Creality submits for an IPO, adds a mysterious 3D printing model website

Creality is set to become a publicly listed company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, making it the first manufacturer of consumer-grade 3D printers to make the leap into the big time.

The company, known as Chuangxiang 3D in China, is considered the world’s largest consumer 3D printing company, with a 39% market share according to a recent report from market intelligence firm CONTEXT, and a more modest claim of 27.9% from its own Application Proof with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, which is a preliminary draft of its prospectus.

In the US, Creality is known for bringing budget 3D printers mainstream with the basic Ender 3 in 2017 and more recently the Creality Hi and K2 Plus. Creality boasts that it holds 840 patents, 565 R&D employees, and a top-tier collection of 3D models on its Creality Cloud website.

Further into the document, Creality states one of its assets is a new website we haven’t heard of called “Nexbie.” The site is an e-commerce platform to sell physical prints. When I first found the site, it claimed to be powered by “AIGC” which stands for AI generated content. It was also full of questionably sourced 3D models with photos clearly copied from other websites.

I reached out to several designers whose work I recognized, such as Cinderwing3D, ForgeCore, CM Designs, Kekreations, and 3D Printing World, and asked if they had been contacted by Creality for this new project. They had not, though they all offer paid memberships that allow makers to sell prints commercially.

I then contacted Creality to learn more about the new site, and was told the website was still in its testing phase and I had stumbled upon content that should not have been made public. The next day, the site had been refreshed, and credit had been given to the designers. All the models now say they are “out of stock.”

Creality’s Seth Ma, a PR and Media Relations Manager, further explained that the website’s purpose is to connect designers with “end-users,” with fulfillment handled through approved partners. He did not elaborate on who the printing partners would be.

“It is positioned as an overseas e-commerce platform launched by Creality, which builds a symbiotic and mutually beneficial 3D creative ecosystem,” Ma said. “In addition, it is pioneering a replicable path towards decentralized supply chains, low-carbon production and cultural diversity. We believe Nexbie has the potential to become a paradigm case of a platform that delivers both economic and social value.”

The site appears to be set up to keep the 3D print farms behind the scenes, with customers interacting solely with Nexbie. This does not appear to be an Etsy rival, where individual makers set up shop.