Polar 3D’s Cloud Platform Hits 100,000 3D Prints, Closes $2 Million Financing

When it comes to implementing 3D printing technology in the classroom, few have focused in on education like the Cincinnati-based company Polar 3D has. We’ve been keeping a watchful eye on the rising 3D printing company even since they unveiled their first 3D printer at CES 2015, and since then, they’ve quickly grown into a fan favorite for educational institutions and organizations (as well as thieves). Earlier this year, Polar 3D acquired STEAMtrax from industry titan 3D Systems, giving them a comprehensive program that combines engineering, CAD modeling, and 3D printing with traditional STEAM curriculum.

The 3D printing company has certainly found immense success by providing an end-to-end solution to the educational sector, which is evident from their latest tidbit of news. Polar 3D has just announced that their Polar Cloud platform has officially reached 100,000 3D print jobs, making it the fastest growing 3D printing platform in education. The milestone has come on the heels of even better news, as the company also just closed out a $2 million convertible note financing at the end of September. This capital will be utilized to fund and accelerate the growth of Polar Cloud 2.0, their newest version of the cloud platform, which is set to go live at the start of next year, and will aim to expand and enhance the user experience.

“As this school year got underway, we saw a major ramp-up of 3D print jobs on our Polar Cloud,” noted Greg LaLonde, Polar 3D’s CEO. “We are thrilled the experience is moving past the 3D printer itself to a truly collaborative environment where student-led learning, discovery and ‘making’ are exploding. There is simply no limit to how much these kids want to show off their work. It’s intoxicating, contagious, and is why the Polar Cloud affords an unusually large-scale opportunity.”

Prior to closing $2 million in financing, Polar 3D had previously raised $1.5 million in funding, and plan to rake in $6.5 million during their Series A in 2017. With this upswing in funding, the company has brought on a new Chief Technology Officer, Dan Newman, as well as a Director of Education, David Thornburg. Newman is well known throughout the industry for writing the firmware for companies like MakerBot and Dremel, and also helped Apple design a solution to scale iCloud, making him the ideal fit for Polar 3D’s CTO position. Thornburg, on the other hand, is internationally recognized as a 3D printing education pioneer, and even wrote a book on 3D printing in the classroom.

All in all, it seems like Polar 3D has even bigger things in store to bring 3D printing technology into classrooms around the world. As the Polar Cloud platform reaches new heights of success, their experienced team grows, and the investment money keeps rolling in, Polar 3D is clearly on the upswing, and won’t stop until their 3D printing technology becomes the gold standard of educational programs across the world.] Discuss further in the Polar 3D Cloud Platform Reaches 100,000 3D Prints forum over at 3DPB.com.