Is there a market for a small, cheap, consumer 3D printer? That question was answered Monday when Micro, a $299 3D printer, hit its Kickstarter funding goal of $50,000 in mere 11 minutes and continued to raise $1.46 million less than two full days after the campaign started.

Its creator, a Bethesda, Md. company called M3D, calls the Micro the "most affordable 3D printer that can be used right out of the box."

The Micro is a cube-shaped device, 7.3-inch wide and weighing roughly 2.2 lbs. It works with Windows, Mac and Linux, has a USB-compatible connection, and supports a number of different materials, including ABS, PLA and Nylon.

Its most important feature, however, is the price — $299 is pretty cheap when compared to most alternatives on the market. For comparison, Makerbot's Replicator Mini, another compact 3D printer, costs $1,375.

"It’s hard to believe that only 30 hours have gone by," said the team behind the project in an update on Kickstarter. "Thanks to your support, The Micro has received so much attention. You’ve shown the world that we are ready for a new consumer product category."

The Micro should become available in late 2014 or early 2015. M3D claims that the huge interest for the campaign will not delay delivery schedules. "We always planned to eventually go into high-volume production. The additional pledges help us meet our production goals."

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