Creative Makerspace

What Creative Makerspace does

Creator Makerspace AS is a non-profit physical makerspace established in September 2015 and headquartered at Lagerveien 9, Stavanger, Norway, in the Forus district. It operates a single multi-floor facility comprising a prototyping workshop, coworking space, private offices, and a retro arcade sub-brand called Pixels Retro Arcade. The organization serves individual makers, hobbyists, students, startups (including Botanist AS in AgriTech and MASEHome in smart-living furniture), and commercial entities (Nordic Edge, Stringer Technology AS, Tectal), with a community of more than 1,200 connected specialists in the Stavanger region.

The technical core is a well-equipped prototyping workshop combining additive and subtractive fabrication. Additive equipment includes the Markforged Mark Two (carbon-fiber composite), Prusa i3 MK2.5/MK3 (FDM), and Formlabs 2 (SLA); subtractive capabilities include an Epilog Legend 36 EXT laser cutter, Boxford 260 VMC 3-axis CNC mill, Boxford 125 TCL CNC metal lathe, and a 6040 CNC mill. Supporting infrastructure includes a Peel 3D handheld scanner, full metal and wood workshops (bandsaws, tablesaws, planers, pillar drills), soldering and electronics stations with oscilloscopes, and CAD workstations running Fusion 360 and Blender. The facility operates 24/7 for members and is equipped with high-speed internet, conferencing suites, and a shared kitchen.

The business model is membership-driven, supplemented by ancillary services. Standard subscriptions are priced at 540 NOK/month (or 5,940 NOK/year), with Student at 390 NOK/month, Commercial at 1,450 NOK/month (plus VAT), Arcade at 100 NOK/month, and Philanthropist at 1,200 NOK/year; new members pay a one-time 350 NOK registration fee. Additional recurring revenue comes from private offices (3,900 NOK/month), fixed hot-desking (980 NOK/month), and personal storage boxes (50 NOK/month). Transactional revenue includes educational courses (CNC at 800 NOK, max two participants, includes 14 days membership), day passes at 300 NOK, equipment rental (Peel 3D scanner at 500 NOK/day), and a marketplace service offering paid 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC machining, CAD design, and animation to external customers. The company is go-to-market via community-led word-of-mouth and event-driven acquisition through introductory courses and arcade events; it does not have venture backing and operates without a parent company or institutional investor disclosed.

Name

Creative Makerspace

Legal name

Creator Makerspace AS

Website

https://creator.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Makerspace & Coworking Services

akta.pro primary industry

Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

3D Printing, CAD & Digital Fabrication Programs (EDAMADAH), Design & Maker Skills (Graphic Design, Calligraphy, Lettering) (EDAAAGAJ)

Keywords

• Makerspace workshop facilities
• Digital fabrication services
• Coworking office space
• Prototyping equipment rental
• Maker community education

Headquarters

HQ city

Stavanger

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Monthly recurring revenue from Standard, Commercial, Student, and Arcade memberships providing access to workshop facilities, tools, and community. Annual commitments available at discounted rates.
2. Private Office Rental: Monthly rental of private office spaces with varying sizes and pricing. Second floor offices at fixed price, third floor offices priced per square meter.
3. Coworking and Hot-Desking: Non-fixed hot desks included with membership; fixed hot-desking available for additional monthly fee.
4. Educational Courses: Fee-based courses on CNC machining, 3D printing, Fusion 360, and laser cutting. Courses include 14 days of membership. CNC course priced at 800 NOK.
5. Equipment Rental: Short and long-term rental of specialized equipment including 3D scanners (500 NOK/day) and 3D pancake-printing robots for events.
6. Manufacturing Services (Marketplace): 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC machining, CAD design, rendering, and animation services for external customers.
7. Day Passes: One-time 300 NOK pass for single-day access to coworking facilities.
8. Storage Box Rental: Monthly 50 NOK rental of personal storage boxes within the workshop for member project materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Creative Makerspace operates a non-profit community prototyping workshop and coworking facility in Stavanger, Norway, providing members access to professional-grade fabrication equipment (industrial 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, metalworking and woodworking tools). It sells tiered memberships, private offices, educational courses, equipment rental, fabrication marketplace services, corporate team-building experiences, and arcade entertainment.

Product overview

Creator Makerspace is a non-profit physical makerspace in Stavanger, Norway, founded in September 2015. It operates as a community workshop and coworking facility rather than a software platform. The core offerings center on The Workshop (with 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC machining, woodworking, metalworking, and electronics equipment), Coworking Space (with hot-desking and meeting rooms), and Private Office Rental. Additional services include Pixels Retro Arcade (classic gaming), Team Building programs, educational Courses (CNC, 3D printing, Fusion 360, laser cutting), Equipment Rental, Marketplace Services (3D printing, CAD design, laser cutting, CNC machining, Blender, animation), and Storage Box Rental. The company generates revenue through tiered memberships including Standard (540 NOK/month), Commercial (1,450 NOK/month), Student (390 NOK/month), Arcade (100 NOK/month), and Philanthropist (1,200 NOK/year).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pixels Retro Arcade: Classic arcade gaming experience featuring vintage arcade machines, simulators, and retro gaming events within Creator Makerspace.

Products and services

• The Workshop A fully-equipped prototyping workshop providing member access to 3D printing (Markforged Mark Two, Prusa i3 MK2.5, Prusa i3 MK3, Formlabs 2), Epilog Legend 36 EXT laser cutting, CNC machines, woodworking tools, metalworking equipment, and electronics stations. Available to Standard, Commercial, and Student members.
• Coworking Space
• Private Office Rental
• Pixels Retro Arcade
• Team Building Experiences
• Educational Courses
• Equipment Rental
• Marketplace Fabrication Services
• Storage Box Rental
• Day Pass

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,200 specialists connected to the Creator community
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Circular Spaces PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024International partnership initiative fostering circular economy practices across Baltic Sea region makerspaces. Partners from Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Germany, and Norway collaborate on eco-design and material reuse. Project spans 27 months aiming to enhance 15% of regional makerspaces with circular business principles and train 300+ makers in circular product development.
• Valmiera County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner ensuring stability and management of Circular Spaces initiative, allowing other partners to focus on outputs and implementation.
• Technology Park LithuaniasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness support organization participating in international projects and developing future circular makerspaces as part of Circular Spaces consortium.
• Innovation Centre LithuaniasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness support organization contributing to Circular Spaces project and international cooperation in circular economy development.
• Norwegian Additive Manufacturing ClustersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 2022, connects stakeholders and promotes additive manufacturing ecosystem development. Creator participates in NCAM (National Conference for Additive Manufacturing) events.
• ProBarents 3D Print GO NetworksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry network partner co-hosting NCAM2024 conference on additive manufacturing in Hammerfest.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fab Foundation (FabLab Network): Global network of more than 2,500 Fab Labs offering open-access digital fabrication tools and community-based making. Directly comparable as a non-profit makerspace/fab lab model with similar equipment stacks (3D printing, laser cutting, CNC) and educational mission.
• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused coworking and innovation spaces in over 100 cities. Comparable as a membership-based, mission-driven workspace combining coworking, events, and community programming for entrepreneurs and innovators.
• Bolt (Berlin Makerspace): Non-profit makerspace in Berlin providing 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC, woodworking, and electronics to a member community. Directly comparable business model, equipment offering, and community-led GTM approach.
• TechShop (legacy): Pioneering US chain of membership-based makerspaces offering industrial equipment, courses, and prototyping services. Closest historical peer in terms of business model, pricing tiers, and equipment stack before its 2017 closure.
• Noisebridge: San Francisco-based non-profit hackerspace/makerspace offering shared tools, electronics, and community for tinkerers. Comparable as a community-driven, donation/membership-funded maker organization with shared industrial equipment.

Broad incumbents

• WeWork: Global coworking and flexible-office operator with hundreds of locations. Broader incumbent overlapping on coworking and private office rentals, but does not offer the prototyping workshop, fabrication equipment, or maker community focus.

Emerging players

• Formlabs: US-based manufacturer of professional SLA and SLS 3D printers used by designers, engineers, and dentists. Adjacent player that supplies the kind of high-end 3D printing equipment (Form 2/3/4) Creator uses, with overlapping customer segments but a hardware-product business model.
• MakerBot Industries (Stratasys): Desktop 3D printer manufacturer now owned by Stratasys, targeting education, engineering, and prosumer users. Adjacent ecosystem player providing equipment for makerspaces and competing with in-house industrial 3D printing as it improves.

Others

• Shapeways: Online 3D printing and manufacturing marketplace offering on-demand production services. Overlaps on Creator's marketplace fabrication services from a digital, no-facility angle — a substitute channel for customers seeking outsourced prototyping.

Regional players

• London Makerspace: UK-based non-profit makerspace providing member access to workshop tools, courses, and community events. Comparable model and equipment offering but operating in a different European geography from Creator's Stavanger base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/creatormakerspace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/creator-makerspace
• Instagraminstagram.com/creatormakerspace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Creative Makerspace