What Maker Media does

Maker Media, operating as Make Community, LLC, is a Sebastopol/Santa Rosa, California-based private company that built and operates the global infrastructure for the "maker" category it helped define. Founded in 2005 by Dale Dougherty and Tim O'Reilly at O'Reilly Media, the company publishes Make: Magazine (a quarterly print and digital DIY technology publication) and a library of 125+ Make: Books, runs the Maker Faire global event network (200+ independently produced festivals across 45+ countries, though contracted to 144 faires across 26 countries in 2023), and operates Maker Shed, an e-commerce storefront for electronics kits, microcontrollers, tools, and curated maker supplies.

The company's technology platform is a standard digital media and community stack: a content management system powering makezine.com and make.co, subscription and membership management with multiple tiers (Community free, Premium $59.99/year, multi-seat school and corporate plans $250–$325/year), and an e-commerce engine for Maker Shed. The Make: Community platform adds a makerspace directory, member directory, and digital archive of magazine back issues, while Make:cast podcast, Make: Learning Labs, Maker Camp, and an ambassador program extend the content and community surface.

The business model is a hybrid consumer media and events company. Revenue is generated through consumer magazine and membership subscriptions (digital and print, $24.99–$59.99/year), event ticket sales and sponsorships across the Maker Faire network, Maker Shed retail (kits, books, tools), book sales through Maker Shed and third-party retailers, and a corporate partnership program for brand sponsors. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via owned digital properties and physical presence at Maker Faire Bay Area. The customer base is fragmented across individual hobbyists, educators, families, tech enthusiasts, schools/libraries, and corporate partners, with paid magazine distribution approaching 80,000 and millions of community members engaged globally since 2005. The company has raised a disclosed $10M in institutional capital (2013 and 2015 rounds led by Floodgate, O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, Obvious Ventures, and Raine Ventures) and in 2025 opened community equity investment via Wefunder, signaling a shift toward smaller, mission-aligned capital outside traditional VC.

Name

Maker Media

Legal name

Make Community, LLC

Website

https://make.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Make Community (Maker Media) is a Sebastopol, California-based media and events company that publishes Make: Magazine, operates the global Maker Faire event network across 45+ countries, runs the Maker Shed e-commerce store, and serves individual makers, educators, schools, and corporate partners through subscription memberships and a 20-year DIY content archive.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

DIY Maker Media and Education

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Events & Experiences (Trips, Houses, Retreats) (MPAAAHAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Content & Creative Studio for Creators (Concepting/Production) (MPAAAHAD)

Keywords

• Maker media publishing
• DIY technology magazine
• STEAM education resources
• Maker community events
• Electronics kits retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Sebastopol

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Quarterly Make: Magazine available in print and digital formats. Print subscriptions available for US residents; digital subscriptions include access to digital archive. Premium membership includes both print and digital.
2. E-commerce (Maker Shed): Online store selling electronics kits, robotics, microcontrollers, tools, supplies, and curated books. Physical presence at Maker Faire Bay Area events.
3. Book Sales: Over 125 titles covering electronics, DIY technology, digital fabrication, education, and more. Sold through Maker Shed and third-party retailers.
4. Membership Subscriptions: Multiple tiers: Community (free), Premium ($59.99/year), Multi-seat options for organizations ($250-$325/year). Includes digital access, print magazine, video library, and community features.
5. Maker Faire Events: Ticket sales for Maker Faire events globally. Regional and flagship events create revenue through admissions, sponsorships, and vendor participation.
6. Corporate Partnerships: Partnership programs with brands for integrated marketing, sponsorships, and business development opportunities at events and across platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Maker Media (operating as Make Community LLC) operates a multi-platform ecosystem centered on the maker movement. Its core offerings include Make: Magazine (a quarterly DIY technology publication), Maker Faire (a global network of family-friendly invention festivals held in 200+ locations), and Maker Shed (an e-commerce store for maker kits, books, tools, and microcontrollers). The company also publishes Make: Books (125+ titles), runs Maker Camp for youth STEAM education, and operates a membership-based community platform with digital archives and makerspace directories.

Product overview

Maker Media operates a multi-platform ecosystem centered on the maker movement, combining print and digital media with live events and e-commerce. The core offerings include Make: Magazine (a quarterly DIY technology publication), Maker Faire (a global network of family-friendly invention festivals), and Maker Shed (an e-commerce store for maker tools, kits, and books). Supporting products include Make: Books (125+ titles covering electronics and digital fabrication), Maker Camp (STEAM-focused projects for youth), Make:cast (podcast by founder Dale Dougherty), Make: Community (membership platform with digital archives and directories), and Make: Newsletters. The company was founded in 2005 and has cultivated millions of makers globally through these interconnected products and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Make: Magazine A quarterly publication featuring DIY technology projects, tutorials, skill builders, and stories covering electronics, robotics, 3D printing, woodworking, digital fabrication, and crafting. Referred to as the 'bible' for makers, accessible in print and digital formats.
• Maker Faire A family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness ('The Greatest Show and Tell on Earth') held globally with 200+ events annually, showcasing projects from creators, tinkerers, artists, engineers, and enthusiasts of all ages.
• Maker Shed Official online and in-person retail store for the maker movement, offering electronics kits, robotics, microcontrollers, tools, supplies, books, and magazines curated by the Make: team.
• Make: Books A library of more than 125 maker-written books covering electronics, DIY technology, digital fabrication, microcontrollers (Arduino, Raspberry Pi), drones, 3D printing, and education, sold directly and through third-party retailers.
• Maker Camp An online collection of projects and resources for educators and parents designed to engage young people in creative, hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) projects.
• Make: Community Membership A membership platform offering community connection, maker directory, makerspace directory, complete digital archive of Make: Magazine, exclusive videos, member-only events, and Founder Newsletter for makers worldwide.
• Make:cast Podcast A podcast hosted by Make: founder Dale Dougherty featuring interviews with maker educators, innovators, and community leaders discussing tools and ideas behind the maker movement.
• Make: Learning Labs An educational platform offering workshops, project boards, reviews, and projects for learning new maker skills from expert makers, supporting continuous skill development.
• Makerspaces Directory A community-driven directory of makerspaces, Fab Labs, and hackerspaces spanning continents, cultures, and disciplines, helping users discover collaborative environments for making.
• Maker Campus Virtual workshops for makers by makers, expanding educational reach beyond in-person events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ Maker Faires annually across the globe
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Corporate PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership program with global brands developing maker strategies through integrated and innovative programs. Partners receive recognition, marketing, business development, networking opportunities, and deep involvement in maker events and platforms.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• O'Reilly Media: Long-established technology book and learning publisher where Make: Magazine originated (Dale Dougherty and Tim O'Reilly co-founded Make: within O'Reilly Media). Directly comparable as a learning-focused publisher serving the tech/maker community with books, conferences, and online learning platforms.
• Arduino: Open-source microcontroller platform and ecosystem (hardware, software, education) that has been a cornerstone of the maker movement since its 2005 launch — coinciding with Make: Magazine's founding. Comparable in education programs, hardware kits, and community-building for makers.
• Raspberry Pi Foundation: Charity behind the Raspberry Pi single-board computer, with deep focus on computing and STEAM education for young people. Comparable mission to Make:'s Maker Camp and education programs; debuted at World Maker Faire New York in 2012.
• Popular Mechanics (Hearst): Long-running DIY/science publication covering tools, technology, and hands-on projects. Comparable as a legacy media brand serving the DIY/maker audience with magazine content, though Hearst operates at much larger scale across multiple titles.

Direct peers

• Adafruit Industries: Open-source hardware company selling electronics kits, microcontrollers, tools, and tutorials to the maker/DIY community. Directly comparable in e-commerce (Maker Shed), educational content, and target audience of individual makers, educators, and hobbyists.
• SparkFun Electronics: Electronics retailer providing components, kits, boards, and tutorials to makers, educators, and hobbyists. Closely comparable to Maker Shed's product mix and educational positioning, with overlapping customer segments.
• Instructables (Autodesk): DIY project-sharing platform owned by Autodesk where users publish step-by-step tutorials across electronics, crafts, and maker categories. Directly comparable as a community-driven maker content platform serving the same DIY creator audience.
• Hackster.io: Online community and publishing platform for hardware developers and makers, featuring project tutorials, product reviews, and a hardware directory. Directly comparable as a digital maker community platform with project-based content and a maker/educator audience.

Emerging players

• Tested (Adam Savage): Maker-focused digital media brand (formerly Mythbusters' Adam Savage) producing video content, podcasts, and event activations around making, tools, and craftsmanship. Comparable in creator-led maker media, event presence, and educational content targeting enthusiast makers.
• Tinkercard (Autodesk): Free, browser-based 3D design and electronics simulation tool owned by Autodesk, popular in K-12 and maker education. Comparable in the STEAM/maker education segment and in targeting the same educators and hobbyist makers as Maker Camp and Make: Learning Labs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChtY6O8Ahw2cz05PS2GhUbg
• Facebookfacebook.com/311770118944605
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maker-media

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors6 records

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 Maker Media