These days you can print everything from human tissue and vegan steaks to industrial parts and even use elements of the technology to create a made-to-measure pair of jeans. While the technology is not yet quite at the level of the Star Trek replicator machine, there is a thriving European tech ecosystem edging us in that direction.

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The number of European patent applications related to 3D printing have been growing at a rate of 36% a year according to the latest data from the European Patent Office. The data shows the intense excitement about 3D printing. While the majority of 3D printing is still focused on business-to-business uses in manufacturing and industry, there is a growing use of it for consumer applications as well. “There’s growth in companies that are using it for very specific purposes,” says Benjamin Joffe, Partner at SOSV, a global VC fund focused on early-stage […]

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