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A $250 3-D Printer With Breakthrough Software

The Mod-T is a $250 3-D printer from New Matter. As ambitious as the low-cost hardware is, the startup's digital platform is arguably as groundbreaking as the low-cost printer itself.

A clever bit of engineering is what lets New Matter sell the Mod-T at such a low price. By using just two rods to move the build plate, the number of components for the mechanism is far lower than other printers.

"The way we see it, $1,000 or even $600 is too much for consumers to bear," says Steve Schnell, New Matter's founder. "It needs to be at a price point of a couple hundred bucks, so people can take a little bit of a risk on it."

According to Ethan Imboden, a Frog VP who's been working with New Matter for the last several months, the store aspect could be even more important for the artists and designers crafting these 3-D objects. By giving them a venue to sell their work, Imboden thinks the ecosystem could generate a wave of new designs that are both functional and beautiful.

"It requires a great bit of skill to create objects that will inspire people, and have utility to them, and that will print well," he says. "It's non-trivial. Here's somebody who's creating content of real value, and New Matter is providing an opportunity for him to monetize that."