Printing Money Episode 35: Notable VC and M&A Deals, with Arno Held and Alex Kingsbury

Welcome to Printing Money Episode 35 and let us be the last to wish you a happy new year.

For this episode Danny is joined by Arno Held (Managing Partner, AM Ventures) and Alex Kingsbury (Market Development Manager, nLIGHT), both certified Printing Money OG’s.

Coming off back-to-back “Troy Jensen” episodes focused on public company earnings reports, there was a lot of 3DP/AM transaction news to cover, so we covered a lot.  Even still, we can’t cover all the 3D printing business news.

Themes from Episode 35 include AI for 3DP/AM (and vice versa) and Australia, Smart M&A, all underlaid by a healthy dose of optimism.  The episode opens with a look at 2025 through each of our host’s respective lens. Then, it’s a discussion of notable 3DP/AM financings in recent months. Last, Danny, Arno and Alex analyze recent M&A activity.  After the manic highs and depressive lows of the 2020-2025 3DP/AM business cycle, is the industry signaling a new normal?

Danny, Alex and Arno will all continue the discussion in person at AMS 2026 next month in New York City.  Meanwhile, please enjoy Episode 35 and check out our previous episodes too.

This episode was recorded January 13, 2026.

Timestamps:

00:12 – Welcome to Episode 35, and welcome back to Arno Held and Alex Kingsbury

01:19 – A tale of two halves: The 2025 year in review for the 3DP/AM industry

03:55 – Tariffs and government budgeting uncertainty were a speed bump in 2025

06:30 – 2026 sentiments; European 3DP/AM is not out of the woods but the light is clearing

08:54 – 2020-2025 as a complete cycle for the 3DP/AM markets

09:48 – Poised for success amidst geopolitical uncertainty

12:30 – Euler raises EUR 2M for AI fault detection in LPBF

18:45 – Headmade raises EUR 1.8M to scale its Cold Metal Fusion tech

21:03 – Fabric8Labs raises $50M to scale its ECAM technology

23:06 – Velo3D (VELO) $30M private placement of common stock

27:32 – H3D raises $5.8M Series A for dental and hearables

32:01 – CustoMED raises $6M for AI 3DP orthopedics

35:20 – Holdson raises GBP 1.5M for electroform post-processing

36:30 – Ascend Manufacturing raises $1M for its LAPS technology

37:36 – Arc Impact acquires Desktop Metal binder jetting (and other) assets

39:32 – ADDMAN acquires Forecast3D

41:41 – Caracol acquires AM assets/IP from Hans Weber

45:12 – DyeMansion acquires ASM

47:16 – Mantle acquired by Angstrom Group

49:37 – Sintokogio buys Bosch’s ceramics unit

54:02 – Thrustworks acquired by The Exploration Company for Niobium AM

57:58 – Thank you to Alex and Arno, thank you All for listening, and Disclaimer

Disclaimer:

This content is for informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing stated on this podcast constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by the hosts, the organizer or any third-party service provider to buy or sell any securities or other financial instruments in this or in any other jurisdiction in which such solicitation or offer would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.  The information on this podcast is of a general nature that does not address the circumstances and risk profile of any individual or entity and should not constitute professional and/or financial advice. Referenced transactions are sourced from publicly available information.

Danny Piper is a registered representative of Finalis Securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. This material has been prepared for information and educational purposes only, and it is not intended to provide, nor should it be relied on for tax, legal, or investment advice. Investors should consult with their own tax, legal, and financial professionals before investing. Real estate investments are generally highly risky. They can be volatile, unpredictable, illiquid, and are subject to ebbs and flows and market shifts. Investors also risk the loss of all principal investments.