Financing round with Tencent: Could 3D printer manufacturer Bambu Lab rise to $10 billion?

A report by Chinese tech platform 36Kr is causing quite a stir in the 3D printing scene. According to the report, Bambu Lab’s parent company Tuozhu is about to embark on a new round of financing, in which Tencent is also said to be involved. A valuation of up to US$10 billion is under discussion. Tuozhu and Tencent deny the claims, but the debate highlights the growing importance of the manufacturer.

According to 36Kr and a report by Soochow Securities, Tuozhu generated sales of around 5.5 to 6 billion yuan (around 670–730 million euros) last year. Profit was close to 2 billion yuan (approx. 244.4 million euros). Several media outlets cite over 1.2 million printers shipped and a global consumer market share of just under 30 percent. At the same time, the overall market is growing. Studies predict that the global 3D printing volume will reach a good 25 billion US dollars by 2024. Growth rates of around 18 percent are expected for the next few years. 

Technically, Bambu Lab focuses primarily on high printing speeds and low barriers to entry. Closed housings, automatic calibration, and assistance functions significantly reduce the amount of adjustment required by users. The AMS multi-material unit enables multi-color or mixed-material jobs without manual filament changes. Many users start their jobs via a “one-click” workflow from their own slicer software or from the cloud. As a result, FFF 3D printing is moving from hobby projects to everyday applications. 

This approach has triggered a kind of arms race in desktop FFF. Almost all major manufacturers have now introduced high-speed models and are working on their own multi-material systems. At the same time, competition is shifting from pure hardware parameters to ecosystems. Cloud platforms, model marketplaces such as MakerWorld, integrated farm tools, and coordinated material portfolios are playing an increasingly important role. 

At the same time, capital investment is increasing. Tencent is already involved with Creality, and DJI is investing in Elegoo. New funds would give Bambu Lab additional resources for development, manufacturing, and international expansion. Whether the rumored round will materialize remains to be seen.