Materialise NV, a global leader in 3D printing solutions, announced the full acquisition of the RSscan dynamic foot measurement technology and the Phits personalized 3D printed insoles product line from RS Print. With this Materialise looks to drive the additive manufacturing transformation in the 3D printed insoles market.
Materialise also announced a strengthening of its strategic partnership with Superfeet to accelerate the distribution of the RSscan intelligent foot measurement solutions and the personalized Phits 3D printed insoles in North America.
Phits 3D Printed Insoles
Materialise, which already owned 50% of RS Print, the owner of the Phits personalized 3D printed insole product line, will acquire the remaining shares of the company from its partner Superfeet, Inc. Materialise will further purchase substantially all the assets of the Superfeet company RSscan, a pioneer and market leader in the development and supply of intelligent foot measurement technology and systems. By bringing the RS Print and RSscan technology under one roof, Materialise intends to accelerate its R&D and product development efforts for the personalization of footcare and to build a more comprehensive suite of solutions for footcare experts and their patients.
The acquisition combines Materialise’s 30 years of experience in the development of meaningful applications of 3D printing, in particular in the healthcare sector, with the extensive experience of the RS Print and RSscan teams in the development of personalized solutions for the footcare sector. Through the acquisition, Materialise welcomes an experienced research and development team conducting advanced research in foot measurement, analysis and corrections. The acquisition also expands Materialise’s scanning and analysis technology with RSscan’s laboratory with advanced 3D motion tracking, gait analysis, finite element analysis and complementary test equipment.
In addition to the acquisition, Materialise also announced a strengthening of its strategic partnership with Superfeet through a new collaboration. The partnership builds on Superfeet’s reputation and marketing network in the 3D printed insole market, in particular in North America, with a view to accelerating the digital transformation of the footcare industry. Superfeet is committed to accelerating the installation of pressure plate measurement systems in North America, in collaboration with RS Print’s existing distributor GO4D, to extend its US point-of-care network.
“3D printing and design technology have great potential to help both consumers and healthcare professionals improve comfort, health and performance through personalized footcare.”
– Fried Vancraen, CEO and Founder, Materialise
He added, “Building on our expertise in providing intelligent planning tools and customized devices to healthcare professionals, we very much look forward to offering similar science-based digital measurement tools and personalized solutions to footcare professionals and sports experts that deal with foot or gait problems. I am particularly excited that we have succeeded in strengthening our strategic partnership with Superfeet in such a way that both partners will be able to fully concentrate on their individual strengths.”
Hi counterpart John Rauvola, CEO of Superfeet said, “We have worked with Materialise to develop the innovative RS Print system for 3D printed insoles, delivering thousands of products to improve customers’ comfort, health and performance. We’re happy to extend this partnership to meet growing demands in personalization and to bring this technology to an even broader community in the future.”
The acquisition, which is subject to conditions that are typical for this type of transaction, is expected to close on November 20, 2020.
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