Snapmaker is putting $150,000 into an Innovation Fund to support open source 3D printing development. The company says the fund rewards developers who have built the ecosystem around its U1 toolchanger.
Fund targets Klipper, OrcaSlicer, and Moonraker developers
The U1 toolchanger relies on community-driven software like Klipper, OrcaSlicer, and Moonraker. Snapmaker has committed $50,000 to developers of Moonraker, OrcaSlicer, Klipper, Fluidd, Full Spectrum, and Surface Color Stitch.
The remaining $100,000 goes to an Open Competition with two phases. Phase 1 ends September 7, and Phase 2 ends December 31. The competition has three tiers: U1 Pioneer, Eco-Enhancer, and Active Builder.
Snapmaker has hired Radu, known as Ratdoux, to lead its color printing initiative. Full Spectrum remains open-source. The company is also building an official Snapmaker Model Library, with a launch planned later this year.
Blayne Sapelli said the U1 stood on the shoulders of a community decades in the making, and the fund is a way to say thank you. Daniel Chen added that the most important innovations come from the maker community, and the company is honored to have Ratdoux join the team.
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