Adidas is joining many other investors in a new $200 million round of financing for Carbon that placed a $1.7 billion valuation on the company, higher than the $1.1 billion valuation of two other public supplier of 3D equipment and software, 3D Systems and Stratasys. Carbon's Digital Light Synthesis technology, which helped Adidas produce its first Futurcraft running shoe, is said to be 25 to 100 times faster than conventional 3D printing and more versatile in terms of materials. Adidas produced about 5,000 pairs of its first 3D printed running shoes with a Carbon outsole and a Primeknit upper in December. Past investors in Carbon include names like Google, BMW and Nikon.

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