AddUp Adds to Portfolio with Acquisition of Majority Stake in Poly-Shape

AddUp has been on an acquiring spree lately; just a few months ago, the joint venture between Michelin and Fives acquired metal additive manufacturing company BeAM, and now the company has announced that it will be acquiring a majority stake in French company Poly-Shape. Poly-Shape, founded in 2007, offers metal 3D printing design and production services and impacts a variety of industries including tooling, aeronautics, medicine, energy, and motor sports, having worked with numerous Formula One teams. Poly-Shape has facilities in four locations:  Salon‐de‐Provence, Saint‐Pierre‐du‐Perray and Le Coudray‐Montceaux in France as well as in Carpi, Italy.

The acquisition will allow AddUp to expand its portfolio of applications, and specifically to strengthen its presence in the automotive market.

“The proven know‐how in the production of parts, in particular in the motor sports field will help us improve our support to OEMs (Original  Equipment Manufacturers), and demonstrate the benefits and capacities of 3D printing, especially for  top‐of‐the‐range vehicles,” said AddUp CEO Vincent Ferreiro.

AddUp will also be able to strengthen its support services, which include AddUpStart and AddUpThink, by including new production capabilities such as Proof of Concept (PoC) parts, complete with post-treatment and additional finishing. AddUp’s customers, thanks to the Poly-Shape acquisition, will be able to take advantage of a multi-supplier, multi-technology, multi-material and multi-application test platform to help them determine the best technology for the production of parts.

PolyShape will leverage its 11 years of experience in metal 3D printing to help AddUp accelerate its own machine and service offerings, and will benefit from feedback itself as it uses AddUp’s machines.

“AddUp and Poly‐Shape share the same vision regarding the evolution of the world of 3D printing and the same passion for innovation,” said Stéphane Abed, Chairman of Poly-Shape. “Poly‐Shape will benefit from AddUp’s proven expertise in the industrialization and management of machines as well as a reinforced access to the world of motor sports thanks to Michelin’s worldwide reputation. AddUp will bring additional resources to Poly‐Shape so that it can continue its development both in France and abroad. AddUp’s entry into Poly‐Shape’s capital is a recognition of the expertise and work carried out by the teams during these last few years.”

AddUp was formed with the goal of creating a new company to impact the metal additive manufacturing industry. Currently, the company utilizes Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) and, since the acquisition of BeAM, Directed Energy Depostion (DED) 3D printing technology. Add-Up is based in France and has subsidiaries in France and Singapore, employing more than 220 people. The company offers services, training and consulting to assist customers in the adoption of 3D printing technology.

“I have been happy to accompany Poly‐Shape’s wonderful teams since 2007 and to have participated in the evolution of a company with a recognized know‐how,” said Philippe Veran, Chairman of Upperside Capital Partners and a founding shareholder of Poly-Shape. “AddUp’s investment into the capital represents a true opportunity for Poly‐Shape and its employees to continue its development and growth.”

The exact terms and conditions of the acquisition have not been disclosed.

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