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MXD raises $1M to launch 3D printing tool for the masses

Arabic

MXD raises $1M to launch 3D printing tool for the masses

“This year, 3D printing will be going mainstream in the U.S. and Europe, and we hope to become one of the big fish and set standards in the pricing,” says Jordanian entrepreneur Muhannad Taslaq, co-founder and CEO of Mixed Dimensions, better known as MXD.

With offices in both the U.S. and Jordan, MXD aims to democratize 3D printing and provide end-to-end web solutions accessible to all users, allowing them to create or edit 3D content.

After launching MXD in Amman in late 2012 with co-founder and CTO Baha Abu Nojaim, Taslaq felt frustrated with the available 3D modeling tools for game development: “Already existing tools are too expensive and target professionals only. We wanted to offer something for people who don’t know anything about 3D designing, allowing them to do it themselves,” says Taslaq.

Today, MXD is launching the beta version of browser-based 3D design tool MXD3D, geared for the masses.

MXD, also a 2013 Alchemist Accelerator startup, provides the whole workflow needed to print a 3D model. “The model goes through our algorithm to detect if it is 3D printable or not. If it detects a problem we provide fixes,” explains Taslaq.

The tool is powered by a marketplace where users can share, buy, sell and print their 3D models, either locally on their own printers or through integrated 3D printing services.

MXD is also taking a step towards making product personalization a reality by offering enterprises and businesses the ability to embed the tools in their websites and enable their customers to personalize and print products.

“The core technology behind MXD3D is designed to run on multiple platforms, in line with today's multi-platform environments, and the need for a 3D design software that supports touch screens and the most basic and native tool, a user's fingertip,” says Nojaim.

MXD3D is a community-driven tool, so content created by users is stored in the cloud and shared with others directly from the editor. “We designed MXD3D to utilize computer resources efficiently [whether a user is] on the browser or a tablet,” explains Nojaim.

To further push marketing and development, the startup raised a seed round of just under $1 million USD from a group of VC funds and angels in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East, including the Badia Impact Fund and Ecosystem Ventures.

The startup is not targeting the region for now; the Jordan office is merely part of the tech kitchen. “This industry is still picking up in the region, but we are trying to collaborate with stakeholders in Jordan such as ministries, investors, and entrepreneurs to build a facility for 3D printing and educate people on what can be done through it,” says Taslaq.

With more than 20,000 users on their platform already, gathered from previous tools they launched since 2012, the team does not seem worried about adoption and product fit. “We know there is a need for this service, but what would break it is not executing what we planned for,” says Taslaq.

Check the video below for a quick glance at the tool's usability:

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