Here we are at the 3D Printing startup competition. Here are the companies pitching their startups. It's been a very interesting 45 minutes listening to these entrepreneurs pitch their products/services:

Company 1:
3Discover:
This company solves 4 key issues:
#1 How to avoid getting ripped off? Digital Rights management
#3 How do you know the printed products are safe? Certification of suitability
#3 How can you choose where to print your item? Multiple printing service bureaus
#4 What is a Fair Price? Competition Derivative Rights.

3Discover is a marketplace connects the designers, printer owners, and end product users. The have raised the seed capital, and are now seeking $3-$5 million in round A Financing:

Company 2:
3DUnited - 3D printing of metals for advanced applications

- Founded by group of leading phd's in the field with tremendous amount of experience within industry
- received $5 million grant from Chinese Government
- Seeking 2-3 million in additional funding
- The one problem they are solving is porosity in which they have brought together experts to solve these problems
- Co-founder was the chief engineer of the Nintendo Wii, and is an M.D.
- The company is specializing in new ways of Laser melting, Cad software, Specialized surface finishing, In-situ measuring system.

Conclusing. Strong team with $5 in grant funding. Partners in Japan and China. Creating much higher laser sintering metal printers.

Company #3
3D Hubs - World's Largest 3D Print Network
- Customers select a design, search a printing location, view prices, ratings, and materials available, and then have it shipped or you can pick the product up.
- 3D Hubs believes in customization, and localize manufacturing by created a network to localize the manufacturing.
- 3800 Printers in 83 countries
- 95% of the time printers are sitting idle (Wasteful)
- Average delivery time for shipping is 1.6 days, much shorter than any other method of shipment because of locality.
- 50 materials are available in the entire network, gives customers many many options, much more than even Shapeways.
- "Mayor" powered community model

Company #4
Feetz - Revolution of Footwear
- $180 billion a year the shoe business is responsible for
- Founders have 30 years of experience in hardware and software experience
- Custom fit shoes on demand
- 3D Model of foot taken, customer chooses color, style
- Anti microbial materials, flexible, printed with FDM 3d printers. (Sizeme Footwear platform)
- Targeting the $10 billion orthodox comfort walking shoe US market.
- 600 individuals are currently Beta testing these shoes
- Will Be American Made, in Tennessee.
- Seeking $1 to launch their manufacturing facility this year

Company #5
Isencore
- Based in Montreal
- How do you know what the physical properties of your object are? Cost add up when you go through multiple iterations of reprinting an item
- Isencore will use computer simulations to allow customers to learn about their object.
- Drop the product in simulation to see where week spots are which may cause the item to break.
- Easy to use, affordable, intuitive, informative visualizations of simulations. Software will give you suggestions on design changes.
-Isencore will save time and money.