Protolabs, an on-demand manufacturer of custom parts for prototyping and short-run production, completed the acquisition of 3D Hubs, a provider of an online marketplace intended to offer three-dimensional printing productions, from Hearst Ventures, a venture capital firm, EQT Partners, a private equity firm, Endeit Capital, an investment company in Amsterdam, and Balderton Capital, a venture capital firm, for $280m. 3D Hubs brings two great benefits to Protolabs’ customers: a complementary network of manufacturing partners to fulfill a breadth of capabilities outside of its current envelope, and a broader selection of pricing and lead time options. Protolabs’ and 3D Hubs’ customer offerings are very complementary, and this expansion of services and capabilities reinforces Protolabs’ commitment to delight its customers and become the go-to supplier in the global custom contract manufacturing market.