Sculpteo, a France-based provider of three-dimension (3D) printing services, has raised half of its E2m ($2.5m) round from Xange Private Equity, which invests on behalf of the main local postal company.
XAnge invested E1m in Sculpteo with business angels and its founders providing the remainder. The company was created at the end of 2009 by the founding team of Inventel, a French company sold to local electronics company Thomson in 2007.
Cyril Bertrand, partner at Xange, said: “We are convinced that 3D printing has the potential to become a large market.
“But above all, it’s a strategic decision to develop a software technology in the cloud rather than trying to capture a potential target audience which motivated our decision to invest.”
Last year, Sculpteo unveiled its 3D printing mobile applications for consumers, which enables people to create, make and receive a unique and bespoke object and this month will receive the Best of CES Innovations Award at the Consumers Electronics Show in Las Vegas in the mobile application and software category.
The investors were advised by law firm Jones Day and on financials by Tuillet Audit, while Sculpteo has counsel from Joffe & Associes and Ylea as financial adviser.