What Maker's Asylum does

Maker's Asylum is a community-driven maker education social enterprise headquartered in a 10,000+ sq ft heritage makerspace in Moira, Goa, India, founded in 2013 by Vaibhav Chhabra. It operates a hybrid learning platform that combines online skill-building modules, globally shipped hardware kits, and intensive 7-day in-person residencies at the Goa facility, teaching digital fabrication (3D printing, laser cutting), electronics (PCB design, embedded systems), robotics, IoT, CAD/CAM/CAE, AR/VR, and woodworking. Its core product lines are the Innovation School (ages 13+), Innovation School L2, Maker Skills workshops, and the SDG School for social innovation aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, supplemented by a broad catalog of short technical courses and the FISE fellowship.

The company serves four primary customer segments: young makers (ages 13+) building portfolios for university admissions, globally diverse students and changemakers (40+ countries, 50+ cities) seeking purpose-driven education, schools seeking experiential curriculum and teacher training, and beginner hobbyists seeking structured hands-on skill-building. Revenue is generated primarily through non-refundable program tuition (payable in full or via EMI plans through partner banks) and ancillary hardware kit sales shipped to participants; SDG School access is subsidized by up to 90% through 50+ annual scholarships funded via partnerships with The Akanksha Foundation, Ummat Foundation, and Panah Communities.

Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: content marketing through an extensive blog and active social channels, earned media via UNDP India, The Goa'n, and Herald Goa, plus recurring touchpoints including the annual MBC Summit, Hack Nights, Repair Cafes, and community workshops. Distribution is primarily direct through the company website (Shopify-powered checkout), with NGO channel partners for underserved youth and EMI bank partners for affordability. The organization has produced 2,000+ alumni (with placements reported at MIT, Stanford, Columbia, Imperial College London, and Cornell) and demonstrated crisis-response capability by delivering over one million face shields in 49 days during COVID-19.

Name

Maker's Asylum

Legal name

Maker's Asylum

Website

https://makersasylum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maker's Asylum is a community-driven maker education social enterprise based in Goa, India, offering hybrid programs in digital fabrication, electronics, robotics, and design for young makers, schools, and changemakers worldwide, anchored by a 10,000+ sq ft heritage makerspace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Revenue is generated through tuition fees for educational programs including the Innovation School and Maker Skills courses. Fees can be paid in full or through EMI plans offered by partnered banks. The program fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.
2. Hardware Kit Sales: Physical hardware kits required for programs are shipped to participants. Participants are responsible for customs duties, taxes, and additional fees for international shipments. This creates ancillary revenue from hardware provision alongside program enrollment.
3. Scholarships and Financial Aid: The company offers 50+ scholarships annually with up to 90% need-based support for SDG School programs, funded through partnerships with foundations like The Akanksha Foundation, Ummat Foundation, and Panah Communities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Maker's Asylum delivers hands-on maker education through hybrid programs that combine online skill-building modules, hardware kit delivery, and intensive in-person residencies at a 10,000+ sq ft makerspace in Goa. Core offerings include the Innovation School (100-hour hybrid program for ages 13+), Maker Skills short courses, and the SDG School focused on UN Sustainable Development Goals, covering digital fabrication, electronics, robotics, IoT, AR/VR, and CAD.

Product overview

Maker's Asylum is a community-driven maker education platform offering a portfolio of programs and courses centered on hands-on STE(A)M learning. The core offerings are the Innovation School (a hybrid program for ages 13+ combining online skill-building, hardware kit delivery, and a 7-day residency in Goa), Innovation School L2, and the Maker Skills program. These are supplemented by the SDG School, Youth Innovation Program, and Foundation for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (FISE). The organization also provides an extensive catalog of technical courses spanning digital fabrication (3D printing, laser cutting), electronics (PCB design, embedded systems, micro soldering), robotics, IoT programming, CAD/CAM/CAE, AR/VR development, and game design. Additional offerings include woodworking, experiential educator training, and social innovation programs. The platform operates a 10,000+ sq ft makerspace in Moira, Goa, and delivers programs both in-person and online globally. Maker's Asylum also maintains a blog publishing educational content on maker skills, portfolio building, career development, and social innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Innovation School A 100-hour hybrid program for ages 13+ combining online skill-building modules (CAD, electronics, robotics, PCB design, IoT), hardware kit delivery, and a 7-day intensive residency at the Goa makerspace where students prototype real-world solutions using design thinking and frugal innovation.
• Innovation School L2 An advanced-level follow-on program to the Innovation School for students who have completed the first level and seek deeper, more intensive project work and mentorship.
• Maker Skills Hands-on, beginner-friendly skill programs in woodworking, electronics, digital fabrication, robotics, 3D printing, laser cutting, CAD, PCB design, IoT, AR/VR, and game design available in both online and offline formats (2-day and 6-day), with hardware kits shipped to participants for remote learning.
• SDG School (Sustainable Development Goals School) A purpose-driven program aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals where students work on social innovation projects addressing challenges such as gender equality, clean water, and responsible consumption, producing portfolio-worthy projects. Includes scholarship access through NGO partnerships.
• Foundation for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (FISE) A foundation-level program that supports innovation and social entrepreneurship through structured making, design thinking, and problem-solving frameworks for aspiring changemakers.
• Social Innovation Fellowship A fellowship program for students and young changemakers focused on social innovation projects with global exposure and mentorship.
• Social Innovation Immersion Program A global immersion experience for students focused on social innovation, providing international exposure and collaborative project work.
• Social Innovation Lab A lab-based program for students and educators to engage in social innovation through hands-on project work and structured experimentation.
• Youth Innovation Program A program focused on future problem solvers, providing interdisciplinary STEAM exposure and portfolio-building for young people aged 13+.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ alumni produced 300+ social innovation projects across 40+ nations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• ShopifysupportingTechnology or IntegrationShopify powers the company's e-commerce store for program enrollment and payments. The platform handles order processing, payment collection, and checkout functionality.
• Google AnalyticssupportingTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Analytics is used for website analytics and marketing performance measurement, helping track visitor behavior, traffic sources, and marketing effectiveness.
• The Akanksha FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to extend maker education access to underserved youth in India. The Akanksha Foundation focuses on education equity and aligns with Maker's Asylum's social mission.
• Ummat FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide maker education opportunities to underprivileged communities. Supports scholarship distribution and program access for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Panah CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to extend maker education to underserved youth through community-based programs. Helps identify and support scholarship recipients in need of financial assistance.
• Unicorn PlatformsupportingTechnology or IntegrationWebsite building platform used to construct and maintain the Maker's Asylum website. Visible in the footer as the website building technology provider.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Workbench Projects: An India-based community makerspace offering hands-on fabrication tools, workshops, and STEAM education programs. Directly comparable as a peer Indian makerspace serving a similar maker community with shared physical infrastructure and educational mission.
• Avishkaar: India-focused STEM and robotics education platform serving K-12 students with kits, curriculum, and franchise-based programs. Comparable target customer (Indian students and schools), maker education focus, and STEM kit-based delivery model.
• Fab Foundation: Global non-profit that supports the Fab Lab network of community digital fabrication labs. Directly comparable as a maker education and digital fabrication infrastructure operator with a global footprint and educational mission.
• Tinkerly: Indian STEM learning platform offering AR/VR-integrated coding and robotics kits for school students. Comparable as a peer in the India STEM education space targeting similar age groups with hardware kits and curriculum-aligned programs.
• STEMROBO: India-based STEAM and AI/robotics education provider for K-12 students through kits, lab setups, and teacher training. Comparable in product (STEM kits), customer (Indian schools and students), and maker-education positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Makeblock: Global STEAM education provider offering programmable robots, maker kits, and software for K-12 and hobbyist makers. Comparable product category (DIY electronics and physical computing kits) but at much larger scale and broader geographic distribution.
• Adafruit: US-based open-source hardware retailer and educator offering electronics kits, tutorials, and learning resources for makers. Comparable maker-education ecosystem serving hobbyists and students, though operating as a retail/content model rather than residency-based.
• Arduino: Global open-source hardware and software platform for maker electronics education and prototyping. Comparable as a foundational platform in the maker/DIY electronics space that Maker's Asylum's Arduino courses reference and build upon.

Emerging players

• Plezmo: India-based connected STEAM learning platform offering smart toys and curriculum for K-12 students. Comparable as an emerging player in the Indian STEAM/maker education category targeting similar young maker segments.
• Robotech Labs: India-based robotics and STEM education provider offering kits, courses, and competitions for school students. Comparable as an emerging player in the Indian maker/robotics education space with similar target customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/makersasylum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIUVH68BgqNhgzXjXZTwDtg
• Facebookfacebook.com/makersasylum
• Instagraminstagram.com/MakersAsylum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/makers-asylum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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's Asylum