Formlabs CEO Picked for AMUG Innovators Award

The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) reports that Max Lobovsky, co-founder and CEO of Formlabs, as the recipient of its Innovators Award. AMUG gives this award to those who have innovated and helped advance the additive manufacturing industry.

Joined by co-founders and fellow MIT graduate students David Cranor and Natan Linder, Formlabs’ roots date back to 2011, when the trio developed an affordable, professional 3D printing solution using stereolithography technology. As CEO since the company’s inception, Lobovsky has led Formlabs to become a large supplier of professional stereolithography (SLA) and selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printers globally.

Lobovsky has guided the company from a Kickstarter initiative to a global 3D printing company with a valuation exceeding $2 billion, 10 locations, and over 700 employees. To date, it has sold more than 130,000 3D printers.

“The trio of grad students identified a problem and pursued a mission to correct it," says Shannon VanDeren, AMUG president. "Clearly, their ambition of bringing a low-cost printer to market that could hold its own against established equipment was met with enthusiasm and success. The AMUG Board of Directors admires his [Lobovsky's] story. Max was an obvious selection for the Innovators Award, and we were unanimous in our decision.”

Lobovsky will be presented with the Innovators Award at the 2026 AMUG Conference. Previous recipients include industry luminaries Chuck Hull, Scott Crump, Carl Deckard, Fried Vancraen, Gideon Levy, Hans Langer, Andy Christensen, Diana Kalisz, Greg Morris, and Joe Allison.

Lobovsky’s early exposure to 3D printing was through Cornell University’s Fab@Home project, one of two early open-source 3D printing efforts. After graduating with a B.S. in Applied and Engineering Physics, he pursued an M.S. in Media Arts and Sciences at MIT. The goal of commercializing a low-cost, desktop 3D printer was conceived through his experiences in MIT’s Media Lab and a class called “How to Make Almost Anything.”

Formlabs was launched in 2012, propelled by a successful Kickstarter campaign that gave birth to its first product, the Form 1 3D printer.

AMUG follows many others in recognizing Lobovsky’s contributions. He has been named in Forbes’ 30 Under 30, selected for Boston Globe’s Tech Power Players 50, and inducted into TCT’s Hall of Fame. Under Lobovsky’s leadership, Formlabs has received many accolades, including a gold medal in Inc. Best in Business awards, selection as a finalist in Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas list, and inclusion on Time Magazine’s Best Inventions list.

On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, Lobovsky will take the main stage for a conversational interview during the Innovators Showcase at the AMUG Conference. This is a key conference highlight, featuring a friendly discussion between two acquaintances in front of the audience. Lobovsky will share his experiences, insights, and ideas.

The 2026 conference will have a comprehensive agenda that includes presentations, hands-on workshops, and training sessions complemented by engagement activities and meals. The AMUG Conference will be held March 15–19, 2026, at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, NV. Conference details and registration are available at www.amug.com.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.

Photo caption:

Max_Lobovsky_2026_Innovators_Award.jpg: Max Lobovsky, co-founder and CEO of Formlabs, is AMUG’s 2026 Innovators Award recipient.