BY Fraser Tennant
US 3D printer manufacturer Desktop Metal, along with more than a dozen of its US affiliates, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of Texas.
According to court documents, Desktop Metal – a subsidiary of machinery industry company Nano Dimension – has assets and liabilities in the range of $100m to $500m.
The decision to file for Chapter 11 was made by Desktop Metal’s independent board of directors after exploring strategic alternatives to address significant liabilities and liquidity needs stemming from decisions made by its prior management.
Although the filing means that the company is unable to meet contractual obligations regarding services or pay, Desktop Metal will retain control of its business operations while it undergoes reorganisation, including a planned sale of its subsidiaries.
To that end, the company is in discussions to sell a number of its foreign subsidiaries – ExOne GmbH, EnvisionTEC GmbH, ExOne KK, and AIDRO srl – to an affiliate of Anzu Partners, an investment firm that focuses on cleantech, industrial and life science technology companies.
Should the court-supervised process be successful, the sale will go toward repaying part of Desktop Metal’s debts, resulting in a stabilisation of the remaining corporate structure.
“We are safeguarding our financial strength and preserving our position as the best capitalised company in our ecosystem,” said Ofir Baharav, chief executive of Nano Dimension. “This is what enables Desktop Metal to pursue strategic opportunities from a position of maximum strength – and that is exactly what the company’s shareholders should expect from us.”
Nano Dimension acquired Desktop Metal in a $179.3m transaction in April 2025.
Driving a new era of digital mass production of industrial, military, medical and consumer products, the Massachusetts-based Desktop Metal’s innovative 3D printers, materials and software save time and money, reduce waste, increase flexibility and enable once-impossible innovations.
In a statement, Desktop Metal said it valued its stakeholders – employees, customers, vendors and other partners – and would be communicating with them directly regarding next steps in the coming days.
News: Nano Dimension subsidiary Desktop Metal files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy