3D Hubs moves into French manufacturing market with support from iPod inventor Tony Fadell

3D Hubs, the online manufacturing platform, is entering the French market with the support from Tony Fadell, the iPod inventor, Nest founder, and head of Future Shape investment firm. Originally out of Amsterdam, 3D Hubs will open new offices in Paris. Earlier this year, the company raised an 18 million Series C round led by Endeit Capital. Thanks to IoT, hardware-driven industries are on the rise and set to explode over the next ten years. Yet as technology and devices innovate, manufacturing practices have not. Traditional manufacturing can’t supply the needed parts quickly or cost-effectively enough; it can’t scale. That’s where 3D Hubs comes in. The Dutch platform gives engineers access to on-demand production from a global network of manufacturing partners. Users can upload designs, instantly receive quotes, and start production at the click of a button. NASA, Toyota, and ABB rely on the platform for rapid prototyping and low-volume production runs. In 3D Hubs’ view, its expansion will not only strengthen startups and businesses throughout France by shortening their time to market, but will also help modernize manufacturing opportunities across Europe’s third largest manufacturing economy. 

Tony Fadell agrees: "3D Hubs would have been an essential resource when we were building the iPod, the iPhone, and Nest. Instead of waiting weeks to get back models and prototypes, now with 3D Hubs' crucial online prototyping and manufacturing platform, engineers and designers can turn ideas into objects in only a few days, with precision 3D printed, CNC'd, or injection molded parts, and even move straight into volume manufacturing."