Despite now being one of the biggest 3D printer manufacturers in the world, known for dominating the budget 3D printer market, Creality came from humble beginnings. The company was founded in Shenzhen, China by Chen Chun, Liu Huilin, Tang Jinke and Ao Danjun (who is currently CEO).
(Creality CEO Ao Danjun pictured above)
When Creality was founded in 2014, the four founders worked in a 20m2 workshop. It was there that they developed their first-ever printer, the CR-3. Fast forward two years, and they had released the CR-10 and had over 90 employees. One year later, the company really found its footing, launching the hugely successful Ender 3, and expanding to a 6000m2 manufacturing base with over 270 employees, shipping 100,000 units annually.
However, the Shenzhen-based startup didn’t stop there. As of now (2022), Creality produces around 1,000,000 printers a year, and exports to 192 countries. Along the way, they notably released the ender 3, which is seen as the perfect “starter” printer by many. Additionally, they have raised over 4.5 million USD for their CR-6 SE and CR-30 printers through Kickstarter campaigns.
The company has three main project lines: the DIY series, this is made up of the printers that are shipped as kits that need to be assembled, including the Ender and CR branded printers, the fully enclosed series, consisting of pre-assembled printers with the main focus being ease of use, and the resin series (this includes both SLA and DLP resin printers).
(Creality Ender 3 Pro pictured above)
Despite this massive growth over the past seven years, the company doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. In an interview, one of the original four founders, Chen Chun, stated that he believed that 3D printers were at a similar level to computers in the early 2000s, with them being found in places of education and some companies, having not yet expanded to a point where they are found in most households.
It However, with the sudden appearance of Bambu Lab and the impressive X1 Carbon and P1P, companies like Creality will have to work hard to improve their 3D printers to remain competitive. Despite this, the Creality Ender 3 is still one of the most accessible 3D printers for the masses.
