Markforged Appoints Ken Clayton Head of Global Sales
Markforged has appointed industry expert Ken Clayton as SVP, Global Sales. Clayton, who has extensive experience including roles at Dassault Systems’ SOLIDWORKS, will spearhead the company’s global sales strategy across key regions. He aims to enhance a channel-first approach to drive growth. Markforged currently has 10,000 customers and aims to reach 100,000 in five years. The company is known for its advanced 3D printing technology, particularly the Digital Forge, which integrates software and materials for resilient manufacturing.
- Ken Clayton brings over 20 years of experience, including a successful tenure at SOLIDWORKS where he achieved $1 billion in bookings in 2019.
- The appointment of Clayton is expected to strengthen Markforged's sales strategy and drive substantial growth.
- Markforged aims to increase its customer base from 10,000 to 100,000 over the next five years.
- Potential concerns regarding continuity and the impact of Clayton's leadership transition on current sales operations.
Markforged, creator of an integrated metal and carbon fiber additive manufacturing platform, The Digital Forge, today announced that industry veteran Ken Clayton will join the company as SVP, Global Sales. In his role, Clayton will be responsible for setting the company’s global sales strategy and driving a channel-first go-to-market approach across North and South America, EMEA and APAC. Clayton will be based in Markforged’s Watertown headquarters and report directly to Markforged CEO Shai Terem.
Ken Clayton joins Markforged as SVP, Global Sales (Photo: Business Wire)
Clayton brings extensive industry experience to Markforged, including 20 years with Dassault Systems’ SOLIDWORKS, a leading provider of 3D CAD design and product data management software. At SOLIDWORKS, he held leadership roles as the VP of North America, VP of the Americas and SVP Worldwide Sales and delivered double-digit growth in each of those years, achieving
“Over my career, I’ve seen firsthand how the right tools and technology can make a major impact for engineers and manufacturers,” said Clayton. “The manufacturing supply chain has never been more important, or more fragile, and Markforged’s Digital Forge is the right tool to make it more resilient. The need for this technology, coupled with Markforged’s own exciting corporate trajectory, made joining Markforged an opportunity I couldn’t turn down, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
“Markforged is reinventing manufacturing today so that our customers can build anything they imagine tomorrow,” said Terem. “We have 10,000 happy customers today, and we intend to grow that number to 100,000 over the next five years. Ken will be instrumental in helping us achieve that goal, and we know he’s the right person for the job. We’re looking forward to seeing what we achieve together.”
About Markforged
Markforged transforms manufacturing with 3D metal and continuous carbon fiber printers capable of producing parts tough enough for the factory floor. The Markforged Digital Forge brings the power and speed of agile software development to industrial manufacturing, combining hardware, software and materials to eliminate the barriers between design and functional part. Engineers, designers and manufacturing professionals all over the world rely on Markforged metal and composite printers for tooling, fixtures, functional prototyping and high-value end-use production. Founded in 2013 and based in Watertown, MA, Markforged has more than 250 employees globally. Markforged has been recognized by Forbes in the Next Billion-Dollar Startups list, and listed as the #2 fastest-growing hardware company in the US in the 2019 Deloitte Fast 500. In February 2021, Markforged announced it entered into a definitive agreement to merge with one (NYSE: AONE), a special purpose acquisition company founded and led by technology industry veteran Kevin Hartz. The transaction is expected to close in the summer of 2021, subject to regulatory and stockholder approvals, and other customary closing conditions. The combined company will retain the Markforged name and be listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “MKFG.” To learn more about Markforged, please visit https://markforged.com.
Non-Solicitation
This press release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the potential transaction and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of one, the combined company or Markforged, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act.
Participants in the Solicitation
one and Markforged and their respective directors and executive officers may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the potential transaction described in this document under the rules of the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of one is set forth in one’s final prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), on August 19, 2020 and is available free of charge at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to: one, 16 Funston Avenue, Suite A, The Presidio of San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94129, Attention: Secretary. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of the one shareholders in connection with the potential transaction will be set forth in the registration statement containing the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus when it is filed with the SEC. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this press release, we caution you that these statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by us and our projections of the future, about which we cannot be certain. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the proposed business combination, including the timing and structure of the transaction, statements about the expected growth of the additive manufacturing industry, the anticipated growth of the combined company, the increased adoption of its products, the combined company’s projections related to customers, and the expected benefits of product innovation. We cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this press release will prove to be accurate. These forward looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, among others, general economic, political and business conditions; the inability of the parties to consummate the business combination or the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the business combination agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the parties following the announcement of the business combination; the risk that the approval of the shareholders of one for the potential transaction is not obtained; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the business combination, including as a result of a delay in consummating the potential transaction; the risk that the business combination disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the business combination; the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; the amount of redemption requests made by one’s shareholders; the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of the combined company's securities following the business combination; costs related to the business combination; and those factors discussed under the header “Risk Factors” in the registration statement on Form S-4 to be filed by one with the SEC and those included under the header “Risk Factors” in the final prospectus of one related to its initial public offering. Furthermore, if the forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent our views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
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