Makers Empire
Makers Empire is an Adelaide-based EdTech company that provides a patented K-8 3D design, design thinking, and STEM learning platform, sold via school and district subscriptions to more than 1,000 schools across 40 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersAdelaide, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Makers Empire does
Makers Empire is an Australian education technology company, founded in 2013 in Adelaide by BAFTA-winning game designer Roland Peddie and headquartered at the Lot Fourteen innovation hub. The company builds a K-8 3D design and learning platform — anchored by the patented Makers Empire 3D App — that enables primary and elementary school students to create, share, and 3D print designs while developing design thinking, spatial reasoning, and STEM skills. The platform combines curriculum-aligned Challenge Courses, the Maze Mania 3D game creator, AR visualization, monthly design competitions, and NESA-endorsed teacher professional development programs (Learning by Design, Teaching by Design).
The company operates a hybrid B2B / B2C go-to-market. Revenue is generated primarily through annual class- and school-level subscriptions, custom multi-year district contracts, NESA-endorsed professional development courses, and managed pilot programs for school groups. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales to school districts and government education departments, channel partnerships (SYNNEX in the US, Ibtikar in UAE), and self-service sign-ups via the company dashboard and major app stores. The company has reached 850,000+ students and 16,000+ teachers across 1,000+ schools in 40 countries (as of June 2019), with validated learning outcomes from Macquarie University and UniSA research partnerships. Strategic partnerships span SA Department for Education, UAE Ministry of Education, Denver Public Schools, Andy Thomas Space Foundation, Polar 3D, and the Australian Space Agency; the platform is COPPA, ST4S, B Corp, and Common Sense Education certified.
Makers Empire firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Makers Empire
- Legal name
- Makers Empire
- Website
- https://makersempire.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Makers Empire is an Adelaide-based EdTech company that provides a patented K-8 3D design, design thinking, and STEM learning platform, sold via school and district subscriptions to more than 1,000 schools across 40 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Makers Empire industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Educational Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- akta.pro primary industry
- 3D Printing, CAD & Digital Fabrication Programs (EDAMADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Game Development (Unity, Unreal, 2D/3D) (EDAMACAE), Game-Based CS & Computational Thinking Platforms (EDAFANAD), Maker / DIY Electronics & Physical Computing Platforms (EDAFANAC), Creator Tools & Content Pipelines for Immersive Learning (VR lesson builders, 3D asset workflows) (EDAFAJAL)
Keywords
Where Makers Empire is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Adelaide
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices4 records
Markets served
Makers Empire business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- School Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions for schools and districts to access the Makers Empire 3D platform, teacher dashboard, challenge courses, and professional development
- Class & School Subscriptions: Tiered subscription plans for individual classes, schools, and district-wide deployments with varying features and user limits
- Custom Solutions for Districts: Custom implementation, training, and support services for large school districts with specific requirements
- Professional Development Courses: NESA-endorsed professional development courses (Learning by Design, Teaching by Design) providing teacher accreditation hours
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Class & School Subscriptions - Annual licensing for educational institutions |
| Hybrid | Multi-year contract | Custom Solutions for School Groups |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels7 records
Makers Empire product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Makers Empire develops and sells a 3D design software platform that enables K-8 students to create, share, and 3D print designs while learning design thinking, STEM, and 21st-century skills. The platform is delivered through annual class, school, and district subscriptions, complemented by NESA-endorsed teacher professional development courses (Learning by Design and Teaching by Design), curriculum-aligned Challenge Courses, and a Teacher Dashboard with built-in assessment and privacy controls.
Product overview
Makers Empire is a unified 3D learning platform combining the Makers Empire 3D App as the core product with curriculum-aligned Challenge Courses, professional development programs (Learning by Design and Teaching by Design), and gamified features like Maze Mania. The platform integrates with major educational SSO systems and supports school-wide deployments through subscription plans. Supplementary programs include monthly Design Thinking competitions, the Kids in Space national space education program, and the Aurora space education program. The platform is B Corp certified and designed for K-8 students to develop creativity, design thinking, and STEM skills through 3D design and printing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Makers Empire 3D: The company's flagship 3D design and modeling software application for K-8 education.
- Learning by Design Course
- Teaching by Design Course
- Maze Mania
- Kids in Space
- MakeShop
Products and services
- Makers Empire 3D App The flagship 3D design and modeling software application for K-8 students, available on iPad, Android, Windows, and Mac. Allows students as young as four years old to create, share, and 3D print designs using intuitive tools. Licensed to schools, districts, and individual teachers/families via app stores and subscription plans.
- Learning by Design Course A ten-week blended professional development program for teachers covering Design Thinking, STEM, and 21st-century learning skills using 3D design and printing. NESA-endorsed at the Proficient Teacher level, contributing 20 hours of accredited professional development.
- Teaching by Design Course A 10-hour blended professional learning course building on Learning by Design, endorsed by NESA at the Highly Accomplished Teacher level, counting toward teacher accreditation in NSW.
Quantifiable outcome
- Students experienced significant improvement in spatial reasoning skills and attitudes towards STEM subjects
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Makers Empire
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Makers Empire technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability3 records
Feature7 records
Makers Empire partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- National Foundation for Australia-China RelationscorePartnership for Celebrating Chinese-Australians free education program promoting multiculturalism through interactive Challenge Course and national competition.
- Australian Space AgencyflagshipProject supporter for Kids in Space national program alongside ATSF and Makers Empire delivering space-themed, technology-based design thinking projects to 65+ schools across Australia.
- SA WatercorePartnership delivering education in sustainable water management through Water Warriors program with expo-style showcase involving 12 South Australian schools.
- BAE Systems AustraliacorePartnership for Beacon Ngutuku Miyurna Holiday Program inviting students to explore connection to country through virtual storytelling and eco-inspired VR creations.
- CITB (Construction Industry Training Board)corePartnership with CITB to help school students in South Australia start learning about careers in construction through 3D design and printing.
- Bushfire Kids ConnectcorePartnership delivering bushfire awareness and wellness education program to ten South Australian primary schools in city, hills and regional communities.
- Andy Thomas Space FoundationflagshipPartnership with Andy Thomas Space Foundation (ATSF) for Aurora Program and Kids in Space national program delivering education and awareness of space career opportunities to Australian primary school children. Multiple successful programs since 2022.
- University of South Australia (UniSA)coreResearch partnership to measure impact of 3D learning experiences on development of students' spatial skills and STEM dispositions. New research in 2022 showed significant improvement in spatial reasoning skills.
- SYNNEX CorporationcorePartnership with SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX), an industry leader in IT distribution, to provide Makers Empire to US education customers through distribution channel.
- IbtikarflagshipDubai-based education consultancy delivering country-wide rollout of 3D technology into 200+ UAE Ministry of Education primary schools. Ibtikar trains MoE teachers to deliver the program.
- Macquarie UniversitycoreResearch partnership revealing compelling evidence of benefits of makerspaces in primary school settings. Research study showed Makers Empire effective at developing children's creativity, critical thinking, design thinking and digital skills.
- University of AdelaidecorePartnership with Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation Centre at University of Adelaide to deliver introductory 3D printing courses for people with little or no 3D experience. Also delivered Prototyping with 3D Printing course for postgraduate students.
- Polar 3DcorePartnership with American technology company Polar 3D for delivery of GE Additive Education Program. Polar 3D invested in Makers Empire. Through the partnership, Makers Empire was included in the GE Additive Education Program delivering classroom packages to schools globally, giving access to 3D printing to nearly 200,000 students.
- SA Department for EducationflagshipMulti-phase partnership (2016-2019) for 3D printing in primary schools project. Phase 1 with ~20 schools, Phase 2 with 50 schools, Phase 3 with 100 schools. By 2019, 270 SA schools completed Makers Empire's Learning by Design course.
- New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)corePartnership with NYIT's Technology Based Learning Systems on successful pilot introducing Makers Empire's 3D printing learning program to New York State schools.
- MicrosoftcoreTechnology partner providing cloud hosting infrastructure and integration support. Microsoft Azure hosts Makers Empire's data center with servers in Washington State (USA).
- GooglecoreTechnology integration partner. Google Analytics used for website traffic analysis and bug tracking. Integration with Google Classroom for seamless school deployment.
- ApplecoreTechnology integration partner. Available on Apple App Store. Apple School Manager integration for educational deployment.
- HPcoreHP Robots Competition partnership. Technology partner for 3D printing and design programs.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Makers Empire competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 3Doodler: 3Doodler produces 3D printing pens and educational STEM programs for K-12. While their primary hardware is different, they compete in the same 3D-making-for-schools category and sell into similar district procurement channels.
- BlocksCAD: BlocksCAD is a block-based 3D CAD platform built specifically for education, combining coding and 3D design. It targets the same K-12 STEM integration use case as Makers Empire with curriculum-aligned lesson plans.
- Tinkercad: Tinkercad (Autodesk) is a free browser-based 3D design and modeling tool widely used in K-12 education. It directly competes with Makers Empire for the same teachers and students seeking easy-to-learn 3D design for printing and STEM learning.
- Morphi: Morphi is a 3D modeling and design app for iPad widely used in K-12 classrooms, with education plans and teacher resources. It overlaps directly with Makers Empire's tablet-based 3D design and curriculum use case.
- SketchUp for Schools: SketchUp for Schools (Trimble) offers free 3D modeling software with education-specific features for K-12. It competes head-to-head with Makers Empire in the K-8 3D design category with comparable curriculum integration and Google Classroom integration.
Broad incumbents
- Canva for Education: Canva for Education provides free design tools to teachers and students. While broader in scope, it competes for the same design-thinking curriculum time and may serve as a substitute for some 3D design use cases in resource-constrained schools.
- Kahoot!: Kahoot! is a publicly listed education engagement and curriculum platform with global K-12 reach. While focused on interactive learning rather than 3D design, it represents the broader category of globally scaled K-12 subscription edtech that Makers Empire aspires to become.
- Promethean: Promethean is a global K-12 edtech company providing interactive classroom technology and curriculum software. It competes for the same district-level purchasing decisions and is comparable in scale and global reach to Makers Empire's ambitions.
- SMART Technologies: SMART Technologies is an established edtech vendor selling interactive displays and learning software into K-12. While hardware-led, they overlap with Makers Empire at the school district procurement level and increasingly in learning software subscriptions.
Emerging players
- Tynker: Tynker is a K-8 STEM/coding learning platform with subscription-based curriculum. While focused on coding rather than 3D design, it competes for the same STEM/STEAM budget allocation from schools and districts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Makers Empire social profiles
Digital presenceMakers Empire compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Makers Empire financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Makers Empire leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Makers Empire funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Makers Empire M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Makers Empire
What does Makers Empire do?
Makers Empire develops and sells a 3D design software platform that enables K-8 students to create, share, and 3D print designs while learning design thinking, STEM, and 21st-century skills. The platform is delivered through annual class, school, and district subscriptions, complemented by NESA-endorsed teacher professional development courses (Learning by Design and Teaching by Design), curriculum-aligned Challenge Courses, and a Teacher Dashboard with built-in assessment and privacy controls.
Is Makers Empire a public or private company?
Makers Empire is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Makers Empire founded?
Makers Empire was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Makers Empire based?
Makers Empire is headquartered in Adelaide, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Makers Empire make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. School Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are class & School Subscriptions, custom Solutions for Districts and professional Development Courses.
Who are Makers Empire's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 3Doodler, BlocksCAD, Tinkercad, Morphi and SketchUp for Schools. Broad incumbents are Canva for Education, Kahoot!, Promethean and SMART Technologies. Tynker is listed as an emerging player.
Does Makers Empire have an API?
No public API is recorded for Makers Empire.
What industry is Makers Empire in?
Makers Empire's product category is K-12 Educational Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMADAH, 3D Printing, CAD & Digital Fabrication Programs, with a secondary code of EDAMACAE, Game Development (Unity, Unreal, 2D/3D). Its NAICS code is 5132.