Make Works
Make Works is a small Glasgow-based operator of UKBackorder, a self-serve platform that automatically catches expiring UK (.uk) domains for a £55 fixed fee per successful sole backorder, with auctions for contested drops. It serves domain investors and UK businesses on a no-catch, no-fee transactional basis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersGlasgow, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Make Works does
Make Works operates as a small Glasgow-based private company whose primary commercial activity, as reflected across the available data, is the operation of UKBackorder, a self-serve domain backordering platform focused exclusively on UK (.uk) TLD names. Customers search for and place backorders on expiring UK domains through the website; the platform monitors expiration cycles and attempts to register the domain the millisecond it becomes available. When a domain is caught, it is either allocated immediately to a sole backorder holder for a fixed fee of £55, or enters a 5-7 day auction if multiple backorders exist. Payment is contingent on a successful catch under a no-catch-no-fee model, eliminating downside risk for the customer.
The underlying technology is a deterministic automated catching system rather than an AI-driven platform: scheduled registration jobs triggered at the precise moment a UK domain transitions from registered to available, with no disclosed ML components, proprietary models, or data flywheel. Supporting infrastructure includes a separate droplists property (ukdroplists.com) that publishes 30-day dropping-domain lists with statistics as a content-led acquisition channel. The go-to-market is product-led growth with no sales team, no channel partners, and no disclosed enterprise contracts; customers are a long tail of domain investors, portfolio managers, and UK businesses seeking specific brand or traffic-bearing names.
The business model is a transactional take-rate on successful catches, with auction outcomes providing upside on contested drops (observed listings clearing in the £65-£234 range). The company has been operating for over a decade and reports tens of thousands of successful catches, but has disclosed only a single early-stage seed round (Seedcamp, 2014) and has not raised follow-on capital. Headcount sits at 1-10 employees and there are no signals of geographic expansion beyond the UK TLD market or of adjacent product lines.
Make Works firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Make Works
- Legal name
- UK Backorder
- Website
- https://makeworks.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Make Works is a small Glasgow-based operator of UKBackorder, a self-serve platform that automatically catches expiring UK (.uk) domains for a £55 fixed fee per successful sole backorder, with auctions for contested drops. It serves domain investors and UK businesses on a no-catch, no-fee transactional basis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Make Works is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Glasgow
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Make Works business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Domain Catch Fee: When a domain is successfully caught and registered, customers pay a fixed price of £55 if they had the only backorder. If multiple backorders exist, there is a 5 to 7 day auction. Payment is only made after a successful catch or winning an auction. No catch - no fee model.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Single Backorder - £55 Fixed Price |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Make Works product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Make Works is an online factory-finding platform that aggregates UK-based manufacturers, fabricators, and material suppliers into a searchable directory. The platform helps makers, designers, and artists discover and connect with production partners for creative projects, acting as a discovery layer between creative professionals and the manufacturing ecosystem.
Product overview
UKBackorder is a single, unified domain backordering service focused exclusively on UK (.uk) domains. The service operates on a simple model: customers place backorders on desired domains, and the system automatically attempts to register the domain the millisecond it becomes available. If only one backorder exists, the customer pays a fixed £55 fee; multiple backorders trigger a 5-7 day auction. No payment is required unless the domain is successfully caught.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Make Works Factory Finder Online directory platform that aggregates UK-based manufacturers, fabricators, and material suppliers into a searchable database, enabling makers, designers, and artists to discover production partners for creative projects.
Companies that use Make Works
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Make Works technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Make Works partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Make Works competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Maker's Row: US-based directory and marketplace connecting designers and brands with American factories and manufacturers. Closest direct functional peer to Make Works — same factory-finder model, just across the Atlantic.
- Sqetch: European B2B platform that connects fashion and apparel brands with vetted manufacturers. Directly comparable to Make Works in serving independent designers seeking short-run production partners.
- The Manufacturer: UK-focused media and directory platform serving the manufacturing sector. Comparable as a UK manufacturing information hub, though it skews toward large industrial manufacturers rather than small-batch artisan producers.
Regional players
- Folksy: UK-based online marketplace for handmade and British-designed craft goods. Comparable in serving the UK maker/designer community, though operating on the consumer demand side rather than production-matching.
- Notonthehighstreet: UK curated marketplace for independent designers and small brands. Adjacent to Make Works' designer/artist audience and provides a downstream sales channel for the same supply base Make Works supports.
Broad incumbents
- Etsy: Global marketplace for handmade, vintage, and craft goods, with a massive maker and designer seller base. A much larger, broader incumbent operating in the same maker/designer ecosystem, but focused on the consumer retail side rather than production matching.
Emerging players
- Shapeways: On-demand 3D printing and manufacturing marketplace that connects designers with production services. A more specialized emerging player in the same design-to-production matching space Make Works occupies.
- Faire: Wholesale marketplace connecting independent brands and makers with retailers. Comparable in serving the independent designer/small brand segment with marketplace technology, though more retail-discovery focused than production-matching.
- Tindie: Marketplace for hobbyist electronics and maker hardware, connecting independent designers with small-batch production and components. Adjacent to Make Works' maker audience with a hardware/electronics focus.
Others
- FabLab Network: Global network of digital fabrication labs and maker spaces. Related ecosystem infrastructure that serves the same maker/designer community Make Works supports, but on the prototyping/tools side rather than production matching.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Make Works social profiles
Digital presenceMake Works financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Make Works leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Make Works funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Make Works 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 Make Works
What does Make Works do?
Make Works is an online factory-finding platform that aggregates UK-based manufacturers, fabricators, and material suppliers into a searchable directory. The platform helps makers, designers, and artists discover and connect with production partners for creative projects, acting as a discovery layer between creative professionals and the manufacturing ecosystem.
Is Make Works a public or private company?
Make Works is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Make Works founded?
Make Works was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Make Works based?
Make Works is headquartered in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Make Works make money?
One revenue line is on record: domain Catch Fee.
Who are Make Works's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Maker's Row, Sqetch and The Manufacturer. Regional players are Folksy and Notonthehighstreet. Etsy is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Shapeways, Faire and Tindie. FabLab Network is listed as an others.
Does Make Works have an API?
No public API is recorded for Make Works.