Stratasys

Stratasys was founded in 1989 in Minnesota by S. Scott Crump and Lisa Crump, with Scott inventing Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology. In 2012, the company merged with Rehovot-based Objet Geometries, the inventor of PolyJet technology, establishing dual headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and Rehovot, Israel. Stratasys trades on NASDAQ under the ticker SSYS. The company manufactures industrial 3D printers and additive manufacturing materials, employing approximately 2,000 people globally. Throughout 2023, Stratasys engaged in a series of publicized M&A events, ultimately terminating a planned merger with Desktop Metal and rejecting takeover bids from Nano Dimension and 3D Systems. Following these events, the company announced a restructuring plan in late 2023 involving roughly a 15% workforce reduction.

The company’s primary focus is the development and manufacturing of 3D printers, specialized materials, and print-management software. Stratasys systems are used for rapid prototyping, tooling, and direct end-use part production. Core buyers include engineering and manufacturing teams in the aerospace, automotive, medical, dental, and consumer goods industries. Sales are primarily driven through a global network of channel partners alongside direct enterprise sales. The company's technical foundation is rooted in its proprietary material science capabilities and hardware engineering for both thermoplastic extrusion and photopolymer jetting.

Stratasys hardware is divided by printing technology. The FDM series (including the Fortus line) extrudes industrial-grade thermoplastics like ULTEM for structural components. The PolyJet line (such as the J-Series) deposits liquid photopolymers, allowing for full-color, multi-material, and transparent prototypes, frequently used in medical and anatomical modeling. In recent years, Stratasys expanded its portfolio via acquisitions, adding the Origin One (P3 technology) for mass-production photopolymers, the Neo line (SLA), and the H350 (Selective Absorption Fusion). The hardware is managed through the company's proprietary GrabCAD Print software ecosystem. Stratasys also previously acquired MakerBot in 2013, later spinning it out in a 2022 merger with Ultimaker.

Stratasys competes directly with 3D Systems, the inventor of Stereolithography (SLA). Other named competitors include HP, which sells the Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) systems, as well as Carbon and Formlabs in the resin and photopolymer space. The company targets the mid-to-high-end enterprise manufacturing market rather than consumer desktop printing. The additive manufacturing sector has faced recent macroeconomic headwinds, characterized by lengthened hardware sales cycles and reduced enterprise capital expenditures, which drove the industry-wide consolidation attempts seen throughout 2023.

The Israeli operations stem from the 2012 Objet merger. The Rehovot site serves as a co-headquarters and the primary R&D center for PolyJet hardware and software, while a facility in Kiryat Gat manufactures the associated photopolymer resins. Israel houses significant portions of the company's hardware engineering, chemistry/material science, and executive leadership, including current CEO Yoav Zeif. The late 2023 restructuring plan resulted in local layoffs at the Rehovot campus. The company regularly recruits mechanical engineers, embedded software developers, and material chemists in Israel.