The company is manufacturing and marketing a 3-D laser printer that cuts or engraves surfaces, making it ideal for crafts people.
A Seattle startup that makes a 3-D laser printer has closed out a 30-day crowdfunding campaign with an eye-popping result — it raised $27.4 million when the drive ended, far beyond its $100,000 goal. (Update, Oct. 26: The company said its final 30-day amount is $27.9 million. It is still accepting pre-orders online.)
Glowforge, led by serial entrepreneur Dan Shapiro, finished the pre-order sale Friday afternoon after an early head start made the company sure it was headed for success. The campaign, run on Glowforge’s own website, surpassed the most funded 30-day campaign on popular crowdfunding site Kickstarter — Pebble Time smartwatch, which raised $20.3 million.
The next step is for Glowforge must manufacture and ship thousands of units all around the world. Shapiro said pre-ordered printers, which cost between $1,995 and $3,995, will be shipped in the first half of next year.
The Glowforge printers can be used to cut and engrave on pretty much any surface — exciting makers and crafts people intrigued by the machine, which is smaller and less expensive than most alternatives.
Most Read Business Stories
The 14-person Glowforge team has been testing the devices with pretty much any idea they can think of, including engraving on spice jars, building a small drone and crafting plywood computer stands.