Stratasys is an American company founded in 1989 in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, by Scott Crump. It's one of the two 'parent' 3D printing companies (the other is 3D Systems), pioneers of the entire industry. Stratasys patented FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) technology in 1989. Today the company owns a portfolio of 5+ different 3D printing technologies: FDM, PolyJet, SLA, P3 (DLS), Origin (CLIP-like) and recently, Selective Absorption Fusion. Stratasys printers are used in aerospace, automotive, medical, and educational industries.
Stratasys started in 1989 after Scott Crump patented FDM technology. The first printer, 3D Modeler, appeared in 1992.
1995, company listed on NASDAQ.
2001, launch of Dimension series, first desktop Stratasys FDM printer.
2012, Stratasys merges with Objet (Israeli company for PolyJet multi-color printing). This gave Stratasys a full portfolio, FDM + PolyJet.
2013, acquired MakerBot (desktop FDM). This step was a commercial failure, MakerBot couldn't compete with Bambu Lab and Prusa in the desktop segment. In 2022 MakerBot merged with UltiMaker.
2018, acquired 3D Hubs (online 3D printing service).
2019, acquired Origin (CLIP-like SLA technology).
2021, acquired Xaar 3D, expanding into Selective Absorption Fusion.
2023, launched Stratasys V650 Flex, new modular P3 printer for industrial production.
By 2026, Stratasys remains the largest 3D printing company by installed base, 30,000+ industrial printers in the world.
FDM (Fortus series):
PolyJet (multi-color/multi-material):
SLA / DLS (Origin):
P3 (Programmable Photopolymerization):
Stratasys V650 Flex (€200,000+), new P3 printer for serial SLA production.
Selective Absorption Fusion (SAF):
H350 (€80,000-€150,000), SAF for PA12 serial production.
Materials:
Stratasys offers over 1000 different materials, ABS, Nylon, PC, ULTEM 9085, ULTEM 1010, PEEK, biocompatibles, FDA-certified, aerospace-certified (FAR 25.853).
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Access:
- Authorized Stratasys distributors, for sales, certified installation, training, support.
Similar brands and alternatives:
When does Stratasys make economic sense? For a large company needing certified materials (ULTEM 9085 aerospace, FDA dental), large volume (100+ parts/month) and the need for European industrial support. For small companies and hobbyists, Bambu, Prusa, or UltiMaker are significantly more sensible.
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Stratasys F123 (€15,000-€20,000) is the most accessible Stratasys choice for an engineering studio. Supports ABS, ASA, Nylon, PC. More expensive than Bambu or Prusa, but with professional support and certified materials. Alternative: if you don't need Stratasys certifications, Prusa MK4 (€999) or Bambu X1-Carbon (€1449) deliver 80% of F123 quality at 5-10% of the cost.
For aerospace or military industry, yes. F900 prints ULTEM 9085 with FAR 25.853 certification, the only desktop printer with that certification. For a small company outside these industries, categorically no. Markforged FX20 (€100,000) or Roboze Argo 500 (€150,000) are significantly more sensible alternatives for PEEK and ULTEM.
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