Growing its long-term support for open-source creativity, Wacom has significantly upgraded its funding for Blender—from €30,000 to a new annual total of €240,000—becoming a Corporate Patron, the highest tier in the Blender Development Fund.
This enhanced sponsorship comes as the Blender Foundation expands its software to graphics tablets like the iPad Pro with Apple Pencil, Microsoft Surface, Huawei MatePad, and Wacom’s MovinkPad—a key step toward making 3D creation more accessible and mobile-friendly.
Blender COO Francesco Siddi praised the partnership:
“Our collaboration with Wacom is a major step in making Blender more intuitive on pen and touch devices.”
Only a few industry giants currently hold the Corporate Patron status in the fund—Epic Games, Qualcomm, Pico, and now Wacom.
Why It Matters for the AVGC & XR Ecosystem
Impact Insight Major Funding Boost Wacom’s new donation equates to €210K more per year—funding that supports specialist developer roles and deepens Blender’s sustainability. (CG Channel) Tablet Accessibility This backing accelerates Blender’s tablet-native development, extending full-featured 3D tools to creators on the go. Pen & Touch Innovation Supports UI redesign, pen fluidity, and performance enhancements for artists using pen-input workflows. Open-Source Ecosystem Strength Reinforces industry collaboration that ensures future-ready 3D tools remain widely accessible.
