CraftBot case study: $3M+ in US sales in 18 months

CraftBot, a 3D printer maker from Hungary, did more than $3 million in US sales within 18 months of launching in the United States. It sold 2,500 units and stayed sold out for 11 months. Wadabu ran the US launch and the growth work from 2017 to 2019 as one team: strategy, marketing, sales and distribution.

Who is CraftBot?

CraftBot makes desktop 3D printers and the software that runs them. The company is based in Hungary, sold in Europe before it entered the United States, and belongs to a private investment group.

What did CraftBot need?

A US launch. The investment group’s goal was to bring the CraftBot brand to the United States and make it a trusted manufacturer there. CraftBot had a finished product and a European business. It needed a plan for the US market, the launch itself, and the sales and marketing to keep revenue growing after it.

What did Wadabu do for CraftBot?

Wadabu ran the US business from launch through scale, across direct sales and volume sales.

• Research and positioning. Competitive research, then a position for the product in the US market.
• Brand, copy and content. Reworked the brand identity and wrote the copy and content for US buyers.
• Paid ads and email. Advertising to reach new buyers, and email to bring them back.
• Trade shows and outbound. Showing the printers in person and contacting buyers directly.
• Government and university sales. Contracts with public buyers and sales into schools and universities.
• Wholesale program. A program for resellers and distributors.
• Sales CRM. A customized Zoho CRM (customer relationship management system) connected to inventory, marketing and accounting.
• Retention, sales and distribution. Keeping customers buying, and scaling how the product was sold and delivered across the US.

What was the result?

More than $3 million in US sales within 18 months of launch, on 2,500 units sold.

Measure	Figure
US sales	$3 million+
Time to reach it	18 months
Units sold	2,500
Months sold out	11
Engagement	2017 to 2019

CraftBot became a known name with schools and with hobbyists, the two groups that buy the most desktop printers.

Wadabu launched us in the U.S. and ran our growth from day one: strategy, launch and marketing, all under one team. We did more than $3 million in U.S. sales within 18 months.
Zoltán Iklódy, Head of Global Sales, CraftBot

What can a startup take from this?

A hardware launch has more than one buyer. Consumers buy one unit online. Universities, government offices and resellers buy in volume, through contracts and trade shows. CraftBot went after both from the start, with one team on all of it and one CRM holding sales, stock and accounts, so nothing was lost in a handoff between vendors. That is how a fractional marketing team works. For the full list of what that covers, see what a marketing agency does for a startup.

Final thoughts

CraftBot entered a new country and passed $3 million in sales there in 18 months, with one team on strategy, marketing, sales and distribution. If you are planning a launch, talk to Wadabu.

Frequently asked questions

How long did it take CraftBot to reach $3 million in US sales?

18 months from its US launch. The engagement ran from 2017 to 2019.

How many printers did CraftBot sell in the US?

2,500 units, and the product was sold out for 11 months.

What did Wadabu handle for CraftBot?

The US launch strategy, positioning, brand and content, paid ads, email, trade shows, outbound sales, government and university sales, a wholesale program, a Zoho sales CRM, retention, and scaling sales and distribution.

Written by Andrew Zam, Founder of Wadabu, a growth marketing agency for consumer-brand startups.