Align Technology agreed to acquire Cubicure GmbH, creator of a unique 3D printer material manufacturing process to create tougher polymers.
Align Technology has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Cubicure GmbH, a pioneer in direct 3D printing solutions for polymer additive manufacturing that develops, produces, and distributes innovative materials, equipment, and processes for novel 3D printing solutions.
Cubicure’s patented Hot Lithography technology uses a special heating and coating mechanism that enables the processing of highly viscous resins to produce particularly tough and temperature-resistant polymers. This high precision 3D printing process facilitates the additive manufacturing of resilient components with an improved material quality performance.
“Align and Cubicure have worked together for many years and our successful collaboration has contributed to breakthrough technologies and innovation in direct 3D printing,” said Srini Kaza, Align senior vice president of product research and development. “The acquisition of Cubicure will not only strengthen the Align Digital Platform and our core capabilities in direct 3D printing, but their talented team, including visionary founders, engineers, and material scientists, will expand our knowledge and expertise in one of the most strategic areas of innovation over the next decade.”
The acquisition of Cubicure aims to strengthen Align’s existing intellectual property portfolio and know-how in direct 3D printing of appliances. Integration with Cubicure will also extend and scale Align’s printing, materials, and manufacturing capabilities for its 3D-printed product portfolio.
“As the pioneer and a global leader in clear aligners with the world’s largest 3D printing operations producing over 1 million custom appliances every day, Align is continuing to innovate and invest in technologies that enable the next generation of direct 3D printed products, thus creating more sustainable and efficient solutions,” said Joe Hogan, Align Technology president and chief executive officer. “Our partnership with Cubicure began several years ago as a joint development program and has evolved over time with the potential for significant innovation in scaling our direct 3D printing processes. The agreement to acquire Cubicure is a natural next step to bring their talented team and unique cutting-edge technology in-house where they will support our long-term growth strategy by enabling us to scale our 3D printing operations to eventually direct print millions of custom appliances per day.”
The purchase price for the transaction will be approximately €79 million subject to customary closing adjustments and adjustments for Align’s existing ownership of capital stock of Cubicure. The acquisition is expected to close in Q4 2023 or early 2024.
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