ChromaSet Before Going Global: Insights from Co-Founder Perspective

Kickstarter campaigns have historically seen 80% of projects deliver after their estimated delivery dates. Initially, our plan was to fall within this 20%...

In December 2023, we launched ChromaSet to the global market, securing $425K in pre-orders from 1007 backers on Kickstarter. Since the campaign ended, our entire team has been working tirelessly without taking breaks to fulfill these orders. However, we encountered delays that deviated from our expected timeline in production. We wanted to address these delays and provide answers to some of the questions our backers may have had due to disappointment. First and foremost, I want to emphasize that all these delays were aimed at delivering ChromaSet products to our first Kickstarter and Indiegogo supporters. We needed extra time due to some results from pre-production tests that we were not satisfied with and to significantly improve product performance. This was a tough decision for us as co-founders, but instead of readying the products for shipment in March, we decided to make them better. Factors we considered in making this decision included:

• Feedback from users during the Kickstarter process
• Results from initial user testing
• Current user behavior analysis in the multi-filament space
• Anticipation of new product releases from other companies in the market

Why did we make changes to our products?

 

Considering all these evaluations, we made significant changes primarily to ChromaHead toolhead, which is the backbone of ChromaSet. We achieved a successful innovation with ChromaHotend developed in collaboration with Phaetus, resulting in substantial improvements. Following that, we redesigned the cutting system, leading to a significant reduction in ChromaHead's weight and a substantial increase in performance. We made various changes, particularly in industrial design, to the KCM module developed for Klipper printers, and similarly enhanced other products. In addition to the main products, we also prepared small auxiliary designs with a focus on enhancing user experience.

When we announced ChromaPad, we claimed it to be the world's most powerful 3D printing pad, and it remains so. However, we also made significant improvements in ChromaScreen software, which is even more crucial for us and the community. We managed these challenging processes to meet delivery timelines, avoiding passing them on to future products. The beta version will soon be available for download on GitHub.

We will share all these innovations in detail on a product-by-product basis with you. Our main emphasis here is to address the reasons behind delays and other questions.

Are we being sold to another company?

During the serial production of ChromaSet, we have established a significant collaboration with Sovol company. We initiated this partnership focused on the KCM Set with their newly launched SV08 model, which has garnered significant attention in the market. We plan to expand this collaboration further. Discussions with other well-known firms for partnerships are also ongoing, and we will announce progress as appropriate. We've observed some users making comments like:

• "They will sell the product to another company before releasing it and then refund us."
• "A big corporation will buy them out and use our money for further development."

Such comments have saddened our team because, from day one, despite engaging in discussions with various firms big and small, our focus has always been steadfastly on the Co Print brand. We will deliver products under the Co Print brand to the market, as promised to the thousands of supporters who stand behind the Co Print brand. Throughout this process, while continuing strategic collaborations in various forms, our aim is to increase opportunities for cooperation rather than compete with other firms.

Are the newly launched competing products the same as ChromaSet?

Newly released competing products like AMS from Bambu Lab, followed by similar systems from Creality and Anycubic (potentially soon from Elegoo), have raised questions among some of our users, suggesting a perception that "they did it before you." However, I'd like to clarify this issue. Technologies like AMS can be viewed as competitors, but they are auxiliary equipment designed to work with a single printer model and are not compatible with other model products we commonly use in our homes for years, which is exactly what ChromaSet aims to transform. Comparing these latest products is akin to comparing your Ender-3 Pro at home. Technologically, we have detailed our advantages, particularly in speed, and will continue to do so. We're pleased with all these advancements in the multi-filament field, helping more users become aware of the technology. Being compatible with these companies' other products increases collaboration opportunities rather than competition. I personally applaud the contributions these companies make to the industry, even if they directly introduce similar products in the future. We will continue to applaud and strive to maintain our competitive advantage.

Have similar products also experienced delays?

We will share the story of the Co Print brand with you in more detail soon. As two young co-founders who have been working in this field since the age of 19, competing with global giants in this industry with limited resources has been quite challenging for us. However, our passion for this sector and our belief in developing it further drives us to strive for success every day. ChromaSet represents an ecosystem we dreamed of bringing to this industry. Like many other renowned products on the market, we have also experienced delays, and we are deeply sorry for this. We now hope to start deliveries as soon as possible.

I have read all the criticisms we received throughout this process and apologize for not being able to respond due to workload. There may still be some minor issues, but we do not anticipate significant delays. We will continue to offer advantages to our initial supporters as soon as our product hits the market.

We apologize for the 5-6 month delay we have experienced, but considering that the first multi-filament equipment in the market had a delay of 1 year and one of the largest firms had nearly a 2-year delay on their multi-filament printer, I hope for your continued support as the general managers on behalf of our team, with an average age of 27 and not very crowded.

From this process, we look forward to discussing innovations and product features with our community, not delays and production, once content begins.

Thank you again for all your support. I look forward to seeing the ChromaSet ecosystem connected to your 3D printers. Thank you for reading.

Best regards,
Fatih Kazım, GM - Co Print 3D

14 months ago, I took note of the conceptual "II" logo representing our second series of designs across all products, and with that, I conclude my message. You can always reach me at fatih@coprint3d.com