Maker Shed

What Maker Shed does

Maker Shed is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business that has operated as the official online retail store for Make: magazine and Maker Faire since 2005, selling curated maker, electronics, and educational products to hobbyists, educators, and gift buyers. The catalog spans Make: print and digital magazines (including the 95-volume eCollection priced at $399.99), a Make: Books series on electronics, robotics, 3D printing, and engineering, electronics kits built around Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi, and micro:bit platforms, robotics kits, 3D printers and supplies, science education kits from Backyard Brains, Flipper Zero add-ons, Maker Faire apparel and merchandise, and dedicated STEAM/K-12 education product lines. Customer segments include individual makers and hobbyists (primary), K-12 educators purchasing bulk STEAM materials through purchase orders, and gift buyers via configurable digital gift certificates. The Maker Collective program aggregates 50+ brand partners including Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Petoi, xTool, and iFixit, positioning the storefront as a category-curated destination rather than a generic marketplace.

Name

Maker Shed

Legal name

Make Community LLC

Website

https://makershed.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Maker Shed is the official Shopify-powered online store for Make: magazine and Maker Faire, selling curated electronics kits, robotics kits, 3D printing gear, books, and STEAM education products to individual hobbyists, K-12 educators, and gift buyers worldwide since 2005.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hobby Electronics & DIY Retail

akta.pro primary industry

General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hobby & Craft Instructional Books/Patterns Retail (In-store/Physical) (CRALACAL), Crafting Machines & Accessories Retail (Die-Cut, Cricut/Silhouette, 3D Pens) (CRALACAK)

Keywords

• Maker retail store
• DIY electronics kits
• Hobby robotics kits
• STEM education supplies
• Maker community products

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Rosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Physical Product Sales: One-time sales of physical maker products including kits, electronics, tools, and apparel. Products range from sub-$10 items to premium kits over $200.
2. Digital Publications: Sales of digital magazines, eBooks, and PDF downloads including the Make: Complete Magazine eCollection (95+ issues for $399.99) and individual digital issues.
3. Print Publications: Sale of print magazines (individual issues from $7.99-$14.99, back issues available) and print books covering electronics, robotics, 3D printing, and maker skills.
4. Gift Certificates: Digital gift certificates available in variable denominations, allowing customers to purchase maker products as gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Maker Shed operates an online retail storefront selling curated maker-focused merchandise including Make: branded magazines, project books (print and eBook), electronics kits, robotics, microcontrollers, tools, and craft supplies. The store is operated by Make Community LLC and serves as the official retail arm of Make: magazine and Maker Faire, with products aggregated from more than 50 partner brands such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Elegoo, and Petoi.

Product overview

Maker Shed is the official retail store for Make: and Maker Faire, established in 2005, operating as an e-commerce platform selling maker-focused products. The core product portfolio centers on Make: Magazine (print and digital) and Make: Books series covering electronics, robotics, 3D printing, engineering, and science topics. The catalog extends to electronics and robotics kits featuring Arduino, ESP32, micro:bit, and Raspberry Pi platforms, along with science education tools from Backyard Brains and 3D printing equipment. STEAM education products target K-12 educators with classroom packs and supplies. The platform also carries Craft: Magazine archives, Maker Faire merchandise, and themed apparel. Built on Shopify e-commerce infrastructure, the store serves makers, educators, and hobbyists without any documented API, AI capabilities, or third-party platform integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Make: Magazine (Print and Digital) Official Make: branded magazine sold in print and digital editions, providing DIY project tutorials, maker culture coverage, and instructional content for individual hobbyists, educators, and the broader maker community.
• Maker Books (Print and eBook) Curated selection of Make: branded and partner project books, sold in print and eBook formats, covering topics such as electronics, crafting, woodworking, and DIY project guides for hobbyists and classroom use.
• Maker Kits (Starter, Advanced, Super Bundles) Curated project kits sold in Starter, Advanced, and Super Bundle tiers that bundle components, electronics, and instructions for hands-on maker projects aimed at hobbyists and K-12 STEAM programs.
• Robotics and Microcontrollers Robotics kits, programmable microcontrollers, and supporting accessories sold from partner brands including Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Elegoo, and Petoi, targeted at hobbyists building programmable and robotic projects.
• Tools and Craft Supplies Hand tools, specialty maker tools, craft supplies, and consumables offered alongside kits and electronics to support the full lifecycle of hobbyist and educational maker projects.
• Digital Downloads (eBooks and PDFs) Digital eBook and PDF publications sold through the Maker Shed storefront, providing instant download access to Make: instructional and project content for hobbyists and educators.
• Gift Certificates Variable-denomination gift certificates redeemable across the Maker Shed online storefront, enabling gift purchases of maker kits, books, electronics, and other merchandise.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Make: MagazinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaker Shed is the official store of Make: magazine, selling subscriptions, back issues, and digital collections. The magazine provides editorial endorsement and drives traffic to the store through its 100,000+ subscriber base.
• Maker FairecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial merchandise and product store for Maker Faire events. Products include event-specific apparel, Maker Faire branded items, and co-branded kits. The relationship supports Maker Faire's 'Greatest Show & Tell on Earth' brand.
• Maker Collective Brands (50+ vendors)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Maker Collective page showcases 50+ brand partners including Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Petoi, xTool, Squishy Circuits, Backyard Brains, iFixit, and many others. These vendors supply products sold through the Maker Shed platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Seeed Studio: Seeed Studio is an open-source hardware manufacturer and retailer offering maker kits, Grove modules, microcontrollers, and industrial IoT components. It overlaps with Maker Shed in the maker education / hobbyist / STEAM category and is featured among Maker Shed's Maker Collective brand partners.
• Pololu Corporation: Pololu is a robotics and electronics retailer selling motor controllers, sensors, microcontrollers, and robotics kits to hobbyists and educators. It competes directly with Maker Shed in the robotics and electronics learning categories that Maker Shed's Robot Kits and electronics collections serve.
• Adafruit Industries: Adafruit is a direct peer: an open-source hardware retailer founded in 2005 selling electronics kits, microcontrollers (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Circuit Playground), tools, and learning resources to the same DIY maker and educator audiences as Maker Shed. Both operate as content-driven, educator- and hobbyist-focused e-commerce stores in the maker category.
• RobotShop: RobotShop is a specialty e-commerce retailer focused on robotics, drones, and STEM educational kits, serving hobbyists, educators, and researchers. It is a direct peer for Maker Shed's robotics and electronics kit categories, with overlapping target customers and similar curated-kits positioning.
• SparkFun Electronics: SparkFun sells electronics components, breakout boards, microcontroller kits, and educational tutorials through its own e-commerce site, competing head-to-head with Maker Shed in Arduino/Raspberry Pi/micro:bit ecosystems and in K-12 STEM/maker education purchasing.

Broad incumbents

• Mouser Electronics: Mouser Electronics is a global authorized distributor of semiconductors and electronic components, including hobbyist and educational lines for Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and similar platforms. It is a broad incumbent competing on selection and speed of delivery rather than curated maker curation.
• Digi-Key Electronics: Digi-Key is one of the largest global electronics component distributors, carrying the same microcontrollers, breakout boards, sensors, and tools that Maker Shed offers. It competes broadly with Maker Shed on hobbyist and small-batch professional purchases, but operates at vastly larger scale and without the Make: editorial brand umbrella.
• Element14: Element14 is a global electronics distributor and community (part of Premier Farnell) selling kits, dev boards, and components, with an integrated design community similar in spirit to Make:'s editorial ecosystem. It competes with Maker Shed at the electronics and educational kit level across multiple geographies.
• Micro Center: Micro Center is a U.S. brick-and-mortar-and-online specialty retailer of computers, electronics, and maker components (3D printers, Arduino/Raspberry Pi kits, soldering tools), serving both hobbyists and educators. It competes with Maker Shed on the electronics learning and DIY hardware side at larger scale and with in-store pickup advantages.
• Michaels Companies: Michaels is the largest U.S. specialty arts, crafts, and DIY retailer carrying craft kits, hobby supplies, and learning craft products, overlapping with Maker Shed's craft kit and Craft: Magazine offerings. It competes on craft kits and STEAM learning products but does not specialize in electronics, robotics, or maker-grade components.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/makershed
• YouTubeyoutube.com/makerfaire
• Facebookfacebook.com/MakerShed
• Instagraminstagram.com/makemagazine
• Pinterestpinterest.com/makemagazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Shed