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on their company's 3D printer. Or they describe the time they discovered the
reason their printer kept running out of a certain polymer printing material
was because a staff member was printing naughty igurines after hours, when
everyone had gone home.
Wherever there is a deep human need, there is money to be made. It's a
short step to a business model. But leading companies in the 3D printing space
have, so far, deliberately stayed out of the sex market.
It's going to be interesting to watch when the irst 3D printing sex shops
emerge. People's creativity will know no bounds if offered the ability to fabri-
cate unique novelty toys and related gear in the privacy of their own homes.
Combine that with scan technologies, easy design software, and robotics, and
the possibilities are endless.
Microinancing microfactories
Microloans, microcredit, and microtransactions are part of a burgeoning
microinance economy. Micro scale transactions are possible thanks to com-
munications technologies and online banking that quickly handle interna-
tional transactions. Lots of small investments can be easier to gather than a
few large investments. In certain regions, several small investments can have
a larger cumulative impact than a few carefully chosen larger investments.
Traditional lenders often prefer to invest in borrowers with an established
track record of performance and credit history. Yet some of the most gifted
entrepreneurs, inventors and makers often lack an established track record.
Microloans may have enormous potential to alleviate poverty.
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In many communities worldwide, certain segments of the population such
as women, minorities, and the poor are less likely to receive loans or invest-
ments for innovation. More readily available microloans have changed this.
As of 2009, an estimated 74 million people have received microloans totaling
$38 billion. The reported repayment rate was 95-98 percent, which is higher
than the repayment rate of some established banks or even countries.
The microinancing strategy is directly comparable to a future business par-
adigm which we call microfactories. The name microfactories describes their
small physical footprint and small production volume. However, microfactories
also run on microinvestments, reduced time commitment, and the all-around
decentralized nature of their operations. Microfactories could have the same
positive economic impact as did microloans, transforming low-income com-
munities and empowering disenfranchised sectors of the population.
