Starting an AM business in Poland is like solving the Lament Configuration
The Atomic Layers: S5E15 (00131)
Atomic Layer of the Day:
Today, I published my daily historical article about 3YOURMIND, which, nine years ago, secured funding from Dr. Hans J. Langer, the founder of EOS. This investment enabled the company to become what it is today—a global leader in AM software, whose services are utilized by entities like the U.S. Army.
In the article (linked below), I reminded readers that while 3YOURMIND is a German company, it actually originated in Poland, thanks to Aleksander Ciszek. At the end of 2012, Ciszek met Stephan Kuehr, a German visiting Poland, and together they laid the foundations of what would become their future AM platform.
This story brought back memories of those days—when I first heard of 3YOURMIND and watched its growth in the following years. I saw its gradual transformation from a Polish company to a Polish-German one, then a German-Polish one, and eventually an entirely German company with a branch in Poland. Although this evolution bothered me at the time, today I understand there was no other way. Had 3YOURMIND remained Polish, it would likely no longer exist, and no one would remember it.
Much like how nobody seems to remember Printelize anymore, right? Exactly…
Let me first explain to my international readers what 3YOURMIND looked like from the perspective of a Pole.
Around the second half of 2014, there was a story circulating in the Polish AM sector about a man (Ciszek) who had created an interesting piece of 3D printing software and moved to Germany to seek funding. Not much was known about it at the time, other than that it was targeted at the industrial sector, likely powder-based machines.
Keep in mind, that it was in a period when the AM industry was dominated by consumer-grade, RepRap-based FFF printers.
Realizing that he couldn’t achieve anything with such a project in Poland, Ciszek went to the heartland of 3D printing in Europe—Germany. In 2013, the Polish AM industry was still taking its first steps. That year saw the founding of companies like Zortrax, Zmorph, Omni3D, and CadXpert, while others like 3DGence, Sinterit, Spectrum Filaments, and Fiberlogy came later. Nobody in Poland was ready for 3YOURMIND (Printelize, which attempted something similar, ended abruptly under dramatic circumstances).
So Ciszek, Kuehr, and 3YOURMIND joined an incubator supported by EOS, where they developed the foundations of what we now recognize as one of the leading platforms for managing additive manufacturing workflows.
Over time, the platform gained attention, securing exciting contracts and collaborations. Yet, from the perspective of amateur and consumer 3D printer users, 3YOURMIND seemed abstract—neither a slicer nor a pricing tool, but more akin to a CRM for 3D printing. And if so, why would anyone need it? That’s how we viewed it in Poland.
Poland will prevail!
Between 2014 and 2016, as the founder of Centrum Druku3D I had become a recognized expert in the field of AM. I had already achieved several significant milestones, given interviews to major mainstream media outlets, and built a network of connections in the industry. I had organized awards galas, trade shows, and conferences. In Poland, I was someone really important.
On the global stage, however, the awareness of someone like Pawel Slusarczyk was minimal.
But that didn’t bothered me at all. Yet, my colleagues and I in the Polish AM sector genuinely believed our country was on the verge of becoming one of the most important hubs for additive manufacturing worldwide. After all, we had Zortrax, Zmorph, Sinterit, 3DGence, Omni3D, as well as 3NOVATICA, 3DKreator, GAIA Multitool, Monkeyfab, Jelwek, Urbicum, Golem, and many others.
No country in the world had as many 3D printer manufacturers per capita as Poland! We felt like a future powerhouse. And we had good reason to believe it.
We viewed 3YOURMIND's successes with indifference and a touch of resentment. Instead of developing the platform in Poland and contributing to our national "powerhouse," Ciszek chose a career "with the Germans," a move never looked upon favorably in our country.
But then the inevitable happened. What always happens in Poland. Everything naturally fell apart.
The fragmented industry starved (lacking funding). Of over 30 3D printer manufacturers, only a handful made it to 2020, most of which were garage-based operations. Our national pride—Zortrax, Zmorph, Sinterit—sank deeper into financial trouble. Today, only Sinterit operates at a relatively decent level. Zmorph is dead, and Zortrax is on life support. The only Polish OEM to exhibit at this year's Formnext was Omni3D.
Looking at 3YOURMIND today, I now know that Aleksander Ciszek's path was the only viable one. There was no other way to make it work. Even if it meant that 3YOURMIND become a German company.
You might ask, "Why is that the case?"
The answer is long and complicated. Perhaps I’ll dedicate more time to this topic someday. In general, Poland is a hostile environment for innovation in hardware and manufacturing. While we excel in software, attempts to conquer the world with machines often end in failure.
State bureaucracy doesn't help. Neither does a government apparatus inherently hostile to entrepreneurship. Add to that the pathology surrounding EU subsidies and the free money, which either corrupt entrepreneurs or lead them to financial stagnation and eventual demise.
That’s why I made the comparison: starting an AM business in Poland is like solving the Lament Configuration.
For those unfamiliar, the Lament Configuration is a fictional artifact from the Hellraiser horror series created by Clive Barker. Solving it brings dramatic consequences: it opens a portal to the dimension of the Cenobites, beings from a hellish reality who see pain and pleasure as inseparable experiences. After solving the box, the Cenobites appear to take the solver to their realm, where they are subjected to terrifying torment.
You solve the Lament Configuration—you die in agony. Just like in Polish AM.
Atomic Layer from the Past:
12-15-2015: Dr. Hans J. Langer, the founder of EOS, invested in 3YOURMIND.
News & Gossip:
Researchers at RIKEN CEMS, led by Takuzo Aida, developed a strong, biodegradable plastic that dissolves in seawater, preventing microplastic pollution. Made from ionic monomers forming salt bridges, it’s customizable, recyclable, and eco-friendly. It degrades in soil within 10 days and could revolutionize 3D printing, medical, and sustainable material applications.
After the sale of Geomagic to Hexagon, 3D Systems value increased to $538 million. That’s +37% in value in a week!
At the same time, the value of BLT fell and Xeometry rose, practically equalizing the two companies in this respect ($1.739 million for BLT and $1.723 million for Xeometry).