Protolabs reported record third-quarter revenue of $154.3 million, up 14 percent year over year. Its 3D printing segment grew 11.4 percent to $22.4 million after a year of flat or falling results. Metal additive manufacturing drove the gain, and the company is adding HP Multi Jet Fusion capacity.
Key facts
Q3 2026 group revenue: $154.3 million, up 14 percent year over year
3D printing revenue: $22.4 million, up 11.4 percent year over year and over 8 percent sequentially
MJF revenue in the US factory business is up over 40 percent year to date
Revenue per customer rose 17 percent year over year
Context Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) is HP's polymer powder bed process that fuses nylon powder using inkjet-applied agents and heat.
How did the 3D printing segment perform?
Protolabs 3D printing revenue was $22.4 million in Q3 2026, up 11.4 percent year over year and more than 8 percent from the previous quarter. This follows a decline of about 6 percent in Q3 2025 and a 2.6 percent drop to $20.7 million in Q2 2026. In several earlier record quarters, the 3D printing line was flat or slightly smaller while the group grew.
What drove the growth?
Metal additive manufacturing was the main driver, continuing its strong run of recent quarters. Revenue from HP Multi Jet Fusion in the US factory business has also grown over 40 percent year to date, and CEO Suresh Krishna said on the earnings call that the company is investing in more MJF capacity because of higher demand. 3D printing still grew slowest of the three service lines, behind CNC machining and injection molding, but only narrowly behind injection molding.
What is the wider strategy?
Krishna named four trends: reindustrialization, fast hardware innovation in fields such as space, drones, robotics and data centers, physical AI, and supply chain agility. Revenue per customer rose 17 percent while customer contacts fell, and the company said it now focuses on a handful of high-value industries instead of its broad base of tens of thousands of customers. Protolabs also announced a research grant with MIT's Industrial Performance Center to develop a manufacturing innovation index.
What it means
For manufacturers buying parts from service providers, the result suggests that outsourced metal and MJF capacity is in demand and that large providers are expanding it. Higher utilisation can mean longer lead times in peak periods, so European small and mid sized companies may want to qualify more than one source. The focus on high-value customers in space, drones and robotics also points to where qualified production volume is heading. One quarter is not yet a trend, since the segment was flat or shrinking for about a year.
Frequently asked questions
How much did Protolabs 3D printing revenue grow in Q3 2026?
It reached $22.4 million, up 11.4 percent year over year and more than 8 percent from Q2 2026.
Why is Protolabs adding MJF capacity?
MJF revenue in its US factory business is up over 40 percent year to date, and CEO Suresh Krishna said the company is investing in more capacity in response to demand.
