Brief History of Shapr3D

Founding and Early Development (2014-2016)

Shapr3D was founded by István Csanády. Based in Budapest, Hungary, Csanády had previously founded another CAD startup that failed after two years.

In 2014, Csanády made a strategic bet on Apple's (at the time rumored) iPad Pro, believing that Apple would reposition the iPad from a content consumption device to a content creation tool. This vision drove the founding of Shapr3D, combining his background in CAD with the emerging potential of professional tablet computing.

Shapr3D has adopted the approach of creating accessible tools that enable anyone in a design organization to contribute to 3D modeling workflows.

Product Launch and Growth (2016-2020)

2016: Shapr3D 1.0 launched exclusively on the iPad Pro in March, designed specifically for the Apple Pencil and featured in Apple advertisements. The initial product took three years to establish solid foundations, as building an industrial-grade CAD system proved extremely challenging.

2017: Shapr3D 3.0 marked a significant technical transition in December from the open-source Open Cascade Technology geometric modeling kernel to the industry-leading Parasolid geometry kernel, enhancing modeling precision and compatibility.

2020: Shapr3D won the Apple Design Awards, recognizing the software for innovation, ingenuity, and outstanding design in mobile application development.

2021: By this time, the company had reached approximately 100 employees and developed significant organic growth in international markets, particularly China.

Platform Expansion and Brand Evolution (2021-2024)

2021: Shapr3D expanded to macOS in April, bringing more flexibility and processing power to users.

2022: Introduction of cross-device synchronization in September, enabling seamless work continuation across different machines.

2023: Launch of History-Based Parametric Modeling in September, moving from beta to full release. The year a_lso marked significant brand and user interface refreshes, developed in collaboration with Berlin-based design studio Koto, reflecting the company's evolution and introducing the "Harness Complexity" philosophy.

2024: Release on Apple Vision Pro in March, becoming the only full-featured CAD tool available on the platform. Introduction of Teamspace in June for collaborative design sharing.

References

1. Tara, Roopinder (September 14, 2022). "Shapr3D Is Released with Cloud-based Multiple Platform Support". Engineering.com .
2. ^ AP, Anthony Frausto-Robledo, AIA, NCARB, LEED (July 23, 2021). "INSIDER: Shapr3D is Bold on Apple and CAD Dominance". Architosh.
3. ^ "Shapr3D for CNC". MeshCAM - CNC Software - CAD/CAM Software .
4. ^ "Istvan Zsolt CSANADY personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". Find and update company information - GOV.UK .
5. ^ "Shapr3D 3.0 Brings Parasolid 3D Modeling to iPad Pro « Fabbaloo". 3D Printing News ~ Fabbaloo . 14 December 2017.
6. ^ "Shapr3D Brings Powerful 3D CAD Modeling to iPad Pro" (Press release).
7. ^ Phelan, David. "The 8 Best Apps Of 2020: All Apple Design Award Winners Revealed". Forbes.
8. "Changelog – Shapr3D Help Center". 2 July 2025.
9. "Disrupting the CAD industry – the Untold Story of Shapr3D". Untold Stories Podcast. 2021.
10. Cachia, Seb (November 20, 2023). "Built for More: Introducing the Upgraded Shapr3D Brand". Shapr3D Blog.
11. Marton, Alex (June 15, 2023). "Behind the Shapr3D User Interface Refresh". Shapr3D Blog.
12. ^ "Supported file types – Shapr3D Help Center". 10 September 2024.