With this acquisition, Align aims to directly print millions of custom appliances per day.
When I look at the 24 acquisitions covered in 2023, the acquisition of Cubicure by global medical devices company Align is one that I easily mention as an example.
First announced in September 2023, Align has now completed the acquisition of Cubicure, a company developing a Hot Lithography technology for 3D printing applications.
As said in “my 2023 year in review article”, this type of acquisition confirms an increasing interest from companies across vertical industries to position themselves in the AM market. Unlike an AM company that will expand its portfolio of technologies through acquisition, companies in vertical industries such as Align invest in technologies that will help further develop their applications.
The acquisition of Cubicure will support and scale Align’s strategic innovation roadmap and strengthen the Align Digital Platform™. Cubicure will also extend and scale Align’s printing, materials, and manufacturing capabilities for our 3D printed product portfolio which now includes the Invisalign® Palatal Expander system, Align’s first direct 3D printed orthodontic device and a safe, comfortable, and clinically effective* alternative to traditional palatal expanders. 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 unprecedented additive manufacturing of resilient components with an astonishing first of its kind material quality performance, a press release reads.
Joe Hogan, Align Technology president and CEO reminds that “Direct 3D printing enables Align to create 3D printed solutions without the added step of first creating a mold, making 3D printing more sustainable and efficient. I am excited to take this important step in our relationship with Cubicure, which began several years ago as a joint development program.”
The acquisition closed on January 2, 2024, for approximately €79 million subject to final closing adjustments and adjustments for Align’s existing ownership of capital stock of Cubicure.
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