Having a great product is obviously critical to success in the hardware space, but after that a key part of success is ensuring that that great product makes it into customers’ hands–and that’s where distribution comes in. Following its high-flying Kickstarter campaign in 2013, Fuel3D with its SCANIFY 3D scanner has faced the task of getting the devices into the hands of consumers. The UK-based company has raised millions in funding, and just this past April signed a major North American distribution deal with WYNIT that expands their reach on this continent.
Today, UFP Deutschland GmbH and Fuel3D have signed a new European distribution partnership agreement focusing initially on retail sales in Germany, Austria, and the Benelux region. The deal, announced in Berlin at the consumer electronics and home appliance trade show IFA 2015, will eventually encompass more countries in Europe as well.
Both Fuel3D and UFP (Union Française de Papeterie) are responding with enthusiasm to the prospect of joining forces.
“We are excited at the prospect of working with a major distributor like UFP. We are seeing strong demand for SCANIFY across the world, and working with strong partners in key markets like Europe is key to our continued growth,” noted Fuel3D’s CEO, Stuart Mead.
SCANIFY represents a powerful tool in the 3D scanning space, with the handheld device showing much-desired point-and-shoot capabilities with high resolution results, all at a lower cost than many comparable devices. The scanner is able to be used easily in any application, from consumer to prosumer to professional to medical.
Signing with UFP will grant Fuel3D major pan-European market access. UFP focuses on supplies and equipment for computing and printing areas, seeing annual sales of more than £800 million. In signing with UFP, Fuel3D joins the ranks of other major brands distributed, including 3D Systems, HP, Creaform, Lexmark, Canon, Epson, Xerox, and many others. 
“We are delighted to welcome Fuel3D to the UFP family,” said UFP Deutschland’s Director 3D, Joerg Reimann, “and look forward to bringing the benefits of 3D scanning to our customers across Europe. We see a strong future in the 3D printing and scanning market, and it is our goal to partner with the leading manufacturers in this space.”
UFP Deutschland recently formed a new division devoted to 3D scanning and printing technologies, recognizing the growing demand from customers in that arena. 
The addition of SCANIFY 3D scanners to the company’s offerings in response to this demand is a clear example of giving the people what they want. As we’ve seen, SCANIFY scans are captured in less than 0.1 seconds, creating high-resolution, full-color 3D models for use.
Join the conversation over at the Fuel3D forum thread at 3DPB.com.
