If there is one technology that would appear like magic to prehistoric humans, or even dwellers of the 19th century, it is 3D printing. The sight of a printer simply producing metal objects that would previously take painstaking forging to manufacture is nothing short of astounding. Therefore, it is natural that the 3D printing industry is one of the most lucrative and fastest growing in the world.
For instance, a research report from Strategic Market Research estimates that the industry was worth $14 billion in 2021 and it will grow at a whopping compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21% to sit at $77 billion by the end of 2030. Dividing the market in terms of printers and materials, the research firm reveals that industrial printers held the dominating position by accounting for 70% of the market and that metals were the most widely used material as they accounted for more than 50% of all the materials used. Additionally, Strategic Market Research also shares that the automotive industry is the largest user of 3D printing and that most of the overall use of the machines involves manufacturing prototypes. As is the case with most advanced technologies markets, such as biotechnology and artificial intelligence, North America was the largest 3D printing market in 2021 as it represented roughly 30% of the total market.
Another report, this time from Fortune Business Insights, has an even stronger growth rate for 3D printing. It believes that the industry was worth $15 billion in 2021, and from then until 2029, the sector will grow at an unbelievable 24.3% CAGR to sit at $83.9 billion. This report concurs with the previous one to claim that prototyping was the largest use for 3D printers and that North America is a global leader. Fortune Business Insights also outlines that new age technologies such as robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence will simulate the industrial adoption of 3D printers.
A heavy user of 3D printing is the aerospace industry. Modern day jet engines have thousands of components, and some of these, such as the turbine blades, need to be built to exacting specifications and with a single mold of material. Some engine components that use 3D printing are turbocharger impellers, blades, fuel nozzles, and other parts. Leading 3D printing firms that might catch your eye are General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), Xerox Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:XRX), and Renishaw plc (LON:RSW.L).
Our Methodology
We took a broad look at the 3D printing industry to identify which firms have the right set of products that match current industry dynamics. The firms are ranked according to their market capitalization and hedge fund sentiment courtesy of Insider Monkey’s 920 fund survey for this year’s third quarter is also provided.
Top 15 3D Printing Companies in the World
15. voxeljet AG (NASDAQ:VJET)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $18.4 million
voxeljet AG (NASDAQ:VJET) is a German 3D printer manufacturer that is headquartered in Friedberg, Germany. The firm makes and sells 3D printers, and it also provides spare parts for its products. It has a wide variety of customers, that range from the aerospace industry to universities, and architecture firms.
Insider Monkey took a look at 920 hedge fund portfolios for their third quarter of 2022 investments to discover that 10 had bought a stake in voxeljet AG.
Along with Xerox Holdings Corporation, General Electric Company, and Renishaw plc (LON:RSW.L), voxeljet AG is a top 3D printing firm.
14. Shapeways Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SHPW)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $26.24 million
Shapeways Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SHPW) is an American firm that manufactures and sells the Otto brand of 3D printers. These enable their users to make both product prototypes and end products. The printers provide a wide variety of manufacturing techniques such as injection molding, vacuum casting, binder jetting, stereolithography, and wax casting. Its products are used by the jewelry industry, architecture, robotics, healthcare, and others.
As part of their Q3 2022 investments, ten of the 920 hedge funds part of Insider Monkey’s survey had bought Shapeways Holdings, Inc.’s shares.
13. Markforged Holding Corporation (NYSE:MKFG)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $158 million
Markforged Holding Corporation (NYSE:MKFG) is an American 3D printer firm that provides products for both industrial and general consumer use. The firm sells the FX 20, Metal X, X7, X5, and X3 printers for industrial use. Its desktop 3D printer lineup includes the Mark Two, Onyx One, and Onyx Two printers. These printers are capable of building different materials such as metals, fiberglass, and carbon fiber filled nylon parts. Markforged Holding Corporation is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts.
Insider Monkey took a look at 920 hedge fund portfolios for their third quarter of 2022 investments to discover that 13 had held a stake in Markforged Holding Corporation.
11. Prodways Group SA (EPA:PWG.PA)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $198 million (1EUR = 1.06USD)
Prodways Group SA (EPA:PWG.PA) is a French firm that is headquartered in Paris. The company sells 3D printers primarily for industrial use. Its two printers are the DLP MOVINGLight 3D printer lineup and the Plastic laser sintering SLS 3D printers. These are used in a wide variety of industrial applications, with the former used in injecting molding, tooling, dentistry, and jewelry industries while the latter is employed by the aerospace, automotive, and other industrial sectors.
11. Velo3D, Inc. (NYSE:VLD)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $313 million
Velo3D, Inc. (NYSE:VLD) is an American firm that is one of the most high end 3D printer companies in the industry. The firm both sells and leases its products to businesses. In addition to printers, the company also provides quality control and manufacturing process software.
Velo3D, Inc. has the unique distinction of being Space Exploration Technology Corporation’s (SpaceX) 3D printer supplier for components for the Raptor engine. The Raptor is one of the most advanced rocket engines in the world, since it redirects its startup exhaust gasses to the combustion chamber – a mindbogglingly complex process.
As part of their September quarter of 2022 investments, 11 of the 920 hedge funds part of Insider Monkey’s study had bought Velo3D, Inc.’s shares.
10. Desktop Metal, Inc. (NYSE:DM)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $441 million
Desktop Metal, Inc. (NYSE:DM) is an American firm that is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts. The firm has a host of different kinds of printers in its portfolio. These include the 5-Max lineup, the S-Print printer, the P4K lineup, Fiber desktop printer, and the Production System. Cumulatively, these serve the needs of different industries from simple desktop printing, to prototyping, and industrial manufacturing.
Insider Monkey’s Q3 2022 survey of 920 hedge funds revealed that 11 had held a stake in Desktop Metal, Inc..
9. SLM Solutions Group AG (ETR:AM3D.DE)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $478 million (1EUR = 1.06USD)
SLM Solutions Group AG (ETR:AM3D.DE) is a German firm headquartered in Lubeck, Germany. It sells 3D printers for metal manufacturing and also provides after sales service and support to its customers. SLM Solutions Group AG (ETR:AM3D.DE) sells six different kinds of 3D printers. These are the SLM 125, SLM 280.20, SLM 280.PS, SLM 500, SLM 800, and the NXG XII 600 printers. Out of these, the SLM125 is for prototyping, the SLM500 is the first 3D printer to use four lasers for metal manufacturing, and the others are for high volume industrial production.
8. Materialise NV (NASDAQ:MTLS)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $540 million
Materialise NV (NASDAQ:MTLS) is a Belgium firm that is headquartered in Leuven. It is primarily a software firm that sells products that allow users to connect their 3D printers, design their products, and conduct rapid prototyping. Materialise NV also sells its products to 3D printer manufacturers.
By the end of this year’s third quarter, four of the 920 hedge funds polled by Insider Monkey had bought Materialise NV’s shares.
Out of these, Catherine D. Wood’s ARK Investment Management is Materialise NV’s largest investor. It owns 5.8 million shares that are worth $62 million.
7. Nano Dimension Ltd. (NASDAQ:NNDM)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $620 million
Nano Dimension Ltd. (NASDAQ:NNDM) is an Israeli company that provides electronics manufacturers with a 3D printer called the DragonFly IV system. This system uses artificial intelligence for manufacturing and can manufacture a variety of devices such as antennas, circuits, WiFi access points, charger inductors, and radio frequency amplifiers.
Insider Monkey studied 920 hedge fund portfolios for their third quarter of 2022 investments to discover that nine had invested in Nano Dimension Ltd..
Nano Dimension Ltd.’s largest investor is Marc Majzner’s Clearline Capital which owns 3.9 million shares that are worth $9.3 million.
6. Proto Labs, Inc. (NYSE:PRLB)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $724.8 million
Proto Labs, Inc. (NYSE:PRLB) is an American firm that manufactures products through 3D printers via an online service. The company takes orders over the Internet and it supports metals 3D printing, stereolithography, selective laser sintering, multi jet fusion, and polyjet manufacturing.
Insider Monkey’s Q3 2022 survey of 920 hedge funds revealed that 17 had bought Proto Labs, Inc.’s shares.
Catherine D. Wood’s ARK Investment Management is Proto Labs, Inc.’s largest shareholder. It owns a $20 million stake that comes via 563,078 shares.
Proto Labs, Inc. joins General Electric Company, Xerox Holdings Corporation, and Renishaw plc (LON:RSW.L) in our list of the world’ best 3D printing companies.
5. Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ:SSYS)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $803 million
Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ:SSYS) is an American company that provides 3D printers for polymer manufacturing. The firm offers products for prototyping, tooling, and manufacturing. It has 28 products in its portfolio, with the bulk of these (14) focused on making prototypes. Stratasys Ltd. is also one of the older 3D manufacturing companies out there, as it was set up in 1989 and is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
By the end of this year’s third quarter, 21 of the 920 hedge funds polled by Insider Monkey had bought Stratasys Ltd.’s shares.
Stratasys Ltd.’s largest investor is Catherine D. Wood’s ARK Investment Management which owns 1.5 million shares that are worth $22 million.
4. 3D Systems Corporation (NYSE:DDD)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $1.08 billion
3D Systems Corporation (NYSE:DDD) is an American firm that sells 3D printers and a bio printing platform. The former segment covers different types of 3D printing such as direct metal and multi jet printing while the latter lets companies convert their simulated designs into real life products. 3D Systems Corporation also provides design tools that allow companies to scan existing objects for printing and to reverse engineer workflows.
Insider Monkey’s Q3 2022 survey covering 920 hedge funds revealed that 14 had bought 3D Systems Corporation’s shares.
3D Systems Corporation’s largest investor in our database is Catherine D. Wood’s ARK Investment Management which owns 3.8 million shares that are worth $30 million.
3. Xerox Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:XRX)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $2.36 billion
Xerox Holdings Corporation is an American firm that is at the heart of the modern day technological revolution. Its graphical user interface is the backbone of modern day operating systems that allow users to interact with computers through a mouse or other pointer devices. On the 3D printing front, Xerox Holdings Corporation sells the ElemX 3D printer, which also has the unique distinction of being the first 3D printer to be deployed by the United States Navy on a vessel. This printer was deployed on the USS Essex in July of this year.
26 of the 920 hedge funds part of Insider Monkey’s study for this year’s September quarter had invested in Xerox Holdings Corporation.
Out of these, Carl Icahn’s Icahn Capital LP is Xerox Holdings Corporation’s largest investor. It owns 34 million shares that are worth $447 million.
2. Renishaw plc (LON:RSW.L)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $3.33 billion (1GBP = 1.22USD)
Renishaw plc (LON:RSW.L) is a British firm that offers and sells metals 3D printing and other additive manufacturing solutions. The metal 3D printing products use laser melting for manufacturing products, and the company’s primary product is the RenAM 500Q printer which uses four 500 Watt lasers to rapidly build products. Renishaw plc (LON:RSW.L) also provides software for its products that allows users to integrate multiple build files in a single platform. Another software platform provides ready to use designs for dental crowns and other related product manufacturing.
1. General Electric Company (NYSE:GE)
Market Capitalization as of December 18, 2022: $84.85 billion
The General Electric Company is an American industrials behemoth. As such, it has also taken large steps into the 3D manufacturing market. The company manufactures massive turbine engines for aircraft, and with 3D printing, it has not only produced workable prototypes from the ground up but crucial components such as fuel nozzles that are capable of operating at temperatures as high as 1,800 Fahrenheit. Another important achievement by the company in the 3D printing arena is the building of an oxygen hydrogen micromixer, which is a crucial component of zero emissions power plants.
Insider Monkey’s Q3 2022 survey of 920 hedge funds revealed that 53 had held a stake in General Electric Company.
General Electric Company’s largest shareholder in our database is Richard S. Pzena’s Pzena Investment Management which owns 13.7 million shares that are worth $851 million.
Suggested Articles:
- 15 Biggest Gambling Countries in the World
- 12 Countries That Produce the Most Lithium
- 15 Countries That Produce the Most Gold
This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
