Printing Money Episode 28: Recent M&A and More with Joris Peels, 3DPrint.com

Welcome to Episode 28 of Printing Money.  For this one Danny is joined by our own, Joris Peels (Executive Editor, 3DPrint.com). This crossover-pod is indeed quite meta-level but it’s not entirely new – some months ago Danny appeared on Joris’ own podcast, the 3DPOD.  We encourage you to listen to that episode as well.

Episode 28 begins with an introduction to Joris, and a look at his nearly two decades in 3D printing. From Philips to Shapeways, to Materialise and Formlabs, and consulting across the industry, Joris has some reach, to say the least.

Next, Danny and Joris review RAPID, the largest 3DP/AM event in the USA, which took place earlier this month in Detroit. The cautiously optimistic tone that has been 2025 was decidedly in force at RAPID, and oh by-the-way there was a noticeable presence from the Chinese brands, tariffs or not.

From RAPID the conversation shifts to geopolitics, the regulatory environment, and yes, tariffs. Amongst the analysis are some great quotables to look for, including “Manufacturing itself is a weapons system,” and “Uncertainty is the new normal,” all amidst a whole lot of 3DP/AM industry food for thought.

And all that is only the first half. In the second half of the episode, Danny and Joris dive into Printing Money’s raison d’etre – deals and analysis! Specifically, this episode focuses on recent M&A, including coverage of the Nano Dimension-Desktop Metal-Markforged tie-up, BICO’s new direction under Maria Forss, Fictiv’s eye-catching acquisition by Misumi, and the trend of traditional Japanese manufacturers embracing 3DP/AM.

Please enjoy Episode 28 and check out our previous episodes too.

This episode was recorded April 24, 2025.

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Timestamps:

00:12 – Welcome to Episode 28, and welcome to Joris Peels!

00:42 – 3DP/AM since 2008: Joris through the years

03:17 – RAPID 2025 review

06:08 – Were the Chinese booths at RAPID 2025 the largest?

07:09 – Some notable startups at RAPID 2025 were not the flashiest: Manifest Technologies, PanOptimization, Euler, and more

08:48 – Geopolitics and the 3D printing industry

11:29 – European financial markets: Rheinmetall, BAE, were amongst top Q1 performers

12:22 – Direct impacts from geopolitics can hit 3D printing deals

13:58 – 3D Printed Drone Swarms: Has the industry accepted its role in defense?

16:12 – Manufacturing itself is a weapons system

17:52 – Tariffs and the 3D printing industry

21:40 – Uncertainty is the new normal

23:44 – Regulatory hurdles to reshoring

25:15 – Is M&A coming back?

26:22 – Fictiv to be acquired by Misumi (TSE: 9962) for $350M

29:45 – Fictiv’s valuation and Misumi’s valuation versus, say that of Xometry (XMTR)

32:14 – Desktop Metal (DM) officially acquired by Nano Dimension (NNDM), and  Markforged is (MKFG) next

36:57 – BICO (STO: BICO) selling MatTek and Visikol to Sartorius (ETR: SRT3) for $80M

40:45 – Fortissimo’s $120M investment in Stratasys has been completed

41:03 – nTop acquires cloudfluid

45:22 – Fabrisonic acquired by UPM, an O’Neal Industries company

49:18 – Sodick to full acquire Prima Additive

55:12 – The Japanese machine tool industry: Nidec attempting to takeover Makino

58:45 – Japanese manufacturers helping to bridge 3DP/AM into tradiitonal manufacturing (Nikon SLM Solution, Seiko Epson, DMG Mori, Sodick, JEOL, Nidec, and more…)

1:01:25 – Thanks to Joris and thanks to our audience for listening to Episode 28 of Printing Money

1:02:02 – Disclaimer

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Disclaimer:

This content is for informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing stated on this podcast constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by the hosts, the organizer or any third-party service provider to buy or sell any securities or other financial instruments in this or in any other jurisdiction in which such solicitation or offer would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.  The information on this podcast is of a general nature that does not address the circumstances and risk profile of any individual or entity and should not constitute professional and/or financial advice. Referenced transactions are sourced from publicly available information.

Danny Piper is a registered representative of Finalis Securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. This material has been prepared for information and educational purposes only, and it is not intended to provide, nor should it be relied on for tax, legal, or investment advice. Investors should consult with their own tax, legal, and financial professionals before investing. Real estate investments are generally highly risky. They can be volatile, unpredictable, illiquid, and are subject to ebbs and flows and market shifts. Investors also risk the loss of all principal investments.

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