After finalizing its acquisitions of Desktop Metallic and Markforged, Nano Dimension (Nasdaq: NNDM) is transferring away from aggressive M&A and towards stronger strategic integration and long-term profitability. Julien Lederman, the corporate’s Chief Enterprise Officer, spoke with 3DPrint.com in regards to the integration efforts, technique shifts, and hard choices shaping Nano Dimension’s subsequent chapter. Lederman helped steer this transition throughout a crucial four-month interval as interim CEO, earlier than handing the reins to Ofir Baharav in April 2025.
Three Corporations, One Aim
Nano Dimension signed two main merger agreements in 2024: to amass multi-printing expertise agency Desktop Metallic and high-performance materials additive manufacturing specialist Markforged. These strikes got here after months of trade hypothesis, together with Nano Dimension’s earlier (and better) bids for Desktop Metallic in 2023, which have been initially rejected.
However now, the businesses are formally underneath one roof. Markforged is already being built-in, with its merchandise, software program, and crew merging into Nano Dimension’s operations. On the identical time, Desktop Metallic, now working as an unbiased subsidiary of Nano Dimension, goes by a strategic evaluation of its liabilities and liquidity wants.
“Desktop Metallic itself goes by its personal strategic evaluation course of,” defined Lederman. “Sure, we acquired them… however it’s nonetheless a definite authorized entity and a subsidiary of Nano Dimension. It has to undergo its personal course of, and we’re letting that play out.”
Whereas the Desktop Metallic state of affairs continues to be unfolding, Nano Dimension has already moved rapidly to restructure different components of its enterprise. In current months, the corporate shut down models like Fabrica and Admatec, each of which struggled to remain aggressive in crowded markets. It additionally launched a cost-cutting effort to avoid wasting $20 million yearly by trimming R&D, gross sales, and administration bills. That urgency is not like the slower, extra cautious method with Desktop Metallic.
Markforged’s FX technology printers allow steady fiber reinforcement (carbon, Kevlar, and fiberglass) to make composite components as robust as aluminum.
From Holding to Cohesion
Lederman was clear: the times of Nano Dimension resembling a tech holding firm are over.
“We don’t wish to contemplate ourselves a holding firm or an investor of different property,” he mentioned. “We want to deliver issues collectively as a lot as doable. There’s much more that connects the totally different components of our enterprise than units them aside. We now have most of the identical prospects — aerospace and protection, automotive, medical, electronics, and basic trade. All of us depend on software program. All of us care about materials science. It’s the lifeblood of what makes our functions what they’re.”
One of many clearest examples of that synergy is software program. Nano Dimension plans to construct on Markforged’s “exemplary software program suite” whereas persevering with to steer in its core power: electronics manufacturing, particularly in 3D printed circuit boards and digital units.
Shifting Towards Profitability
One of the urgent targets now is monetary sustainability, Lederman admitted.
“It’s not stunning to anybody that the businesses in our house have traditionally had loss-making enterprise fashions. We’re very targeted on constructing a sustainable enterprise, not simply within the environmental sense, however when it comes to the enterprise mannequin.”
Julien Lederman.
That features reducing prices, rationalizing merchandise, and boosting income per worker. It additionally means deciding which applied sciences or subsidiaries to maintain and which to close down.
Nano Dimension not too long ago determined to discontinue Fabrica, an organization that made 3D printing programs for microscale functions, and Admatec, which targeted on digital mild processing (DLP) printing for ceramics. Lederman mentioned the selection got here all the way down to focus and the place the corporate perceives to have a long-term benefit.
“We wish to be certain that we’re within the domains the place we could be a class chief,” he defined. “Significantly when both there’s a variety of competitors or we see increasingly competitors, particularly from the Far East.”
He pointed to the rising variety of low-cost alternate options in markets like DLP printing, the place Fabrica had operated. Reasonably than pouring more cash into R&D and gross sales simply to remain afloat, Nano Dimension selected to exit.
“It didn’t qualify versus the expectations we set for ourselves. We requested: Can we keep a aggressive benefit with out pouring countless sums into R&D and advertising? If not, we step again.”
Monetary Technique: Rightsizing for the Future
In 2024, Nano Dimension reported a 3% improve in income but additionally posted a loss, primarily because of the revaluation of its earlier funding in Stratasys. To scale back monetary ups and downs, the corporate is working to higher steadiness the way it spends throughout totally different components of the enterprise.
“We now have to verify our spending is consistent with what’s cheap for an organization our measurement,” famous Lederman. “We’re wanting carefully at what share of income goes to gross sales and advertising, R&D, and overhead like administration and IT.”
Lederman additionally famous that whereas many 3D printing firms have been spending closely by M&A in the course of the market’s peak, Nano Dimension took a extra cautious method: “We didn’t spend a lot on the market highs. A component of strategic persistence paid off.”
Whereas Nano Dimension did make huge acquisitions, Lederman mentioned the corporate waited for higher offers.
Rethinking Consolidation
The previous few years have seen a wave of consolidation within the 3D printing universe, particularly amongst public firms which have struggled with low margins and sluggish progress. However Lederman clarified that Nano Dimension’s present management isn’t targeted on “getting greater only for the sake of it.”
“We’re not essentially exceedingly pushed by the thought of consolidation for consolidation’s sake. We predict we’re at a superb measurement now and want to determine the right way to be financially profitable at that measurement. Including extra firms received’t assist until the brand new enterprise models supply long-term competitiveness and the power to supply high-value components at scale.”
Wanting forward, Nano Dimension sees continued demand in aerospace and protection, a key space for the corporate’s high-performance electronics and manufacturing capabilities.
“Whether or not it’s for the unlucky realities of world battle or the extra thrilling issues like house exploration, aerospace and protection is generally a robust vertical for us,” he thought-about.
He additionally sees alternatives for progress in nations coping with commerce uncertainty and provide chain instability. In lots of instances, Nano Dimension’s capacity to print components on-site quite than counting on imports provides it a strategic benefit.
3D printed circuit board.
From Right here On
Lederman hinted that the corporate could have extra integration surprises in retailer this 12 months. Whereas some plans are nonetheless underneath wraps, he shared pleasure about combining Nano Dimension’s historic power in electronics with Markforged’s software program capabilities and scaling it throughout the totally different merchandise.
With Baharav as the brand new CEO, Nano Dimension is specializing in operating extra effectively whereas persevering with to develop new expertise.
“He brings management on each side, not simply round expertise and innovation, but additionally enterprise administration,” Lederman concluded. “In my expertise, leaders are normally both one or the opposite, however they’re hardly ever each.”
If executed effectively, that mixture might assist Nano Dimension lastly grow to be what others within the sector didn’t be: a worthwhile, rising, and built-in 3D printing enterprise.
Pictures courtesy of Nano Dimension.
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