The Maker Effect
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersOrlando, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
The Maker Effect firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Maker Effect
- Legal name
- The Maker Effect Foundation, Inc.
- Website
- https://themakereffect.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Maker Effect industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Maker Programs
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Professional Organizations (81392)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)
Keywords
Where The Maker Effect is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Orlando
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Maker Effect business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support STEAM education, community arts, and community impact objectives. Sponsors work with TMEF to match programs to their community objectives and create tailored activations engaging local community with sponsor brands and products.
- Donations: Individual, company, and organizational donations support MakerFX Makerspace, Maker Faire Orlando, and other foundation programs. Accepts PayPal, checks, and in-kind donations of products or services.
- Event Revenue: Registration fees and ticket sales for Maker Faire Orlando and Robot Ruckus events. Robot Ruckus competition features robot builders from 1 pound to 250 pound weight classes.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Maker Effect product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Maker Effect Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that runs four core programs for the Central Florida maker community: MakerFX Makerspace (a physical community workspace), Maker Faire Orlando (an annual show-and-tell festival), Robot Ruckus (an annual robot fighting competition for 1lb to 250lb robots), and support for FIRST Robotics teams. Participation is largely free or donation-supported, with revenue coming from individual and corporate donations, sponsorships, and event ticket sales.
Product overview
The Maker Effect Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that operates as a platform of community-focused maker programs. Its core offerings include MakerFX Makerspace (a physical makerspace community in Orlando), Maker Faire Orlando (a major show-and-tell event), Robot Ruckus (robotics competitions and STEM education), and support for FIRST Robotics teams. These programs work together to activate and amplify maker communities through learning, education, sharing, and creation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MakerFX: Makerspace in Orlando providing community workspace for makers of all types, from crafters to artists to robotics builders
- Maker Faire Orlando
- Robot Ruckus
Products and services
- MakerFX Makerspace A physical community makerspace in Orlando, FL that welcomes makers of all types — crafters, artists, and robotics builders — providing a space to learn, make, and share skills in a collaborative environment. Aimed at local Orlando-area maker community members.
- Maker Faire Orlando An annual gathering of makers in Orlando, FL, described as 'The Greatest Show (& Tell) on Earth', where engineers, artists, scientists, and crafters showcase hobbies, experiments, and projects. Open to the public.
- Robot Ruckus An annual robot fighting competition promoting STEM education through robotics classes and competitions, held at Maker Faire Orlando. Features over 100 robot competitors ranging from 1-pound to 250-pound weight classes, modeled after BattleBots TV show competitors. Aimed at STEM learners and robot builders.
- FIRST Robotics Team Support Support programs for FIRST Robotics teams operating in the Central Florida area, including resources, mentorship, and competition opportunities aligned with the Foundation's STEM education mission. Aimed at FIRST Robotics student teams.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 robot competitors participate annually in Robot Ruckus, ranging from 1lb to 250lb robots
Companies that use The Maker Effect
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Maker Effect technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
The Maker Effect partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Prusa ResearchminorPrusa Research sponsored Maker Faire Orlando in 2019, supporting the maker community event. Prusa Research is a manufacturer of 3D printers known for their open-source approach and community involvement.
- FIRST RoboticscoreThe Maker Effect Foundation supports FIRST Robotics teams as part of its mission to promote STEM education through robotics. Robot Ruckus serves as a culminating competition venue for robotics teams.
- Make: CommunityminorFormer licensing and event partnership for Maker Faire Orlando. The partnership structure changed in 2021 when Maker Faire Orlando moved ticketing in-house.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
The Maker Effect competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- SparkFun Electronics: Electronics and maker-tools retailer focused on education and hobbyists. Adjacent ecosystem participant with sponsorship and education programs aimed at the same maker/STEM audience as TMEF.
- Adafruit Industries: Open-source hardware company and major enabler of the maker movement. Comparable ecosystem participant — sponsorships and supply relationships with maker communities overlap with TMEF's sponsor and partner activity.
Direct peers
- Artisan's Asylum: Large community makerspace offering tools, classes, and workspace to makers of all disciplines. Direct peer to MakerFX on the makerspace side of TMEF's operations.
- Fab Foundation: Non-profit that supports the global Fab Lab network of digital fabrication makerspaces. Highly comparable to TMEF's MakerFX program as both operate mission-driven, community-oriented makerspace infrastructure.
- NYC Resistor: Member-run hackerspace/makerspace in Brooklyn serving a similar crafters-to-engineers maker community. Closely comparable model to MakerFX, though operating in a different geography.
- FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): Youth STEM nonprofit running FIRST Robotics Competition and other robotics programs. TMEF is a strategic partner supporting FIRST teams and uses Robot Ruckus as a culminating competition venue — a tight, program-level comparison.
- Maker Ed: Non-profit focused on maker education for youth and educators. Directly comparable mission overlap with TMEF's educational programs, FIRST Robotics support, and STEAM community-building activities.
- BattleBots: Operator of the televised robot combat competition that explicitly inspires Robot Ruckus. Comparable as a robot-combat event/brand targeting both builders and spectator audiences in the same 1lb–250lb combat-robot category.
Regional players
- Orlando Science Center: Regional science center in Orlando that previously co-provided ticketing services for Maker Faire Orlando (relationship ended in 2021). Comparable as a STEAM-education organization sharing the Orlando market.
Broad incumbents
- Make: Community (Make Community LLC): Operator of the broader Maker Faire brand and a major hub of the maker movement. Comparable as the umbrella organizer of Maker Faire events; TMEF previously held a licensing relationship with Make: Community before taking ticketing in-house in 2021.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Maker Effect social profiles
Digital presenceThe Maker Effect financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Maker Effect leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Maker Effect subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
The Maker Effect funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Maker Effect 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 The Maker Effect
What does The Maker Effect do?
The Maker Effect Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that runs four core programs for the Central Florida maker community: MakerFX Makerspace (a physical community workspace), Maker Faire Orlando (an annual show-and-tell festival), Robot Ruckus (an annual robot fighting competition for 1lb to 250lb robots), and support for FIRST Robotics teams. Participation is largely free or donation-supported, with revenue coming from individual and corporate donations, sponsorships, and event ticket sales.
Is The Maker Effect a public or private company?
The Maker Effect is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Maker Effect founded?
The Maker Effect was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Maker Effect based?
The Maker Effect is headquartered in Orlando, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Maker Effect make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are donations and event Revenue.
Who are The Maker Effect's main competitors?
Others on record are SparkFun Electronics and Adafruit Industries. Direct peers are Artisan's Asylum, Fab Foundation, NYC Resistor, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), Maker Ed and BattleBots. Orlando Science Center is listed as a regional player. Make: Community (Make Community LLC) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Maker Effect have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Maker Effect.
What industry is The Maker Effect in?
The Maker Effect's product category is Community Maker Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMADAC, Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios), with a secondary code of BPAGAKAC, Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking. Its NAICS code is 81321.