Rapid Shape
A German manufacturer of specialized high-precision DLP 3D printing systems for dental, hearing aid, jewelry, and industrial applications, featuring patented automation technology for continuous, hands-off production.
- CEO / Founder
- Andreas Schultheiss
- Team Size
- 201-500
- Stage
- Active
- Total Funding
- Undisclosed
- Latest Round
- Strategic Investment
- Key Investors
- Straumann Group
Technology & Products
Key Products
High-precision DLP 3D printing systems for dental, hearing aid, jewelry, and industrial applications.
Technological Advantage
Combines high-precision DLP (Digital Light Processing) technology with integrated automation systems to enable continuous production cycles, dramatically reducing labor costs, increasing throughput, and providing scalable solutions for high-volume production environments. German engineering with open material architecture.
Patent position
Rapid Shape filed 0 patent families in 2022–2024 versus 7 in 2019–2021: filings fell 100%, far steeper than the 15% fall in tracked AM filings in the same patent offices. AMPulse analysis
- Filing momentum
- 0 families filed 2022–2024, 7 in 2019–2021 (-100%); all tracked AM filings in the same offices -15%
- Filed in
- WO 50%EP 36%US 21%CN 14%
- Named competitors, AM patent families
- Prusa Research 1
14 AM patent families in total. Recent years are still being published, so read a filing change against the same-office figure.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Delivers continuous, automated production workflows through patented Automatic Separation Module and automatic refill systems, significantly reducing manual intervention while maximizing production throughput, precision, and operational efficiency
How They Differentiate
Patented automation technology with Automatic Separation Module (ASM) and automatic refill systems enabling true 24/7 lights-out manufacturing, combined with open material architecture and German-engineered DLP precision
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Dental laboratories and clinics, hearing aid manufacturers, jewelry producers, audiology professionals, and industrial manufacturing companies requiring precision additive manufacturing
Industry Verticals
Medical/Dentistry, Audiology/Hearing Aids, Jewelry Manufacturing, Industrial Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing
Competitors
Prusa Research, Inca Digital Printers, The ExOne Company, Heygears Technology
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
201-500 employees; operating in 50+ countries with 7 international locations; opened North American headquarters in Raleigh, NC (2022)
Major Milestones
2011: Founded by Andreas Schultheiss, 2017: Straumann Group acquires 35% non-controlling stake for undisclosed amount, 2021: Global distribution partnership signed with Würth Additive Group, 2022: North American headquarters opened in Raleigh, North Carolina, 2025: Strategic partnerships established with Argen USA and Burkhart Dental, 2026: Partnership with DENTAG ITALIA for Italian dental market, 2026: Validated material workflow with VITA VIONIC BASE HI on PRO 20, 2026: Participation in Expodental Meeting Rimini, BULDENTAL Sofia
Notable Customers
Argen USA; Burkhart Dental; Würth Additive Group; Straumann Group; HPdent; DENTAG ITALIA; VITA Zahnfabrik; Skillbond; Enki Dental; Patricia LTD
AM patents
AM-relevant patents linked to this company.
- Patents
- 17
- Granted
- 1
- Families
- 14
Leading domains: process (17), equipment (13), material (8)
Filings by year: 2019: 10 · 2018: 5 · 2013: 2
- METHOD AND CLEANING SYSTEM FOR CLEANING THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS113557124 · CN
- METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT2020178453 · WO
- APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT2020165431 · WO
- METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT03935455 · EP
- APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT03924171 · EP
Funding rounds
- Strategic InvestmentUndisclosed2017-06Source: Straumann Press Release - June 2017