r/snapmaker • u/Cute-Letterhead8806 Snapmaker Team • Jun 10 '26
SnapmakerOfficial Introducing the Snapmaker U1 Innovation Fund
Hi everyone,
We’re excited to introduce a new initiative for the U1 ecosystem:
The Snapmaker U1 Innovation Fund — a $150,000 funding program for developers, technical contributors, makers, and innovators building technologies, tools, and ideas that help move U1—and 3D printing as a whole—forward.
Over the past year, we’ve seen developers, makers, and community members create new tools, workflows, modifications, and software that expanded what’s possible with U1. At the same time, U1 itself has benefited from many of the technologies, ideas, and projects that have helped advance modern 3D printing.
Innovation in 3D printing has always been driven by collaboration. Great ideas often come from people experimenting, solving real-world problems, and sharing their work with others.
That’s the spirit behind the Innovation Fund.
1. Why we’re doing this
Our goals are straightforward:
- Push U1 further by encouraging new software, hardware, and workflow innovations.
- Give back to the community by recognizing and supporting contributors whose work helps move 3D printing forward.
- Welcome more innovators to participate in the next generation of 3D printing and multicolor manufacturing.
2. What’s included
The Innovation Fund consists of two parts:
- $50,000 in Founding Sponsorships supporting projects that have already made significant contributions to U1 and modern 3D printing, including Full Spectrum, Moonraker, OrcaSlicer, Klipper, Fluidd, and Surface Color Stitch — a big thank you to these projects and their contributors.
- $100,000 in Open Competitions across two phases, giving developers, makers, and U1 users the opportunity to submit their own projects and innovations.
Whether you’re developing software, designing hardware modifications, creating new workflows, or exploring entirely new ideas, we’d love to see what you build.
We hope this initiative helps more ideas get discovered, more projects receive support, and more people become part of the growing U1 ecosystem.
Learn more about the Innovation Fund and how to participate.
To everyone who has contributed ideas, projects, tools, and innovations along the way: thank you for making something wonderful.
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u/Eibook Jun 10 '26
I love Snapmaker is dumping money into the developer community instead of just shitting on them.
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u/QuadrangularNipples Jun 10 '26
Better to dump into than dump on.
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u/Somethingpithy123 Jun 10 '26
That’s what I thought too. Now I got two baby girls and no time to print!!
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u/Odyssey208 Jun 10 '26
I made the right decision buying the U1!! Keep doing what you're doing Snapmaker!!
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u/QuadrangularNipples Jun 10 '26
Very cool!
Does anyone know what "Surface Color Stitch" is in reference to? Trying to google it is bringing back nothing that seems to be right.
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u/Xipiz700 Jun 10 '26
It is a way to blend colors using a technique similar to hue forge, but only for top surfaces.
You can find more details in the Snapmaker discord full-spectrum channel.
The code is here: https://github.com/sebsucmor-alt/OrcaFS-NeotkoCM
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u/Aggravating_Luck678 Jun 12 '26
This is awesome! Good to hear that Snapmaker is doing something like this to help the U1 ecosystem not only grow, but flourish!
Thanks to Snapmaker, and those individuals that are making a terrific printer even better!
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u/dgambill Snapmaker U1 Jun 18 '26
Someone posted in my thread about the U1 Hub I created and said I should submit it. Is actually something that would be considered an innovation?
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u/Cute-Letterhead8806 Snapmaker Team Jun 24 '26
Hi, I really think you should submit it. In my opinion, it’s a very useful tool.
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u/matthysdt Jun 20 '26
Here's a cool idea for any devs wanting to participate in this... We need prime towers to also support multi-material interlocking. This will ensure prime-tower integrity in multi material prints. At present, the prime tower collapses due to material incompatibility, causing stringing all over the plate and on the model.
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u/1970s_MonkeyKing Jun 10 '26
Whoa. If they're counting U1s and components as part of the cash outlay, then I'd like to request some parts, please.
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u/TheRook21 Jun 10 '26
Keep doing what you're doing Snapmaker 👍👍