Shapeways filed for Bankruptcy impacts Heroforge

[AndrewBeasley]

Breaking news (well to me):
https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/shapeways-bankrupt-5m-rescue-bid-rejected-231387/


No notice on the investor site as of posting time
https://investors.shapeways.com/news-events/press-releases

[Elbows]

This was absolutely inevitable.  They've been out of touch with the market for a long time.  Last I checked their prices and lead times were absolutely comical compared to what you get on Etsy, eBay, or just a buddy with a printer.

It was a smart business, 10 years ago.  It's like those companies which used to write your custom CD's back in the 90's.  It was a business venture which was always going to end.

Now, if they'd been doing rapid prototyping for other industry on super high end printers, I'd be more surprised --- as that seems like a market which could be sustained for various business ventures...but printing expensive 3D prints for customers in today's market?  Not a chance.

[FifteensAway]

Which leads to the wild speculation - will the market get flooded with cheap STLs seeking new homes as a result?  Downstream effects will be something to watch.

[zemjw]

It is a shame, but I haven't used them for a while. They were useful for some small parts I needed, but the costs increased exponentially very quickly.

I saw some things I liked in their shop, but the material quality, cost and p&p always put me off.

Still, sad to see them go, as it feels like there should be a place for that sort of service, rather than 1000 cottage industries of unknown quality.

[AndrewBeasley]

...
Still, sad to see them go, as it feels like there should be a place for that sort of service, rather than 1000 cottage industries of unknown quality.

+1 to that.

I'm currently contemplating a 3D printer as my success rate buying off Etsy and eBay is around 2/3s 'acceptable' i.e. clean, tidy prints, minimal layer lines with no layer slippage. It seems suppliers use the standard pics from the STL creators (or worse renders) and I'm getting sick of the hit and miss ordering (as some suppliers have been good for some bits and poor for others - often in the same STL range) and wonder if it's cheaper to buy into the technology from a stress point!

[Fitz]

Still, sad to see them go, as it feels like there should be a place for that sort of service, rather than 1000 cottage industries of unknown quality.

They were useful to me before I started doing my own 3d printing, but they were always pretty expensive, and they became less and less customer-friendly as time went on.

[Dubar]

They were useful to me before I started doing my own 3d printing...

Same here.  The price of home 3D printers going down may have been 1 reason for their downfall.

[beefcake]

Yes, it was a ground breaking industry when started but now with more and more people having their own printers the print on demand service is becoming less and less plus more and more people are doing their own print on demand service.

[6milPhil]

This is just the US Shapeways isn't it?

[carlos marighela]

This is just the US Shapeways isn't it?

No, apparently not. Biz reporting says:

"According to the Form 8-K, all Shapeways C-level executives and directors have resigned from their positions, while ‘neither the company nor any of its subsidiaries have officers or employees."

However the Eindhoven plant manager has said:

"Confident about the sound operation and supported by a unified team we are gearing up to restart the business on our own account. Please reach out for any business opportunities if relevant!"

We'll see if that comes to pass.

[ced1106]

fwiw, Dakka thread. Similar opinions, some details, more... lively.
https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/814132.page

[6milPhil]

No, apparently not. Biz reporting says:

...

We'll see if that comes to pass.

Thanks! 

[AndrewBeasley]

The DakaDaka thread linked to by ced1106 above has a notefrom Heroforge:

https://www.facebook.com/HeroForgeMinis/posts/pfbid02rFn4RFbf1idrTdTLTFi3wp2dSVerY6Pc36ANhRQsTPBhZaWAHXrfwUWU1ufuAb7Nl

Physical Product Update - To Hero Forge’s Valued Customers

Our physical production pipeline will be experiencing delays in the near term. Our primary distributor has ceased all business operations without notice or warning, and this sudden development requires the immediate launch of new distribution capabilities.

We understand how important our minis are to you, and we share your dismay over these unforeseen delays. Please rest assured that we are doing everything possible to mitigate the impact.

Our current plan is to transition all existing orders and any new ones to a new distributor within the next few weeks. However, due to the complex nature of our product, this process might take longer. Order delays of 4-6 weeks or more are expected. Our 3D Digital and STL Download products are still readily available and will experience no delays.

We deeply appreciate your patience and understanding during this challenging time. Our commitment to you and our business remains unwavering, and we will keep you informed of any significant updates.

Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
The Hero Forge Team

IIRC HeroForge STLs are simplified (less or larger polygons) and give cruder figures than the pre-printed ones.

[zemjw]

Annnddd, they're back???

Press release - https://www.shapeways.com/presscorner/shapeways-comes-home-to-trusted-management-and-founding-visionaries
FAQ - https://support.shapeways.com/hc/en-nl/articles/17209325443484-Shapeways-FAQ

Shapeways is Coming Home

I am delighted to announce that Shapeways is coming home.

Two original co-founders along with the highly-skilled leadership team from our Eindhoven factory have stepped in to steward the company into its next chapter. After Shapeways Inc. filed for bankruptcy in July, we knew we had to resurrect the company and preserve the digital manufacturing engine we all helped to build - a combination of dedicated, skilled people, cutting-edge machinery and sophisticated software. Moving forward, our focus is on rebuilding Shapeways and leveraging our digital manufacturing engine for our customers’ success.

We regret to inform you that all marketplace accounts and accompanying data were deleted in the bankruptcy. However, we’d love to have you back printing with us again. Get a quote here.

We still believe in the Shapeways Shops concept and are actively pursuing new ways to replace this service for the Shapeways community. This exploration will take time and we ask for your patience on this journey.

In the meantime, you can learn more about the new Shapeways in our press release, here. We have compiled a FAQ around the bankruptcy and loss of the marketplace here. And you can learn a bit more about me, the new leadership team, and our vision for Shapeways here.

Over the years, we have been inspired by, and deeply grateful for, the community that grew up around Shapeways. We have marveled at the creative products and businesses that arose, and watched your creations with amazement. Thank you for being part of this journey with us. Stay tuned for additional announcements.

Warmly,

Marleen Vogelaar, CEO

[robh]

They will need to vastly reduce their prices to hobbyists if they intend to compete in that market. The myriad of one-man-band print farms out there now makes this a difficult sector to set up an enterprise business.

Maybe they could recover the one off corporate prototyping/modelling business that they had before but I don't see them getting back the market dominance they had early on. It went under for a reason.