Innovation has always been at the heart of what we do here at E3D. From our humble beginnings in a ramshackle chicken shed, to the lofty heights of our current office in rural Oxfordshire 😉, creating innovative 3D printer parts to make them “Print Better” has always been our core goal. We’ve grown from a couple of 3D printing enthusiasts to a full team of passionate experts and we’re so excited about what the future holds for both our company and the wider 3D printing world.
Co-founder Sanjay in our OG chicken shed workshop
That’s why we’re delighted to have been selected for Innovate UK Business Growth’s Scaleup Programme! This highly targeted scheme offers support to less than 100 of the UK’s most ambitious, fast-growing, innovation-led companies and we are absolutely honoured to be included in that list!
“Being invited onto Innovate UK’s Scaleup Programme is a milestone moment for us at E3D. It recognises not just where we are today, but where we can go next: scaling world-class extrusion technology, investing in our people and capabilities, and helping manufacturers around the world push the boundaries of what additive can do. With the backing and expertise of the programme, we are better equipped than ever to turn our ambitions into impact.” Dave Lamb, Chief Operations Officer, Founder, E3D
About the programme
The scheme focuses on helping innovative companies like ours overcome the challenges that can occur with rapid growth - from how to enter new markets and deal with intellectual property laws, to how to ensure we can successfully design, build, check, store, and ship thousands more products each year. And it’s not easy to qualify. Only a tiny proportion of the UK’s scaling businesses get their hands on this kind of support which makes it even more special to us. Rather than an open application, companies have to be specifically invited to apply. Plus companies can only apply if they meet the criteria of being innovation-led businesses who achieve, or are capable of achieving, around 50% annual growth per year, with clear potential to disrupt markets and internationalise.
Our application saw us go through several stages designed to test both our ambition and our suitability for the scheme. We had an initial strategic discussion, a detailed Expression of Interest, and then were rigorously evaluated and interviewed by the programme’s delivery Board of Directors. Now we’ve been accepted into the scheme we’ll receive one-to-one, director-led help that is tailored to our specific scaleup challenges and priorities.
Our workshop today
What the programme means for E3D
Growing a company takes time and effort and whilst we want to reach for the moon and be as innovative as we can be, we also need to keep our feet on the ground, support our team, and ultimately ensure a consistently great experience for our customers. This additional support will equip us with the expert guidance we need to make smart decisions as we grow so that we can stay focused on what’s important.
The growth-focused insight will help us accelerate product development, continue to expand internationally, and build the operational backbone needed for the next stage of our journey.
So watch this space for great things to come from E3D! We’ve had 13 years of innovations thus far and we’re so ready to use our expertise to push boundaries in extrusion technology, additive manufacturing, and user experience even further to ensure a better 3D printing experience for all. We’re very glad to have you along for the ride 😊