Protospace
Protospace is a volunteer-run, non-profit community makerspace in Calgary offering members 24/7 access to wood, metal, sewing, 3D printing, laser cutting, and electronics fabrication facilities for $55/month in subscription dues.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersCalgary, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Protospace does
Protospace (legal entity: Calgary Protospace Ltd.) is a non-profit community makerspace operating from a single 6,500 square foot facility at 1530 27th Avenue NE, Bay 108, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The organization provides members with 24/7 access to a comprehensive suite of fabrication tools organized into six workshop areas: a wood shop with table saws, planers, and drum sanders; a metal shop with TIG/MIG welders, plasma cutter, lathe, and CNC mill; a sewing room featuring a Tajima 15-head industrial embroidery machine and Brother garment printer; a 3D printing area supporting filament and resin workflows; a laser cutting area with multiple laser cutters and mini CNC mills; and an electronics lab with soldering stations, oscilloscopes, and SMD rework equipment.
The business model is a subscription-based membership structure with three revenue streams: monthly recurring membership dues at $55 CAD for standard members and $35 CAD for students or low-income members, nominal usage-based fees on certain equipment (welding, 3D printing, embroidery), and small fees for volunteer-led training classes required to operate certified equipment. Membership is contract-free with the ability to pause or cancel anytime, and new members undergo a probationary period including sponsorship and orientation before gaining full access.
Protospace is governed as a volunteer-run cooperative with no employees, owners, shareholders, or paid staff — all operations, including equipment training, member onboarding, and governance decisions, are performed by vetted full members who hold voting rights at monthly meetings. Customer acquisition is community-led, centered on free weekly Tuesday open houses (7-9pm) where prospective members tour the facility and meet existing members. The organization maintains a YouTube channel, Facebook page, member wiki, and an active online forum (Spacebar) as supporting engagement channels. The full member base consists of individual makers, hobbyists, cosplayers, electronics enthusiasts, and students within the Calgary metropolitan area.
Protospace firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Protospace
- Legal name
- Calgary Protospace Ltd.
- Website
- https://protospace.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Protospace is a volunteer-run, non-profit community makerspace in Calgary offering members 24/7 access to wood, metal, sewing, 3D printing, laser cutting, and electronics fabrication facilities for $55/month in subscription dues.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Protospace industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Makerspace Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI), 3D Printing, CAD & Digital Fabrication Programs (EDAMADAH)
Keywords
Where Protospace is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Calgary
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Protospace business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Monthly recurring membership fees providing 24/7 access to all facilities, tools, storage, and workspace. Standard rate $55/month, discounted rate $35/month for students and low-income members. No contracts required - members can pause or cancel anytime.
- Equipment Usage Fees: Nominal fees associated with certain equipment usage including welding equipment, 3D printers, and the Tajima embroidery machine. Some equipment includes free usage time allocation for members with additional time available for purchase.
- Class Fees: Small fees for training classes required to operate certain equipment. Volunteers routinely run classes that members can attend for a fee.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Membership - $55/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Student/Low Income Membership - $35/month |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Protospace product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Protospace is a non-profit community makerspace providing members with 24/7 access to approximately 6,500 square feet of workshop facilities including a wood shop, metal shop, sewing room, 3D printers, laser cutters, and electronics lab. Members pay monthly dues ($55/month standard, $35/month for students/low income) for access to professional-grade fabrication equipment and workspace. The organization is entirely volunteer-run with no employees, owners, or shareholders, and members gain voting rights after completing a probationary period.
Product overview
Protospace is Calgary's non-profit community makerspace offering approximately 6,500 square feet of workshop facilities across two warehouse bays. The core offering is membership-based access to a comprehensive suite of fabrication tools and workspaces, including Wood Shop, Metal Shop, Sewing Room, 3D Printers, Laser Cutters, and Electronics Lab. The organization operates on a volunteer-driven model with no employees, shareholders, or staff. Members pay monthly dues ($55/month standard, $35/month for students/low income) for 24/7 access and must complete a probationary period including finding sponsors and attending orientation. Training classes are offered for equipment requiring certification.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wood Shop
Companies that use Protospace
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Protospace technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Protospace partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Protospace competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dallas Makerspace: Large Texas-based community makerspace with extensive fabrication equipment including woodworking, metalworking, electronics, and textiles. Comparable to Protospace in offering broad discipline coverage under a member-funded, dues-driven model.
- Artisan's Asylum: Large community makerspace in Somerville, MA offering shared access to fabrication tools, training, and workspace across multiple disciplines. Directly comparable to Protospace in multi-discipline offering and member-driven culture, though operating at significantly larger scale.
- NYC Resistor: Long-established Brooklyn hackerspace providing members shared access to electronics, laser cutting, 3D printing, and woodworking equipment. Directly comparable to Protospace in member-driven model and mixed-discipline offering.
- Noisebridge: San Francisco volunteer-run hackerspace offering shared workspace and tools to a community of makers, hackers, and artists. Highly comparable to Protospace in its purely volunteer-driven structure and emphasis on community-led operations.
- HeatSync Labs: Mesa, Arizona hackerspace providing community access to electronics, fabrication, and crafting tools. Comparable to Protospace in nonprofit, volunteer-operated model and member dues-driven revenue structure.
Regional players
- Maker's Asylum: Mumbai-based community makerspace offering fabrication tools, training, and prototyping facilities to makers and entrepreneurs. Comparable to Protospace in shared-equipment, multi-discipline model but operating in India.
- Makespace London: London community workshop offering members access to woodworking, metalworking, and crafting tools in a shared facility. Comparable to Protospace in member-based access to industrial tools but serving the UK market.
- Vancouver Hack Space: Vancouver's community-run hackerspace offering shared access to fabrication tools, electronics, and woodworking for members. Closely comparable to Protospace in structure, mission, and volunteer-driven model, but serving the Vancouver metro area rather than Calgary.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Protospace social profiles
Digital presenceProtospace financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Protospace leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Protospace funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Protospace 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 Protospace
What does Protospace do?
Protospace is a non-profit community makerspace providing members with 24/7 access to approximately 6,500 square feet of workshop facilities including a wood shop, metal shop, sewing room, 3D printers, laser cutters, and electronics lab. Members pay monthly dues ($55/month standard, $35/month for students/low income) for access to professional-grade fabrication equipment and workspace. The organization is entirely volunteer-run with no employees, owners, or shareholders, and members gain voting rights after completing a probationary period.
Is Protospace a public or private company?
Protospace is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Protospace founded?
Protospace was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Protospace based?
Protospace is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Protospace make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are equipment Usage Fees and class Fees.
Who are Protospace's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dallas Makerspace, Artisan's Asylum, NYC Resistor, Noisebridge and HeatSync Labs. Regional players are Maker's Asylum, Makespace London and Vancouver Hack Space.
Does Protospace have an API?
No public API is recorded for Protospace.
What industry is Protospace in?
Protospace's product category is Community Makerspace Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMADAC, Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios), with a secondary code of EDAEAGAI, Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming).