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After months of financial uncertainty, Desktop Metal (DM) is getting a second chance, and a new name. Following several restructuring attempts, including a merger with Nano Dimension and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, the company has been acquired by investment firm Arc Impact Acquisition Corporation, which plans to relaunch the business completely.
Arc acquired key assets out of bankruptcy for $7 million and is relaunching the business with a vision to build a fast, AI-driven, and production-ready advanced manufacturing platform in the U.S.
“We view this as the right technology at the right time,” Bryan Wisk, CEO of Arc, told 3DPrint.com during an exclusive interview. “Desktop Metal’s core technologies were ahead of their time. However, the software and simulation tools were not yet mature enough to unlock their full value. But that has changed. With advances in AI, digital twins, large language models, and even hierarchical reasoning systems, this platform finally has the tools it needs to succeed. It just didn’t have the runway to get there before. Now, with the right focus, it can.”
The newly restructured company will combine DM’s core binder jet metal and ceramic 3D printing technologies with Adaptive3D’s polymer materials and next-gen AI tools to address critical supply chain gaps, including in industries like defense, energy, and medical care.
Arc is stepping in, not just to rescue the technology, but to reshape its purpose.
“We’re going back to the core,” Thomas Nogueira told me. A longtime insider, Nogueira joined DM over eight years ago and served in key leadership roles, including Chief Operating Officer, before stepping up as CEO under Arc’s ownership. He led operations during the company’s most turbulent years, helping to stabilize supply chains and manage integration after a wave of acquisitions.
Just a few years ago, DM was one of the most well-known names in additive manufacturing (AM), having gone public in 2020 via a SPAC merger with Trine Acquisition Corp. But between 2023 and 2025, losses piled up and customer adoption slowed; DM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Arc acquired an intellectual property (IP) suite that includes binder jet platforms like the Production System and X-Series, Adaptive3D’s elastomer and resin materials, such as FreeFoam and DuraChain, AI-based materials discovery tools, digital twins, and simulation software.
“This is going to be a laser-focused team that eats, sleeps, and breathes this technology,” he said. “Following the IPO, we grew from 200 to nearly 1,400 employees and expanded into more than 40 global locations. That spread us thin. Now, we finally have the opportunity to simplify, focus, and execute on the core technologies that Desktop Metal was built on — binder jetting, ceramics, and advanced photopolymers. That’s what we’re here to do.”
“We believe this team is one-of-a-kind when it comes to U.S.-based advanced manufacturing,” Wisk added. “If you believe in the reshoring thesis — that the U.S. needs to bring back high-tech, localized manufacturing — there’s no other group with this combination of talent, IP, and proven technology ready to scale. We’re not starting from scratch; we’re starting with the best.”
Together, these assets will power a hybrid model, combining early-stage R&D in university labs with large-scale production in centralized manufacturing hubs.
Binder jet metal parts made by Desktop Metal. Image courtesy of Desktop Metal.
Although Arc now owns the business, the Desktop Metal name will remain in use — for now.
“We’ll still call it Desktop Metal in the short term, probably as ‘Desktop Metal, an Arc Impact Company,’” Nogueira explained. “That helps keep continuity with customers who want to know we’re still here.”
The company’s headquarters will also remain in Burlington, Massachusetts, with additional operations continuing in Pennsylvania (legacy ExOne team) and Texas (Adaptive3D’s industrial photopolymer group).
“It’ll be a simplified footprint,” said Nogueira, “but centered around regional areas of technical expertise.”
The company will continue selling hardware, Nogueira confirmed, but only when it truly fits the customer’s application and ability to succeed.
“When we place a machine, it has to be the right fit—and we’ll support that with services if needed,” he said. “We’re not walking away from selling systems, but we are rounding it out and focusing on solving real problems, not just pushing hardware.”
This marks a strategic shift from DM’s original go-to-market approach. While the company previously emphasized hardware sales, the new model includes R&D-as-a-Service and contract manufacturing for mission-critical applications—especially in defense, energy, and healthcare.
That includes a $7.9 million U.S. Army project to qualify aluminum parts for ground vehicles, work with Northrop Grumman and others on 3D printed Silicon Carbide (SiC) optics for high-energy lasers, and a $2 million Veterans Affairs (VA) program to produce FreeFoam
cushioning parts for medical use.
And there’s more to come. Arc wants to use these technologies to produce everything from heavy rare-earth–free magnets and sodium-ion battery components to solid-state transformer parts, and other “high-consequence” parts that matter to national security and economic resilience.
An array of 3D printed metal parts. Image courtesy of Desktop Metal.
Arc, led by Wisk, has long positioned itself as an investor focused on rebuilding American industry using AI and automation. Now they’ve got the technology and the team to try. In addition to Nogueira, the new leadership includes Rick Lucas (Chief Growth Officer) and Jonah Myerberg (Chief Innovation Officer), both familiar names from the DM orbit.
Arc acquired the core IP, material science teams, and key business units, including metals, ceramics, and Adaptive3D’s polymer platforms. It did not acquire the dental labs division, which was sold separately.
“We focused on the pieces that mattered most for building a fast, vertically integrated production platform,” said Wisk.
Regaining customer confidence is a top priority: “We have to embrace the past, we can’t hide from it. We’re going to our customers and asking: where did we succeed? Where did we fail? And what can we fix?” Nogueira noted.
Wisk added that after the deal was announced, customers reached out directly, many without ever having met him: “They called to say, ‘Please keep this going.’ That kind of unsolicited support confirmed for us that the technology matters—and that the people behind it still have the trust of the industry.”
Desktop Metal 3D printers. Image courtesy of Desktop Metal.
When asked whether the prior merger and legal battle with Nano Dimension had been a misstep, Nogueira chose not to dwell on it.
“It’s hard for us to judge that now,” he said. “Both leadership teams have turned over. We’re just trying to move forward and make the best of what’s in front of us.”
There are no plans to relist the company on a public exchange, Wisk confirmed.
“Being private is exactly the breath of fresh air this company needs,” he said. “We’re not private equity. We’re here for deep tech, long-term growth.”
Though most people associate DM with metal printing, the new leadership sees ceramics and materials like silicon carbide (SiC) as an untapped advantage—especially in defense applications.
“Binder jet is a great technology for tough-to-machine materials like SiC,” said Nogueira. “It’s high-value, and it’s where traditional methods fall short.”
Longer-term, Arc and DM are targeting rare-earth–free magnets, high-silicon-content electrical steel for transformers, and next-gen battery components.
“If you believe in a world where manufacturing is local, fast, and automated, then additive is at the center of that,” Wisk concluded. “And this team is the one to make it happen.”
Arc is aiming much higher than just rebooting a 3D printer company. With strong technology, smart software, and a clear focus, this isn’t just a turnaround. It’s a chance to show that AM still has a big future—and that future can be built in the U.S.
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