How They Differentiate
Focuses on metal AM for mold tooling (e.g., conformal cooling inserts) rather than general prototyping; offers full engineering support and simulation, unlike broader service bureaus; 3x faster cooling cycles vs. traditional molds.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Manufacturers in aerospace, automotive, defense, and medical industries requiring injection molding tooling and production parts.
Industry Verticals
Aerospace; Automotive; Defense; Medical; Industrial Manufacturing
Competitors
Proto Labs; Xometry; Shapeways (post-merger integration)
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Revenue reported at $16.7M; grew from 4 to 300+ customers over 15 years; team size ~69-120 employees.
Major Milestones
Founded as Linear Mold & Engineering (2003); Started metal 3D printing for mold inserts (2005); Acquired by Moog (2014); Founder buyback from Moog (2017); Merged with Shapeways (2020)
Notable Customers
Eastern Rail Corporation