Whatever happened to Calibry?
You might not have heard of this brand of 3D scanner, but it was quite a powerful tool. We tested one firsthand back in 2020. It was one of the lightest and easiest 3D scanners you could have acquired back then.
Since then, so much has changed. Today, low-cost 3D scanners are widely available from Chinese manufacturers, so I wondered how Thor3D, the makers of the Calibry 3D scanners, was doing.
Then I remembered something else: Thor3D was based in Russia.
I recall back then the company had been setting up operations in Germany, which would allow more free access to Western markets. The R&D team would mostly remain in Moscow, but sales would be directly in Western Europe. This was a common approach for Russian companies at the time.
Things have changed, indeed. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many Western countries have placed sanctions on Russia and Russian companies. How has this affected Thor3D?
Deep in Thor3D’s website on their about page, we find this:
“On production matters: Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty city, Medeu district, Kunayev street 41/49, postal code 050000
©Calibry LLP”
It seems that the company has set up operations in Kazakhstan in Almaty. Apparently, the company Calibry LLP was registered there in 2023.
Since 2022, many Russian tech/hardware firms have created Kazakh LLPs to keep access to international supply chains, banking, and partner reassurance. An LLP in Kazakhstan is straightforward to create and operate. The “Calibry LLP” company in Kazakhstan lets Thor3D present a non-Russian operating face for production/support while continuing to develop the same scanners and software under the Calibry brand.
Resellers of Calibry products are more than likely sourcing the products through the Kazakhstan entity, rather than obtaining them directly from Russia. This is effectively a way around sanctions, and one that’s commonly used.
Are the scanners actually made in Russia? Or Kazakhstan? Based on the company’s statement that “production matters” are in Kazakhstan, it’s likely that at the very least final assembly is done in Almaty. Many components in the scanner are almost certainly sourced from elsewhere in Asia or the West, making it less likely the equipment is actually manufactured in Russia.
Nevertheless, it’s pretty clear that the company’s R&D team remains in Moscow where they design the equipment and maintain the software.
It appears that Calibry 3D scanners are still available, but the behind-the-scenes corporate configuration has undergone some notable changes.
Thor3D isn’t the only Russian company that’s had to make this type of change.
Via Thor3D
