Goodbye, Desktop Factory, we hardly knew ye. This company was supposed to offer a sub-$5,000 desktop 3D printer. Alas, they are no more and they’ve sold their IP and assets to an unnamed buyer.

But a funny thing happened as we launched our effort to sell Desktop Factory. We found interested parties who do understand the exciting potential for this breakthrough technology. We found companies that value the industry and can visualize the myriad applications for this affordable printer. Most important, we have found organizations that engage with customers and truly want to be a part of this next major wave in additive fabrication.

And, along the way we have found the best opportunity to place the assets, the intellectual property and many of our people with a leadership brand; a company with the resources and the desire to deliver on the promise of a truly low cost, easy to use 3D printer. We are cautiously optimistic that we can successfully conclude this sale of Desktop Factory within the next 30 days.

I think the problem here was overreach. People love 3D printing, but the technology is advanced enough to ensure that a 3D file sent to services like Ponoko and Shapeways would come out as expected and so the real need to have a desktop 3D printer is a bit of overkill. That’s not to say I wouldn’t kill for a 3D printer – and I don’t doubt any one of you folks would enjoy one as well – but sadly there’s just not a lot of opportunities in life that require a really quick plastic prototype.

Good luck, Desktop Factory, and here’s to the sub-$1,000 desktop 3D printer. Then maybe we’ll pony up.