Dec 9, 2016 · 26m · 20vc
20VC: The Future For 3D Printing? Why European VCs Are More Conservative Than US VCs & How 3D Printing Truly Changes The Manufacturing Process with Peter Weijmarshausen, Co-Founder & CEO @ Shapeways
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gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions
In this episode of The 20 Minute VC, host Harry Stebbings interviews Shapeways Co-Founder and CEO Peter Weijmarshausen about the evolution of 3D printing, the transition from corporate incubation to venture capital funding, and key cultural differences between US and European investors.
How this conversation actually went
Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Harry holds 31.8% of the talking time here. How this is scored →
Harry as informed peer 1.3 Guest teaching 4.5 Guest disagreement 1.7 Harry pushing back 1.3
speaking balance: gold is Harry, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 23:18 Questioning the 'CEO for a day' premise
Peter playfully but directly rejects the premise of the quick-fire question, arguing that a single day as CEO allows zero operational impact.
Hardest push from Harry ▶ 19:48 Pressing on fundraising pitch revisionsHarry refuses to accept that early rejection was inevitable, explicitly pressing Peter on how he would rewrite his pitch deck and narrative if doing it over.
Biggest teaching moment ▶ 9:45 Unpacking hardware and material bundling economicsPeter educates the host on the hidden economics of 3D printing, explaining how proprietary material markups suppress market adoption compared to HP's open ecosystem.
Harry holds his own ▶ 12:37 Probing incumbent fear vs market share defenseHarry demonstrates acute business sense by asking whether traditional manufacturing conglomerates fail to embrace 3D printing due to incumbent fear or protecting legacy infrastructure.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
| Chapter | Topic | Harry as informed peer | Guest teaching | Guest disagreement | Harry pushing back | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Origin Story of Shapeways | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | Harry asks conversational origin questions and probes how Peter managed the 3D printing hype cycle and trough of disillusionment. Peter educates the host on how the underlying technology had already existed for 20 years unnoticed prior to 2007. The tone remains friendly and narrative without friction. | |
| Hardware Evolution and Material Market Disruption | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | Peter provides deep technical insight into industrial 3D printing, explaining why 24/7 reliability is mandatory for manufacturing. He educates Harry on how machine makers artificially inflate costs by bundling hardware and materials, contrasting this with HP's open material market. | |
| Transforming B2B and B2C Manufacturing Paradigms | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | Harry asks about B2B supply chains and probes whether traditional incumbents fail to adopt 3D printing out of fear or market protection. Peter reframes the manufacturing paradigm, explaining how digital manufacturing removes corporate gatekeepers by enabling profitability on single custom items rather than mass identical runs. | |
| Incubation at Philips and Corporate Spinout Dynamics | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | Harry asks about the incubation process at Philips. Peter details the contractual complexity where Philips initially owned all intellectual property, explaining why corporate incubation can be dangerous for founders seeking a quick flip. | |
| Fundraising Post-Crash and European vs. US VC Mindsets | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | Harry presses Peter on how he would adjust his pitch strategy if fundraising today. Peter gently pushes back on the idea that pitch tweaks would solve the core challenge, explaining that European VCs rejected him due to unproven market size while US VCs like USV were willing to take speculative bets. | |
| Quick Fire Round | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | In the rapid-fire section, Peter responds to quick prompts about books, his relocation to New York, and favorite reads. He playfully pushes back on the premise of being CEO for just one day, noting it is too short to make any real impact. |
Statements from this episode (9)
HP, Canon, and Toshiba Are Entering the 3D Printing Market
“Only quite recently, especially with the announcement of HP and their new three D printer, and as a result, the reaction of other companies like Toshiba, Canon is now involved in the print, in three D printing, and also new startups are popping up like desktop…”
Bundling 3D Printer Hardware With Materials Artificially Inflates Costs
“These materials are currently sold as part and parcel of the package that you get from a manufacturer. And I think if you look in real manufacturing, there is nothing like it where a machine is sold by the same company that sells also the raw material. Typical…”
HP Decoupling 3D Printers From Materials Will Benefit the Entire Market
“Luckily, I'm seeing from HP that they're wanting to step away from that model and really say, okay, we provide the machines. Other people could provide the materials. You get competition in the material arena, just like you have competition in the machine aren…”
Jewelry and Toy Industries Are Not Embracing 3D Printing
“I don't see the jewelry industry embracing three D printing at all. I don't see the toy industry three embracing three D printing at all.”
Consumers Will Dictate Product Manufacturing Instead of Corporations
“The way we think about how products go to market will completely change. Instead of big corporates being in charge of what products will be made and will be sold, it will be the end user.”
Shapeways Began With 100% Philips IP Ownership
“So when I started, I was actually very straightforward, an employee of Philips, and everything I created was owned by Philips”
Corporate Incubators Fail for Founders Seeking Quick Flips
“If you are a type of founder that is setting up a business for a quick flip, just going after the money and not purely only the passion of the company, then that model definitely wouldn't work because you would be way too worried that the corporate would run a…”
Creating a New Market Is Harder Than Disrupting Existing Ones
“Raising money and tell investors, potential investors, that there is really no market for your product, but that you're creating one. That's the hard way to start a company and raise money on. I mean, it's not impossible. I've proven that, but it's probably a …”
European VCs Are More Conservative Than US Investors
“European VCs, per definition, are a little bit more conservative than American VCs, who are known to, in some cases, just roll the dice because they, A, have so much money, and B, oftentimes have big, big successes in their funds already, so they're maybe a li…”