# Snapmaker (快造科技)
Snapmaker (Shenzhen Snapmaker Technologies Co., Ltd., Chinese name 快造科技) is a consumer desktop digital manufacturing company founded in 2016 in Shenzhen, China, that builds 3D printers and related machines for a global market. It began with 3-in-1 machines combining 3D printing, laser engraving, and CNC carving, and its current flagship, the U1, is a high-speed multi-color CoreXY (3D printer design with moving gantry for high speed) printer. In July 2026 the company closed a 1 billion RMB (about USD 140 million) Series C round.[1](https://www.tmtpost.com/8056823.html) • [2](https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3885728813691145)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2016, Shenzhen (深圳快造科技有限公司)[3](http://www.snapmaker.cn/about-us) |
| Founder | Chen Xuedong (陈学栋), born 1989 in Quanzhou, Fujian[1](https://www.tmtpost.com/8056823.html) |
| Sector | Consumer-grade 3D printing and desktop digital fabrication[3](http://www.snapmaker.cn/about-us) |
| Largest round | RMB 1 billion (~USD 140 million) Series C, July 2026, led by Cathay Capital (凯辉基金)[1](https://www.tmtpost.com/8056823.html) • [4](https://www.ampulse.online/news/snapmaker-closes-rmb-1-billion-approx-usd-140m-series-c-round-led-by-oaime) |
| Other investors | TAL strategic investment; Meituan, Meituan Longzhu, GL Ventures, Shunwei Capital, Cowin Capital among existing shareholders[2](https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3885728813691145) • [5](http://www.cowincapital.com.cn/index.php?a=article_detail&c=index&id=1516&m=misc) |
| Scale | 800+ employees, sales in 80+ countries (company's own statement); U1 revenue up 10x year-over-year[3](http://www.snapmaker.cn/about-us) • [2](https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3885728813691145) |
## Founding and founder
Founder Chen Xuedong was born in 1989 in Quanzhou, Fujian. In high school he won an award at the [World Robot Olympiad](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-robot-olympiad) (WRO), which led to admission without examination to [Xiamen University](https://www.edgepedia.org/xiamen-university) in a mechanical engineering program. After graduating he spent two years at the Xi'an Aero-Engine Institute of AECC (China's state aero-engine manufacturer), working on precision manufacturing for aerospace engines. In 2016 he moved south to Shenzhen and founded the company with a former colleague.[1](https://www.tmtpost.com/8056823.html)
## Products and technology
Snapmaker built its reputation on a multi-tool 3-in-1 product line: machines that swap between FDM extrusion, laser engraving and CNC carving on the same gantry. The company later moved toward higher-end, higher-speed CoreXY machines aimed at enthusiasts and small-batch production users.[6](https://filamentfeed.com/article/snapmaker-129-million-series-c-june-2026)
The flagship U1 carries that tool-changing approach into multi-color printing. It uses four independent tool heads with a SnapSwap quick-change system, which the company says delivers a 5x improvement in printing efficiency and reduces filament waste by about 80 percent compared with conventional multi-color approaches.[2](https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3885728813691145) • [1](https://www.tmtpost.com/8056823.html)
## Crowdfunding record
Snapmaker's growth has been crowdfund-driven across three generations of hardware, each on [Kickstarter](https://www.edgepedia.org/kickstarter):
- **2017, Snapmaker Original**: more than 5,000 backers and over USD 2.27 million, one of the most successful 3D printer campaigns on the platform at the time (company's own account).[3](http://www.snapmaker.cn/about-us)
- **2019, Snapmaker 2.0**: USD 7.85 million, then a Kickstarter record for 3D printing projects.[3](http://www.snapmaker.cn/about-us)
- **2025, Snapmaker U1**: launched on Kickstarter in August 2025 and raised USD 20.61 million (about RMB 150 million) in 43 days from more than 20,000 backers, the highest-funded 3D printing project in crowdfunding history according to both the company and Tom's Hardware as reported by trade press.[1](https://www.tmtpost.com/8056823.html) • [6](https://filamentfeed.com/article/snapmaker-129-million-series-c-june-2026)
By the time of the July 2026 financing reports, the U1 had passed 100,000 units delivered, and the company said revenue had grown 10 times year-over-year on the strength of the U1 line.[1](https://www.tmtpost.com/8056823.html) • [2](https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3885728813691145) The U1 was slated to reach retail channels in the first quarter of 2026.[6](https://filamentfeed.com/article/snapmaker-129-million-series-c-june-2026) The company's own site claims more than 800 employees and business in over 80 countries and regions.[3](http://www.snapmaker.cn/about-us)
## Funding and investors
In July 2026 Snapmaker completed a 1 billion RMB Series C (about USD 140 million) led by Cathay Capital (凯辉基金; 36Kr's English edition renders the name as "Caden Capital", while other outlets use "Cathay Capital"), with [TAL Education Group](https://www.edgepedia.org/tal-education-group)'s strategic investment arm joining and existing shareholders Meituan Strategic Investment, Meituan Longzhu, GL Ventures (Hillhouse), and Shunwei Capital making significant over-subscribed follow-on investments. Gao Hua (Gaohu) Capital served as exclusive financial advisor, and existing shareholder Cowin Capital confirmed the round from the investor side.[2](https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3885728813691145) • [1](https://www.tmtpost.com/8056823.html) • [5](http://www.cowincapital.com.cn/index.php?a=article_detail&c=index&id=1516&m=misc) • [4](https://www.ampulse.online/news/snapmaker-closes-rmb-1-billion-approx-usd-140m-series-c-round-led-by-oaime)
36Kr described the round as the largest single primary-market financing for consumer-grade 3D printing in the past two years and one of the largest single financings in consumer hardware since 2025.[2](https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3885728813691145) The company said it plans to spend the money on new products, its supply chain, and international distribution.[7](https://dealroom.co/news/140581-snapmaker-raises-140m-series-c-led-by-cathay-capital/) The round came roughly seven months after a Series B; no details of earlier rounds' amounts or dates appear in the available reporting.[6](https://filamentfeed.com/article/snapmaker-129-million-series-c-june-2026)
## Competitive position
In the consumer FDM market, Snapmaker's machines are evaluated against [Bambu Lab](https://www.edgepedia.org/bambu-lab)'s X1C and Creality's K1 Max, and the competitive field is tightening as Chinese manufacturers race to match multi-color capability at lower price points.[4](https://www.ampulse.online/news/snapmaker-closes-rmb-1-billion-approx-usd-140m-series-c-round-led-by-oaime) Snapmaker's stated differentiation is its tool-head architecture and a planned ecosystem strategy combining hardware, filament, a 3D model content community, and AI tools.[2](https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3885728813691145)
## Recent developments
The company's trajectory over 2025–2026 marks a shift from crowdfund-driven launches to large-scale commercial delivery: the record U1 Kickstarter campaign in August 2025, retail availability targeted for the first quarter of 2026, more than 100,000 U1 units delivered, a 10x year-over-year revenue increase, and the RMB 1 billion Series C in July 2026, the largest single primary-market financing reported in the consumer 3D printing category in two years.[1](https://www.tmtpost.com/8056823.html) • [2](https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3885728813691145) • [6](https://filamentfeed.com/article/snapmaker-129-million-series-c-june-2026)
## References
1. 钛媒体 (TMTPost): 将多色3D打印提速5倍，消费级3D打印赛道迎来今年最大融资 — https://www.tmtpost.com/8056823.html
2. 36Kr: Fast Prototech Secures RMB 1 Billion Funding — https://eu.36kr.com/en/p/3885728813691145
3. Snapmaker official site: About Us — http://www.snapmaker.cn/about-us
4. AMPulse: Snapmaker closes RMB 1 billion (approx. USD 140M) Series C round led by Cathay Capital — https://www.ampulse.online/news/snapmaker-closes-rmb-1-billion-approx-usd-140m-series-c-round-led-by-oaime
5. Cowin Capital (同创伟业) news item on the Snapmaker round — http://www.cowincapital.com.cn/index.php?a=article_detail&c=index&id=1516&m=misc
6. Filament Feed: Snapmaker Raises Roughly €129M Series C — https://filamentfeed.com/article/snapmaker-129-million-series-c-june-2026
7. Dealroom News: Snapmaker raises $140M Series C led by Cathay Capital — https://dealroom.co/news/140581-snapmaker-raises-140m-series-c-led-by-cathay-capital/
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Economics and business › Business and work › Business and work overview › Companies and corporations › Venture-backed startups and growth companies › Deep-tech, hardware, industrial, climate, and mobility startups › Advanced manufacturing and industrial tech*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 18, 2026*
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