The RoboUniverse trade shows and conferences, and the Inside 3D Printing shows, hosted by MecklerMedia, have been acquired by Rising Media, a Germany-based global events producer focusing on Internet and technology-related conferences and exhibitions.

The unexpected MecklerMedia dissolution, was announced on December 21, 2015 and comes on the heels of health concerns for CEO and founder Alan Meckler, as well as “many months of unsuccessful efforts to raise capital and/or seek a potential acquirer” for the company.

Meckler is better and reported in a recent email:

I had a life threatening illness and am just recovering after 8 weeks of home rest.  I should be okay now but decided that running all over the world working on trade shows was not a wise thing to do going forward – so I am now semi-retired.

RoboUniverse, a conference and expo with 2016 events scheduled for Singapore, New York, Seoul, Shanghai and San Diego, provides a series of seminars, tutorials, and exhibits from which attendees can gain insight into robotics and learn about the educational, business, and technical opportunities within the industry.

Inside 3D Printing has many more events scheduled for 2016 (Singapore, Düsseldorf, São Paulo, New York, Sydney, Paris, Seoul, Mumbai and San Diego). It’s a B2B trade show for the 3D printing industry.

Rising Media, headquartered in Starnberg (near Munich) Germany, with offices in London, Boston and Santa Barbara, didn’t provide any financial details regarding the acquisition but Matthew Finlay, Founder and CEO of Rising Media, said:

“Inside 3D Printing and RoboUniverse are fantastic additions to our portfolio of market-leading technology events. Our European team was pleased with the launch two years ago of Inside 3D Printing in Germany. Adding the already successful U.S. events to our operations creates a great deal of synergy.