A MakerBot 3D Printer Just Right for the Home, Classroom or Office

BROOKLYN, N.Y — (BUSINESS WIRE) — May 19, 2014 — Coming soon to a home, school, office and dorm room near you! The MakerBot® Replicator® Mini Compact 3D Printer, one of MakerBot’s new Fifth Generation 3D printers, is being shipped to customers starting today. MakerBot, a global leader in the desktop 3D printing industry, originally announced the MakerBot Replicator Mini at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this January, where it drew the attention of media and CES award judges, as well as impressing CES attendees. The MakerBot Replicator Mini won the coveted CES 2014 Editors’ Choice Award from Popular Mechanics, was named the CES 2014 Best in Show by Digital Trends and ZDNet, and made PC Pro’s Greatest Hits: the Best of CES 2014.

“As soon as we announced the MakerBot Replicator Mini, we received calls and orders from customers who couldn’t wait to purchase this easy and affordable 3D printer,” noted Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot. “We see the MakerBot Replicator Mini as a turning point in the 3D printing industry. Much like the transition of the computer moving into the home 30 years ago, the MakerBot Replicator Mini is one of the first 3D printers to shift from the office to the home. We’re excited to have the MakerBot Replicator 3D Printing Platform and our Fifth Generation 3D printing technology inspire creativity and innovation in adults and children alike. Everyone can benefit from having a MakerBot Replicator Mini, but we expect to see the largest impact of having this 3D printer in the home with children. We believe that exposing children to 3D printing with a MakerBot Replicator Mini will change the way they think about the world and help prepare them for the jobs of the future.”

The MakerBot Replicator Mini makes it easy to unleash your creativity. Simply find and download 3D printable items from Thingiverse.com, MakerBot’s global design destination with more than 300,000+ free downloadable digital designs to discover, print and share; or purchase and download files from the MakerBot Digital Store, the best source for original and fun 3D content that’s ready to print. If you want to design your own 3D prints, a variety of simple design tools are available, such as the new free tablet app, MakerBot PrintShop™, that is specially made for the MakerBot Replicator Mini and will be available soon, and is for making unique jewelry and fun personalized items. The MakerBot Replicator Mini also works with any 3D design software and with the MakerBot Digitizer™ Desktop 3D Scanner.

The MakerBot Replicator Mini is powered by the MakerBot 3D Printing Platform; has an on-board camera to monitor its 3D printing via the soon-to-be-released MakerBot Mobile app; and features the MakerBot Replicator Smart Extruder.

The MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer is priced at $1,375 and is available today online at makerbot.com or through the MakerBot Retail Stores in New York, Boston and Greenwich, Conn. To learn more about the MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer and to place an order, visit makerbot.com/mini or call 347-334-6800.

MakerBot also expects to ship its other new 3D printer, the MakerBot Replicator Z18 3D Printer, in June. The MakerBot Replicator Z18 has a massive build volume and the best price/performance in its category. To learn more about the MakerBot Replicator Z18, visit makerbot.com/z18.

About MakerBot

MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd., is leading the Next Industrial Revolution by setting the standards in reliable and affordable desktop 3D printing. Founded in 2009, MakerBot has built the largest installed base of desktop 3D printers sold to innovative and industry-leading customers worldwide, including engineers, architects, designers, educators and consumers. The MakerBot 3D Ecosystem drives accessibility and rapid adoption of 3D printing and includes Thingiverse.com, the MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner, the MakerBot Replicator line of Desktop 3D Printers, MakerBot Desktop, the MakerBot MakerCare® Protection Plan, the MakerBot Retail Stores and strategic partnerships with top-tier brands. MakerBot has been honored with many accolades, including Popular Mechanics’ “Overall Winner” for best 3D printer, Time’s “Best Inventions of 2012,” Popular Mechanics’ “Editor’s Choice Award,” Popular Science’s “Product of the Year,” Fast Company’s “One of the World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Consumer Electronics” and many more. Join the Next Industrial Revolution by following MakerBot at makerbot.com.

About Stratasys

Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS ), headquartered in Minneapolis, Minneapolis, and Rehovot, Israel, is a leading global provider of 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions. The company's patented FDM <