That's not surprising, since MakerBot founder Zach Smith is a RepRap contributor and also runs the RepRap Research Foundation (<a href="http://www.rrrf.org/" rel="nofollow">http://www.rrrf.org/</a>). MakerBot's fabricators are based on RepRap designs and software, and they also sell RepRap parts in their store.<p>The two projects still contribute code and ideas to each other, for example: <a href="http://blog.reprap.org/2009/08/one-of-my-partners-at-makerbo.." rel="nofollow">http://blog.reprap.org/2009/08/one-of-my-partners-at-makerbo...</a>.