What MakersCAFE does

MakersCAFE is a London-based experiential personalisation company founded in 2014 by Soner Ozenc that operates mobile laser cutting and engraving stations at live events for enterprise brand activations. The company deploys portable CO2 laser equipment capable of engraving wood, glass, metal, leather and acrylic, producing personalised keepsakes for trade shows, product launches, corporate events, weddings and brand activations. Its customer roster includes over 25 named enterprise brands spanning technology (Google, HTC, Honor/Three), consumer goods (Chilly's, Gillette, Mars, Costa, Alpro, Dometic, LEGO, Victorinox), fashion and retail (Adidas, Urban Outfitters, New Balance, Orlebar Brown, Debenhams), telecommunications (Orange, O2, GiffGaff) and media (Discovery/Eurosport, Channel 4, Wired UK, Sky Sports, TED, V&A), with a flagship multi-year partnership engraving trophies live on-air during Eurosport's UCI Track Champions League broadcasts.

The core technology backbone is RazorLAB, a sister brand operating since 2009 that provides the laser cutting and engraving hardware platform and an automated online service at razorlab.online for SMB and individual digital manufacturing orders. RazorLAB enables precision engraving with frosted or glossy permanent effects on items ranging from glassware and bottles to metal charms and leather goods. Together, the two operations form a platform-plus-events model where RazorLAB handles scalable online orders while MakersCAFE delivers high-touch on-site personalisation experiences.

The business model is professional services: quote-based project fees for live event personalisation stations, equipment rental, per-item engraving charges, and bundled supply of blanks (keychains, coasters, bottles, notebooks) alongside the personalisation service. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company operates from a private studio in East Dulwich, London after closing its Shoreditch public-facing popup, with the studio deliberately not open to the public due to the confidential nature of enterprise client projects. Distribution is direct enterprise sales plus the RazorLAB online storefront; marketing relies on Instagram, blog content, earned press coverage (BBC, Wired UK, Wall Street Journal, Evening Standard) and a recently launched Refer-a-Friend programme.

Name

MakersCAFE

Legal name

MakersCAFE

Website

https://makerscafe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MakersCAFE is a London-based experiential personalisation company that deploys portable laser cutting and engraving stations at live events for enterprise brand activations, powered by its sister platform RazorLAB.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential Marketing Services

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Engraving, Laser Marking & Personalization (Production) (CRAKAIAH)

Keywords

• Experiential personalisation events
• Laser engraving services
• Brand activation personalisation
• Live event engraving
• Custom product personalisation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Live Event Engraving Services: On-site laser engraving and cutting services provided directly at events, trade shows, product launches, and corporate activations. Revenue generated through service fees for personalisation stations, equipment rental, and per-item engraving charges.
2. Custom Engraved Product Supply: Supply of pre-cut or blank items (keychains, coasters, notebooks, glassware, leather goods) that are then personalised during events. Revenue includes both the blank item cost and the personalisation service.
3. Experiential Event Consulting: Digital manufacturing and consultancy services focused on building spaces, pop-ups, and events. Advisory services for brands looking to integrate personalisation technology into their event strategies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MakersCAFE delivers live, on-site laser cutting and engraving personalisation services for brand activations, product launches, corporate events, trade shows, weddings, and private celebrations. Using portable RazorLAB-powered engraving stations, they personalise items such as glassware, bottles, keychains, leather goods, and metal charms in real time at the venue. They also consult with brands on integrating personalisation technology into their experiential marketing strategies.

Product overview

MakersCAFE is a service-oriented company that specialises in experiential personalisation events using laser cutting and engraving technology. Their core offerings consist of laser cutting and engraving services (powered by their sister company RazorLAB), on-site live engraving at events, and experiential personalisation services. RazorLAB provides an automated online service for digital manufacturing, while the main MakersCAFE operation focuses on bringing these technologies to live events where they personalise items for attendees in real-time.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RazorLAB: Powered by RazorLAB, providing laser cutting & engraving services for creatives since 2009. razorlab.online is an automated online service.

Products and services

• Experiential Personalisation Events (Live Event Engraving) Live, on-site laser engraving and cutting services where branded or blank items (glassware, bottles, keychains, leather goods, metal charms, notebooks) are personalised in real time for event attendees. Service is delivered at client venues using portable RazorLAB-powered stations and is targeted at enterprise brand marketers, corporate event planners, and private event hosts.
• Laser Cutting & Engraving Services (Studio) Professional laser cutting and engraving services offered through MakersCAFE's London studio for customers who need precision engraving on various materials including wood, glass, leather, metal, and acrylic, distinct from the live on-site event service.
• Experiential Event Consulting Digital manufacturing and consultancy services advising brands on integrating personalisation technology into their event strategies, including pop-up builds and brand activation design.
• RazorLAB Online Manufacturing Platform An automated online laser cutting and engraving ordering platform at razorlab.online, operated as a sister company to MakersCAFE, providing digital manufacturing services for creatives and individual customers who can place orders remotely.

Quantifiable outcome

• Creates memorable experiences that drive social media sharing and word-of-mouth marketing
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers30 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• RazorLABcoreTechnology or IntegrationRazorLAB is MakersCAFE's sister company and technology partner, powering their laser cutting and engraving services since 2009. RazorLAB provides the proprietary laser technology and also operates as an automated online service (razorlab.online). The relationship is closely integrated with shared branding and technology infrastructure.
• Orange / TWSUminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Orange and TWSU (The Working School Union) for DIY Synth workshop events. MakersCAFE provided the laser engraving/personalisation component at maker-focused community events.
• DometicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProduct engraving services at Dometic events, personalising outdoor/lifestyle products for event attendees.
• AlprominorGTM or Marketing PartnerOn-site laser engraving personalisation for Alpro, engraving keyrings and candles at brand activation events.
• Urban Outfitters / Chilly'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint brand activation with Urban Outfitters and Chilly's involving laser engraving on Chilly's bottles at retail/pop-up events.
• Klaviyo / Chilly'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate event personalisation with Klaviyo, laser engraving guest initials on Chilly's bottles at company events.
• DevoteamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLaser engraving personalisation for Devoteam corporate events, engraving on Ocean water bottles.
• New Balance / Foot LockerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint activation with New Balance and Foot Locker for laser engraving metal charms for shoes at retail events.
• Eurosport / DiscoveryflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMulti-year partnership for UCI Track Champions League events (2021 and 2022) involving live laser engraving of trophies on-air during Eurosport TV broadcasts. High-profile media partnership demonstrating MakersCAFE's capability for live television personalisation.
• Honor / ThreeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProduct launch event personalisation for Honor and Three, laser engraving shoe tags and lace tags.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Not On The High Street: UK marketplace aggregating hundreds of personalised and engraved product sellers. Overlaps with MakersCAFE's personalisation category across similar materials and gift occasions, though operating as a curated marketplace rather than a producer of personalised goods.
• MKG: Global experiential marketing agency serving enterprise clients with brand activations and live events. Competes for similar brand marketer spend pools and uses similar on-site personalisation technologies as part of broader campaigns.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: One of the world's largest brand experience agencies, routinely producing live activations for global brands like Adidas, Google, and Gillette — the same client cohort as MakersCAFE. Represents the scaled incumbent alternative to MakersCAFE's specialist offering.
• Sparks: Global experiential marketing agency competing for the same enterprise brand activation budgets as MakersCAFE. Sparks is a larger incumbent offering full-service experiential campaigns, whereas MakersCAFE delivers a specialised live personalisation component — they are alternative suppliers for the same RFPs.

Direct peers

• Getting Personal: UK-based e-commerce retailer specialising in personalised and engraved gifts across similar materials (glass, leather, metal). While delivered via online rather than live events, it represents the same consumer personalisation value proposition from a different channel.

Emerging players

• Wonderbly: Personalised children's books company using digital manufacturing to deliver customised products. Comparable to MakersCAFE in applying on-demand personalisation technology to consumer products, although focused on print rather than laser engraving.
• My Nametags: UK personalisation specialist producing custom-labelled products at scale. Operates in the same broader personalisation category as MakersCAFE (using printing/engraving technology for consumer goods) but focuses on name labels rather than live event experiences.

Others

• Trotec Laser: Global manufacturer of CO2 and fiber laser engraving/cutting systems — the same class of equipment powering MakersCAFE's services. Functions as an upstream supplier/ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but indicative of the equipment ecosystem that any new entrant could buy into.
• RazorLAB: MakersCAFE's sister company providing the proprietary laser cutting/engraving technology since 2009. Operates as the underlying digital manufacturing and online service arm behind MakersCAFE's live event work, making it the closest technical and operational peer even though it is not a competitor.

Regional players

• Mixology Events: UK-based live event and brand activation agency serving enterprise clients in the same London market as MakersCAFE. Competes for corporate event and brand activation budgets and occasionally uses personalisation as a campaign element.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/makerscafelondon
• Xx.com/MakersCAFE
• Facebookfacebook.com/MakersCafeLondon

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 MakersCAFE