In the crowded 3D printing marketplace, Maarten van Gelderen has found a unique selling point: Dhreams is the first 3D printables site founded by a 17-year-old entrepreneur.
Based out of Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, van Geldren has launched Dhreams, a 3D printable content site targeted towards home 3D printing users. van Gelderen says, “I want to make 3D printing more visible for the normal people. I have always been interested in 3D printing, but only the major companies were visible for me as normal person. And that were companies who offer services to print products. What I was missing was a visible place for 3D printable designs. So I founded dhreams.com.”
With the notion that a growing number of people will own their own 3D printers in the next few years, Dhreams is becoming populated with 3D objects one can download and 3D print in their home, for free or for a small fee. Currently, Dhreams only features free designs, but the young entrepreneur plans to launch paid designs in the near future. As the site grows, I wonder how long it will be able to compete with other, more substantial sites out there, like Thingiverse or Youmagine. My thinking is that, if van Geldren maintains a youthful focus, targeting a younger audience, he may have found a great niche.
With news of Dhreams, I’m beginning to wonder how the goals of young people have changed since the advent of the Internet, easy-to-use technology, and a growing start-up focused culture. When I was a kid, every teenager wanted to be a rock star or famous Hollywood actor. In our strange new world, it may be that every teen wants to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
