Investing in 3D Printing Stocks

Back in the early 2010s, stocks were booming for 3D printing -- also known as additive manufacturing, a computer-controlled process in which three-dimensional objects are made. But the boom was followed by a bust as many pure-play 3D printing companies didn't immediately deliver on lofty expectations.

Rumors of the manufacturing technology's demise are clearly premature. These days, 3D printing is a high-growth niche that is steadily reshaping the manufacturing and industrial sectors. Fortune Business Insights estimates that the additive manufacturing market size was valued at $19.3 billion in 2024, and it's expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.4% from a projected $23.4 billion in 2025 to $101.7 billion in 2032. Even growth investor Cathie Wood offers a fund focused on manufacturing tech, The 3D Printing ETF (PRNT 0.88%), via her company ARK Invest.

Here's what you need to know about 3D printing and additive manufacturing stocks for 2025.

Investing in 3D printing stocks

Investing in 3D printing stocks in 2025

The manufacturing of products in all corners of the economy is being revolutionized by 3D printing, from healthcare equipment to metal fabrication to housing construction. It's invading so many sectors that tech giants such as Microsoft (MSFT 1.58%), Autodesk (ADSK 2.05%), and HP (HPQ 0.6%) have launched products aimed at 3D printing and additive manufacturing. Other engineering and software outfits such as Dassault Systemes (DASTY 0.93%), ANSYS (ANSS 3.95%), and Trimble (TRMB 1.21%) have also gotten involved in 3D printing technology.   

Here are five key players that are more focused on 3D printing.

1. Nano Dimension

1. Nano Dimension

Since its initial public offering (IPO) in 2016, Nano Dimension has provided investors an opportunity to invest in a 3D printing company that specializes in the additive manufacturing of electronics, as well as ceramics and metals. Its product portfolio will become even more robust with its acquisition of 3D printing peer Desktop Metal -- an all-cash transaction that had been slowed by litigation but seems poised to move forward.

As its name implies, Desktop Metal develops 3D printing hardware and accompanying design software for metal and carbon fiber parts. The company's smaller systems can handle prototyping and one-off parts, and larger printers are production-grade-designed for manufacturing facilities. Desktop Metal serves companies operating in automotive, consumer goods, and heavy industrial equipment businesses.

Management contends in an investor presentation that once the acquisition is completed, Nano Dimension will be the "first AM [additive manufacturing] provider covering the full gamut of customer needs from prototyping to production across a range of critical and high-performance applications."

Through the first nine months of 2024, Nano Dimension and Desktop Metal combined to generate revenue of $158 million. According to Nano Dimension, the acquisition will result in synergies that contribute to more than $30 million in cost savings.

2. Stratasys

2. Stratasys

Stratasys was part of the early 2010s 3D printing stock boom and bust, but its business has endured. In 2024, Stratasys reported an 8.8% year-over-year dip in sales from the $627.6 million it posted in 2023; however, there were some encouraging signs that the company is on the right track. For one, Stratasys reported record recurring consumables revenue, which is an auspicious sign that customers are happy with the company's systems that they've purchased. Moreover, Stratasys returned to generating positive operating cash flow: $7.4 million in 2024 compared to cash used in operations of $61.6 million in 2023.

Stratasys serves a diverse set of customers, including aerospace and automotive parts manufacturers, medical and dental companies, and makers of basic consumer products. In addition to a wide array of 3D printer models, Stratasys develops software to help users accelerate the time between design and final printing.  

It isn't the highest-growth name on this list, but the company expects stronger operating cash flow in 2025, and its balance sheet remains strong, boasting a net cash position.

3. Xometry

3. Xometry

This is another newcomer to public markets. Xometry completed its initial public offering (IPO) over the summer of 2021, raising almost $350 million in cash in the process. As is often the case with new IPOs, the stock has underperformed since then. It has lost more than half of its value from the time it started trading on public markets, but the business itself is rapidly growing.

Xometry is a marketplace for on-demand manufacturing of prototyping and mass production. It has a network of more than 4,375 suppliers that companies can call on to meet their fabrication needs. Among the suppliers on the Xometry platform are 3D printing companies, injection molding, and automated machining. The company reported having 68,267 active buyers utilizing its platform at the end of 2024, a 23% increase over the number of buyers it had at the same time in 2023.

Although it isn't profitable yet, Xometry's unique approach to the 3D printing and additive manufacturing industry is growing fast. From 2021 to 2024, the number of customers with accounts who have spent more than $50,000 during the prior 12-month period has grown at a 28% CAGR. Like other names on this list, it has a sizable war chest of cash and short-term investments that it can spend on research and marketing as it tries to attract more suppliers and buyers to its marketplace.  

4. 3D Systems

4. 3D Systems

3D Systems was another early player in the 3D printing industry, and while it suffered through the boom-and-bust period of the early 2010s, its business has held steady for much of the past decade. After a brief dip during the early days of the pandemic, 3D Systems is back in growth mode.  

The company develops printers and design software for all sorts of materials and industries (medical device makers, dental labs, semiconductor designers, aerospace, and automotive manufacturers). It claims leadership among independent 3D printing companies (as measured by sales). As the 3D printing industry expands in the coming years, 3D Systems thinks it will be able to attract lots of new business with its extensive experience and global reach.

As an established tech outfit in the manufacturing sector, 3D Systems offers investors the prospect of more stable growth, along with profitability. In early 2025, management revealed a cost-saving initiative that is expected to produce annualized savings of $50 million in expenses. Moreover, the company projects it will achieve breakeven on an adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) basis in the fourth quarter of 2025.

5. PTC

5. PTC

By far the largest company on this list, PTC is a longtime technology partner of manufacturing and industrial enterprises. PTC projects fiscal 2025 revenue to top $2.1 billion to $2.4 billion with about $840 million in free cash flow. Highly profitable, PTC forecasts fiscal 2025 earnings per share of $3.36 to $4.24. It has all the tools needed to digitally transform industrial businesses.

Besides 3D printing computer-aided design software (ANSYS is a peer and software partner that also operates in this space), PTC specializes in augmented reality, industrial IoT (Internet of Things), and product lifecycle management software. Most of its revenue is subscription-based (including its Creo software that enables 3D printing), making for a stable and steadily growing business model that generates ample cash flow. PTC puts spare cash to work developing new products for its partners and makes bolt-on acquisitions of other software companies that enhance its overall portfolio.  

As a larger company, PTC won't be the fastest-growing stock in the additive manufacturing and 3D printing space. However, the company has established itself as a leader in industrial technology and should be a primary beneficiary as the production of manufactured goods gets more efficient.

Related investing topics

The future of 3D printing

The future of 3D printing

Manufacturing technology is making inroads throughout the global economy by reducing the cost of production and localizing and speeding up the time it takes to deliver customer orders. This is far from mere hype. Nevertheless, as is the case with all technology investments, progress won't go straight up. Expect twists and turns in these stocks as they develop new methods to design and make products.

If you decide to invest, do so in a measured way. Maintain a diversified portfolio, be wary of stocks benefiting from investor over-optimism, and always leave spare cash to invest more when there are inevitable dips. Given enough time -- years and decades -- investing in 3D printing could eventually provide a big payoff.