Someone Needs to Buy MakerBot Already, Stratasys, Ltd. (SSYS)?

Even still, the consumer market remains in its infancy, and Stratasys may have plenty of time to jump in. When the rubber hits the road, however, and the home-based 3D printing really takes off, if Stratasys doesn’t do something quickly, it may find itself late to the game, and scrambling to compete with the better-established offerings of its peers.

If you thought same day shipping was good…
Last but not least, if not 3D Systems or Stratasys — and that’s a very big “if” — I wouldn’t be surprised if a ground-breaking company like Amazon bought MakerBot. For starters, we already know Jeff Bezos has shown interest through his 2011 investment in the company. We also know that Amazon isn’t afraid of making strategic acquisitions in the name of streamlining operations, most notably with its $775 million purchase of Kiva Systems last year for its fleet of fun-to-watch, warehouse-optimizing robots.

Besides, how great would it be for consumers to wield the ability to buy something on Amazon.com and simply print it out at home? No packing. No shipping. Just a downloadable digital model to send over to your trusty 3D desktop printer. Sure, this kind of workflow is a long way off, but Bezos isn’t exactly known for managing Amazon with a short-term mindset.

Life altering, mind boggling profits
In the end, I’m convinced all three of the above-mentioned companies would be better off owning this young business. In any case, while it remains to be seen whether MakerBot will survive these early stages of its life intact, investors should know that there’s plenty of money to be made in the consumer 3D printing market.

The article Someone Needs to Buy MakerBot Already originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Steve Symington.

Fool contributor Steve Symington has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends 3D Systems, Amazon.com, and Stratasys. The Motley Fool owns shares of 3D Systems, Amazon.com, and Stratasys and has the following options: Short Jan 2014 $55 Calls on 3D Systems and Short Jan 2014 $30 Puts on 3D Systems.

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