ATEAM Ventures, a Korean startup that provides 3D printing and prototyping services is quite in demand specifically from the designing professionals. The startup that was founded in 2016 raised $2.3 million from Altos Ventures for its online 3D printing service called Shapengine. ATEAM Ventures also develops and sells 3D printer Creatable D3 and ‘Waggle’, a remote controller for 3D printers.
Perfect for Beginners, Educators, and Experts
ATEAM Ventures’ Shapengine is utilized by many graduate students, architects, product designers, and by anyone who needs to make prototypes or mock-up products professionally. The startup has built prototype production portfolios for cosmetics containers, lightweight parts, and construction models for research institutes of large corporations.
Shapengine’s feature of creating 3D model files using simple 2D images or sketches enables even a non-designer to do 3D printing. The startup’s 3D printer ‘Creatable D3’ offers high-resolution results and boasts high quality through precise control of belt tension. It is a perfect tool for beginners, educators, and professionals in design.
Looking Beyond Limited User Base
Shapengine started as the first P2P-based 3D printing online sharing service in South Korea. The startup has now expanded into the industrial 3D printing industry. The investment from Altos Ventures helped the company introduce the 3D printing concept to even non-design users. The startup wants to further its service area by adding manufacturing equipment prototyping and 3D printing.
Altos Ventures, the lead investor in the startup, had expected the company to evolve in an organic way. “The 3D printing industry is evolving from hardware to SaaS. We look forward to the success of ATEAM Ventures to grow into a company that can help domestic hardware companies since Korea is a manufacturing powerhouse,” is what the Managing Director of Altos Ventures, Han Kim had told media at the time of the funding.
Currently, ATEAM Ventures is focussing on aggressively marketing 3D printing and expanding its services beyond the commercial sector by introducing various new manufacturing equipment.
