Hello, we are Prusa Research!
And we make amazing 3D printers
We have claimed the number 1 spot in Deloitte's 2019 BIG 5 category thanks to our growth rate of 4527 %!
Prusa Research was founded as a one-man startup in 2012 by Josef Prusa, a Czech hobbyist, maker and inventor - and now one of the most famous names in the 3D printing industry. You know, the guy in the photo on the right 🙂
Josef found his passion for 3D printers as a student of University of Economics in Prague. That was in 2009. Back then, he considered 3D printing to be nothing but a hobby, an amazing new technology open to changes and improvements. Josef then joined the open-source RepRap project and the rest is history.
It's pretty cool history, actually! Scroll down and see how Prusa Research was born and how we reached the top of the global charts!
We started really small. There were no investors, no Kickstarter campaigns. Just a man with a plan (and a huge stack of pizza boxes, which were used to ship 3D printer parts from a small basement workshop to the whole world). The beginnings were modest, but pretty exciting!
As time went by, the Prusa i3 design became one of the most popular FDM 3D printer designs adopted by many manufacturers and hobbyists across the world thanks to its open-source nature.
Three printer kits sold in five days! Nice! (Jan 2010)
And now? Now, there are more than 500 people working in Prusa Research and we ship over 9000 printers worldwide directly from our HQ in Prague every month! We have become the no.1 fastest growing tech company in Central Europe (Deloitte 2018) with the growth rate of 17118 % over the last four years and claimed the no.1 spot in Deloitte's 2019 BIG 5 category with the growth rate of 4527 %!
But despite all these numbers, visiting Prusa Research is like visiting a craftsman's workshop - a workshop sprawling across eight floors of a huge old Prague factory! We develop our own hardware and software, invent, improve, tinker, experiment and do all sorts of awesome stuff.
And we are staying faithful to our roots. Our award-winning Original Prusa i3 3D printers are still open-source and plenty of their parts are printed by other 3D printers - that’s why we also have “The Farm”, a large hall with more than 500 printers (November 2018) that create parts for other printers!
Open-source technology and why it matters
We wouldn’t exist without open-source. Prusa i3 3D printers were born from the idea of an open-source machine and we are still faithful to this ideology. Everything we do, everything we sell, is open-source. What does this mean? All source codes, printed parts, blueprints, circuit board designs… everything is freely available to anyone via GitHub. Because we strongly believe in the community and in sharing knowledge.
Products and Projects
Original Prusa i3 MK3S
New generation of the award-winning FDM 3D Printer
Original Prusa i3 MK3S is the successor to Prusa's award-winning Original Prusa i3 MK2 3D printer.
The MK3S features a rebuilt extruder, numerous sensors, and various smart features. Plus, a new magnetic MK52 heatbed with replaceable PEI spring steel print sheet. Dozens of various tweaks and upgrades improve the reliability and ease of use.
The functionality of the MK3S can be further expended with our unique Multi-Material Upgrade 2S addon for printing with up to 5 materials simultaneously.
Original Prusa MINI
Smart and compact 3D printer for everyone
Original Prusa MINI is our new compact 3D printer with all the bells and whistles you would expect from the creators of the award-winning Original Prusa i3 MK2 and MK3S!
The MINI is a big printer in a compact body. We did our best to squeeze as many features into the lowest possible price as possible.
The MINI is great for beginners, companies looking to build a printing farm and 3D printing enthusiasts worldwide.
Original Prusa SL1
Open-source MSLA 3D printer
In 2018, Prusa Research has acquired another Czech company called Futur3d with the intention to bring a brand new open-source SLA 3D printer to the masses. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, the 'SLA team' has continued working on the Original Prusa SL1 in Prusa Research HQ for almost a year.
SLA industry was always focused more on professionals and corporations. With plenty of smart functions, safety features, connectivity options and an affordable price, the SL1 is designed to change that and bring this technology to makers and hobbyists worldwide.
Prusament
Premium-quality filament
Prusament is our own in-house made filament. The advanced manufacturing process allows for higher level of quality control, more efficient testing and a guaranteed manufacturing precision of less than 0.02 mm (the industry standard is generally higher).
Each spool of the filament have a perfect winding and it's meticulously tested. The complete manufacturing reports are available online, enabling customers to see detailed properties of every spool they have purchased. Prusa Research is the only company providing its customers with this unique option.
PrusaLab
Community makerspace/hackerspace
Opened in June 2018, PrusaLab is a maker's dream come true. A fully equipped makerspace/hackerspace (creative open space) stretches over an area of 350 m² and it is available to everyone for a low monthly membership fee.
3D printers, CNC Vertical Mill Haas VF2SS, CNC Toolroom Lathe Haas TL-1, Narran Laser cutter, saws, drills, pliers, hammers, electro-workshop items... no matter how complex your project is, we've got you covered! Plus, you can take part in various workshops, lectures or listen to industry-related talks.
Prusa Research in press
FORBES - PRUSA FACE SHIELDS
This Czech Company Guides Global 3-D Printing Pandemic Response
'In three days, Founder Josef Prusa and his team at Prusa Research designed, prototyped, verified, and began mass production of medical-appropriate face shields.'
INTERVIEW WITH JOSEF PRUSA
Unboxing Josef Prusa: Meet the Living Legend
'Who is this Mr. Prusa and how did he manage to create one of the biggest 3D printer brands in the world?'
MAKER FAIRE ONLINE
Virtual Maker Faire Prague 2020 exceeded expectations with interest
'Finally, the online version offered two more than three-hour blocks that combined live streams from workshops, pre-recorded macro videos, and even several live broadcasts from both the open PrusaLab workshop and the Bratronic missile base'
STORY BY SIFTED.EU
How Czech startup Prusa Research hit 17,122% revenue growth
'3D printer manufacturer Prusa Research’s rapid expansion highlights the importance of engaging with your community'
INTERVIEW IN TCT MAGAZINE
Josef Prusa on makers, breaking records and avoiding hype
'What do you get when you combine a 3D printer farm, 16 tonnes of Haribo Bears, and the ethos of the Rep Rap project?'
E&T ABOUT PRUSA RESEARCH
Prusa has democratised the technology by price and ease of use.
'We meet six young innovators who are leading the way in using their skills and talent to shape the future of technology.'
MIT Innovators Under 35
Prusa featured in the Computer and Electronics Hardware category
'[Josef Prusa's] simplification of the design of traditional 3D printers has democratised the technology so that anyone can use it.'
JOSEF IN FORBES' 30 UNDER 30
Seizing the moment of a personalized digital revolution
Josef Prusa has been featured as one of the '30 under 30' - most influental people in the field of technology.
Deloitte Report
PRUSA Growing Faster than 497 Firms in the EMEA Region
Three Questions for Josef Průša, Father of 3D Printing (Not Only) in the Czech Republic
3D Printing Industry
Interview with CEO and founder of Prusa Research, Josef Prusa
'Josef explained me that the company managed to grow without any sales team. Word of mouth has been enough to bring the sales to 500 units per month in May 2016.'
Forbes: To the top of Global charts
Prusa's 3D printer is the best in the world
'Another world-class success for Prusa Research (...) the company's 3D printers are now the best in the world according to the prestigious Make: magazine.'
All3DP Visits Prusa
New Prusa Research facility and interview with Josef
After taking a full-fledged tour of Prusa Research’s new home, All3DP talked to the 3D printing kingpin Josef Prusa about the growing success of his company, their new facility, the future of FDM 3D printing, and more.
Timeline
03-2020
Helping in the fight against COVID-19 with Prusa Face Shields
With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for personal protecive equipment (PPE) skyrocketed. We joined the worldwide fight and shared our open-source protective shield design so anyone can download it for free and manufacture face shields using a 3D printer. We have also started producing the face shields and donated over 200.000 in-house produced shields to doctors, firefighters and other frontline staff. We have also summarized our findings, precautions and safety measures in blog posts to inspire other companies or individuals and to help them in difficult times.
Visit our dedicated page that covers everything COVID-19-related.
08-2019
Prusa Research set a new world record!
On August 16th, 2019, Prusa Research set a new world record for Most 3D printers operating simultaneously. We brought over 1.000 of our 3D printers into a single hall and kept them printing simultaneously. The resulting 1.096 successful prints set a new world record.
Read more here
07-2019
Video documentary The Road to 100,000 Printers released
We have released a documentary that cover the entire history of Prusa Research along with Josef Prusa's beginnings with 3D printers. In fact, by this point, Prusa Research sold more than 130,000 3D printers, while gaining a significant 10% market share in 2018.
05-2019
Original Prusa SL1 started shipping
The first batch of Original Prusa SL1 and CW1 machines were sent to the first customers. The SL1 delivers extremely precise prints thanks to a high-resolution print display, premium materials, and plenty of advanced software and hardware features. More in our blog post.
05-2019
PrusaSlicer 2.0
The sheer number of new features, improvements and bugfixes added into the latest Slic3r PE was one of the reasons for opening a new chapter in the development. Slic3r PE has been renamed to more recognizable PrusaSlicer 2.0 with a revamped UI, support for MSLA printing and many other features. Learn more in our blog post.
04-2019
Launching PrusaPrinters community hub
PrusaPrinters.org has been relaunched as a brand new community hub with online model library, world map of users, community activities, ready-to-print G-Codes and much more.
02-2019
Original Prusa MK3S / MK2.5S
A new printer upgrade has been introduced and started shipping. The Original Prusa i3 MK3S / MK2.5S 3D printers feature a reworked extruder with a new filament sensor and improved cooling. The MK3S / MK2.5S has all the improvements that were implemented over the life cycle of MK3/MK2.5. Printer upgrades for existing customers are now also available.
02-2019
Multi Material Upgrade 2S
New version of the Multi Material Upgrade, now with improved reliability, new extruder and filament sensor. MMU2S comes with a filament buffer box that prevents filament tangling. MK3S/MK2.5S upgrade is included in the MMU2S package. All current owners of MMU2.0 receive the MMU2S upgrade for free.
12-2018
500 Printers in printing farm
We have increased manufacturing capacity of our printing farm to 500 3D printers running 24/7.
11-2018
the first three places for our printers in 2019 MAKE: Magazine's Digital Fabrication Guide
Original Prusa i3 MK3 is the best 3D Printer in the 2019 Ultimate
Guide to Digital Fabrication by MAKE: Magazine with the score of
46 points! Our MK2/S is the second and it stays on the top of the
charts for three years in a row. And the third place goes to Original
Prusa i3 MK3 with Multi-Material Upgrade 2.0!
10-2018
1000 packages per day
We have reached 1000 shipped packages per day. It's not only printers but also upgrades, filaments, and replacements.
10-2018
Deloitte Technology Fast 50
300 employees
Prusa Research is no. 1 fastest growing tech company in Central Europe
Read more: Deloitte Fast 50
09-2018
Original Prusa SL1 and Prusament
Prusa Research announced a brand new SLA 3D printer - Original Prusa SL1. Prusament, a premium-quality in-house made filament, has hit the market.
Original Prusa SL1 product page
Prusament product page
08-2018
Multi Material Upgrade 2.0
Multi Material Upgrade 2.0, a unique solution for printing with up to 5 materials at the same time, started shipping.
Read more: Multi Material Upgrade 2.0 is here!
06-2018
The First Maker Faire in Prague
The very first Prague Maker Faire featured 180 maker exhibits and attracted over 10500 visitors from both Czech Republic and other countries. Prusa Research was the main partner and co-organizer.
See video: The first Prague Maker Faire recap!
06-2018
PrusaLab Opened
PrusaLab, a fully-equiped community makerspace/hackerspace has been opened for public in Prusa Research (Prague, Czech Republic).
Read more: PrusaLab website
05-2018
3D Printing Industry Awards
Original Prusa i3 MK3 gets the "Best Personal 3D Printer of the Year" award. The award was presented by Dr. Adrian Bowyer, founder of the RepRap project.
Read more: 3D Printing Industry Awards
04-2018
250 employees
6000 printers shipped per month
Prusa Research keeps growing steadily. We have shipped more than 6000 printers in a month.
03-2018
300 printers in printer farm and the acquisition of Futur3D
The printing farm was expanded again and Prusa Research acquired another Czech company, Futur3D, specialized in SLA 3D printing.
See video: Three hundred 3D printers in one room
11-2017
THE SECOND VICTORY IN MAKE'S 3D PRINTER SHOOTOUT
Original Prusa i3 MK2S is the best 3D printer in 2018 3D Printer Shootout by MAKE: Magazine.
See video: MK2S review in MAKE: Magazine
11-2017
Best 3D printer kit award
Another great achievement for MK2S - it became the best 3D printer kit according to All3DP.com.
See video: Original Prusa i3 MK2 Review: Best 3D Printer Kit of 2017
11-2017
170 employees
5000 printers shipped per month
10-2017
Deloitte Technology Fast 50
Prusa Research has become the 3rd fastest growing tech company in Central Europe.
Learn more (PDF) here
09-2017
Original Prusa i3 MK3 and MK2.5
The successor to the award-winning MK2 3D printer announced. Original Prusa i3 MK3 brings dozens of important upgrades and new features, expanding and improving nearly every aspect of the MK2. Owners of MK2 can buy an upgrade package to MK3 or a cheaper MK2.5 upgrade.
08-2017
3D Printing Trends by 3DHubs
The Original Prusa i3 MK2/S is became the best desktop 3D printer according to 3Dhubs.com Trends. MK2/S has been on the top of the list for more than a year!
06-2017
New factory and Prusacontrol
Prusa Researched moved to a bigger factory, keeping development, production and all other activities under one roof. Prusacontrol, a streamlined slicing tool, has been released.
05-2017
Josef's second tattoo 😉
05-2017
Multi Material Upgrade 1.0
The first generation of Prusa Research's unique multi material printing solution has been released. It enables users to print with up to 4 materials at the same time.
Read more Multi Material Upgrade announcement
Read more Update article
03-2017
Original Prusa i3 MK2S / 3000 printers per month
The MK2 3D printer has received an upgrade resulting in higher reliability. The number of shipped printers increased to 3000 per month.
Read more: Original Prusa i3 MK2S release
11-2016
Slic3r Prusa Edition released
Slic3r Prusa Edition - our own slicing software - has been released. Slic3r PE is a fork of the original Slic3r, it is still open-source and completely free for users. As time went on, we have added a lot of unique and innovative features like the Smooth Variable Layer Height or Soluble interface supports.
Read more: Slic3r Prusa Edition
Read more: Printing soluble interface supports
Read more: Smooth variable layer height
11-2016
No.1 spot in Make's 3D Printer Shootout
2000 manufactured printers per month
Original Prusa MK2S on the cover of MAKE: Magazine as the highest-rated 3D printer in 2017 3D Printer Shootout.
Read more: Makezine.com
10-2016
Deloitte's Rising Star Award
08-2016
60 employees
800 printers shipped per month
05-2016
Original Prusa i3 MK2, 75 printers in the print farm
Original Prusa i3 MK2 has been released and it quickly became a worldwide hit. Collecting awards and universal praise across the whole world, the MK2 became nothing short of a legend.
Read more: Original Prusa i3 MK2 release
03-2016
30 employees
500 printers shipped per month
01-2016
Prusa i3 design - The most used 3D printer in the world according to 3D Hubs.com
08-2015
Original Prusa i3 1.75mm released
Original Prusa i3 1.75mm has been released, improving the precision and printing quality of the previous Original Prusa i3 (3mm). The original "Prusa Nozzle" has been replaced by a new E3D nozzle.
06-2015
Original Prusa i3 (3mm) released.
A major step forward in terms of performance, reliability, functionality and design. Built around a rigid aluminium frame, the i3 focused on ease of construction and use. Original Prusa i3 was shipped with a 3mm Prusa Nozzle.
02-2014
The first dog
This is Buddy. Josef's dog which became one of the symbols of the company. Buddy's 3D model is one of the sample objects bundled with our 3D printers and we even have cute Buddy stickers! 🙂
10-2013
The first employee
Meet Hanka, the first Prusa Research's employee!
05-2012
Prusa Mendel i3
Third iteration of the more and more popular Prusa Mendel design. It was a complete redesign that brought a new frame, dozens of upgrades, streamlined construction (for easier assembly) and a special Prusa nozzle. It evolved into what we know as the Original Prusa i3 (below).
Read more: RepRap Wiki
02-2012
Prusa Research established
01-2012
Josef gets Open hardware tattoo 😉
11-2011
Prusa Mendel i2
Second iteration of the more and more popular Prusa Mendel design
Read more: RepRap Wiki
09-2010
Prusa Mendel
Where it all started. Prusa Mendel can be considered a "Ford Model T" of the 3D printing industry. Easy to assemble, repair and modify. It opened the world of 3D printing to a wide audience.
Read more: RepRap Wiki
02-2010
Prusa Heated bed
Josef Prusa developed his own heated bed for 3D printing - a crucial part of all modern 3D printers. The heat helps to improve adhesion of the first layer.
08-2009
3D printer or tablet?
Everything started here. Josef was college student back then and he was looking for the improvements of his DJ set.
