What Artilect FabLab Toulouse does

Artilect FabLab Toulouse is a French nonprofit association (Association loi 1901, SIRET 99 004 567 00041) that operates a 300 m² collaborative third-place (tiers-lieu) in central Toulouse, comprising fabrication workshops, coworking desks, training rooms, a café, and event space across five distinct areas. Founded in 2009 and positioned as the first FabLab in Toulouse/France, it provides shared access to digital fabrication equipment — 3D printers, a Trotec Speedy 500 laser cutter, a vinyl cutter, a sublimation printer, and sewing machines — to makers, hobbyists, artisans, entrepreneurs, students, and local associations.\n\nThe portfolio combines self-serve machine rentals, hands-on initiation workshops (3D printing, FreeCAD, Arduino, laser cutting, sewing), a CPF/OPCO/France Travail-eligible professional training catalog in CAD and embedded electronics, day-rate coworking, a recurring Marché des Créateurs weekend market that rents booths to ~35-€45 per day, and event privatization for team building and corporate functions. Distribution is fully digital-first through an Odoo-powered website that handles membership, bookings, event ticketing, and market booth reservations, complemented by walk-in traffic at the 10 rue Tripière location.\n\nRevenue is diversified across €39/year memberships, hourly coworking (€2.50/hr), tiered machine usage fees, capped (8-seat) workshops at €20-€30, government-funded training courses, market booth rentals, and event space rentals. Community is central to the model: six recurring thematic Labs (MusicLab, Fab Tronic, Lab BD, TextileLab, Lab Design, Lab IA) and partnerships with local associations (3DCapable, Wocsa, Toulibre, Échiquier Toulousain, Silicium, OpenStreetMap, Naturel Factory) drive frequent engagement and a 15-year-old annual Artilect Festival network.

Name

Artilect FabLab Toulouse

Legal name

Artilect

Website

https://artilect.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Artilect FabLab Toulouse is a French nonprofit makerspace and coworking tiers-lieu in central Toulouse offering shared access to 3D printers, laser cutting, sewing, and fabrication training to individual makers, artisans, entrepreneurs, and CPF-funded professionals since 2009.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Makerspace and Digital Fabrication Services

akta.pro primary industry

Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC), Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD) (EDAAALAF), Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)

Keywords

• Digital fabrication services
• Makerspace access
• Professional CAD training
• Creative coworking spaces
• Community maker labs

Headquarters

HQ city

Toulouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership at €39 provides discounted rates on all FabLab machines, free access to all Labs events, and reduced pricing on workshops and coworking. Constitutes the primary recurring revenue stream.
2. Coworking Day Passes and Sessions: Coworking available at €2.50/hour, €5 for half-day (4 hours), and €10 for full day. Open to members and non-members with no commitment required for daily passes.
3. Machine Time and Fabrication Services: Revenue from machine rental including laser cutting (€54/hr non-members, €36/hr members, €32.40/hr reduced-rate members) and sublimation printing. Machines include laser cutter Trotec Speedy 500 and sewing machines (€3/hr, €6 half-day, €12 full day).
4. Workshop and Training Fees: Fees for workshops and professional training courses. Example: 3D printing initiation workshop at €20 (members) / €30 (non-members). Some labs free for members (€5 for non-members). Arduino initiation at €20/€30.
5. Professional Training (CPF-Eligible): Courses in FreeCAD, Fusion 360, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, laser cutting, and Arduino that qualify for French government professional development funding (CPF, OPCO, France Travail).
6. Market des Créateurs Booth Rentals: Stand rental for the monthly creator markets: 1.5m linear stand at €35/day, 2.0m linear stand at €45/day. Multiple dates across the year including special Christmas markets.
7. Event Privatization and Team Building: Revenue from renting event spaces for private functions and team building activities. 300 m² of privatizable space comprising 5 distinct areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Artilect FabLab Toulouse operates a 300 m² collaborative makerspace and tiers-lieu in central Toulouse providing access to digital fabrication equipment (3D printers, Trotec Speedy 500 laser cutter, vinyl cutter, sublimation printer, sewing machines), hands-on initiation workshops, CPF-eligible professional training in CAD software (FreeCAD, Fusion 360, SolidWorks, AutoCAD) and Arduino electronics, day-rate coworking, private event and team-building venue rental, and a recurring Marché des Créateurs artisan market.

Product overview

Artilect FabLab Toulouse is a collaborative maker space and coworking facility operating as a single integrated tiers-lieu (third-place) rather than a software platform. The offering combines shared fabrication equipment (3D printers, laser cutter, vinyl cutter, sublimation printer, sewing machines), structured workshops for hands-on skill-building, professional training courses (many CPF-eligible), community labs organized by interest (Design, Music, Electronics, Comics, Textile/Seweing, AI, Cybersecurity), day-use coworking desks, private event rental, and a recurring artisan/maker market. The product portfolio centers on democratizing access to digital fabrication tools and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, with membership providing preferential rates on equipment access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FabCafé: A café space within Artilect offering coffee and tea, part of the coworking and makerspace environment.
• Lab Design
• MusicLab
• Fab Tronic
• Fab BD
• Lab Couture
• Lab Création de Costume
• Lab IA
• Marché des Créateurs

Products and services

• Ateliers d'initiation (Initiation Workshops) Hands-on workshops for beginners covering 3D printing, 3D modeling with FreeCAD, Arduino electronics, laser cutting, sublimation printing, vinyl cutting, sewing, and 2D design. Targeted at hobbyists, makers, and families (children 8+ accompanied).
• Accès machines du FabLab (FabLab Equipment Access) Hourly access to digital fabrication equipment including Trotec Speedy 500 laser cutter, 3D printers, vinyl cutter, sublimation printer, and sewing machines for members and walk-in users.
• Coworking Day-use coworking workspace with open seating, high-speed internet, coffee and tea, and optional additional screens, bookable by the hour (€2.50), half-day (€5), or full day (€10) with no commitment required.
• Formations professionnelles (Professional Training) Professional training programs in 3D modeling (FreeCAD, Fusion 360, SolidWorks, AutoCAD), 3D printing, laser engraving and cutting, Arduino embedded programming, and AI & Strategy, many eligible for French CPF, OPCO, and France Travail funding.
• Labs communautaires (Community Labs) Recurring community-led interest groups including Lab Design, MusicLab, Fab Tronic, Lab BD, TextileLab/Couture, Lab IA, and partner-led labs such as Blender (via Toulibre) and Wocsa (cybersecurity). Free for members, €5 for non-members, except Lab Design which is member-only.
• Privatisation d'espaces et Team Building (Event Space Rental) Rental of a 300 m² design-led space with 5 distinct areas for private events, team building, and corporate functions.
• Marché des Créateurs (Creator Market) Monthly weekend artisan and maker markets held at the Artilect space, featuring local creators from Occitanie plus special Christmas editions in November–December; booths available at €35/day (1.5m) and €45/day (2.0m).
• Adhésion annuelle (Annual Membership) Annual membership at €39 per year granting discounted access to FabLab machines (e.g., laser cutting at €36/hr member vs €54/hr non-member), free entry to community Labs, reduced workshop fees, and reduced coworking rates.

Quantifiable outcome

• CPF, OPCO, and France Travail funding eligible for professional training courses
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 3DCapablecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtilect partners with 3DCapable association on collaborative projects, notably the BrailleRAP open-source Braille embosser project. The collaboration aims to train participants in FabLab tools while raising awareness about accessibility and inclusive innovation. Monthly workshops are organized at the FabLab, animated by the 3DCapable team, with free participation open to all (max 5 participants per session).
• Wocsa (Cybersecurity Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWocsa is a cybersecurity association that holds monthly meetings at Artilect, bringing together experts and laypeople, professionals, individuals, and students with the goal of making the digital world safer and fairer. Rendez-vous every 2nd Thursday of the month, 7pm–9pm.
• ToulibreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToulibre, a local free software association, partners with Artilect to host Blender workshops at the FabLab. These workshops are open to all, from beginners to enthusiasts, interested in computer-generated imagery and animation films. Held every 4th Saturday of the month, 2pm–5pm.
• Échiquier ToulousainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Toulouse Chess Club (Échiquier Toulousain) partners with Artilect to host Blitz Night chess tournaments at the FabLab. Members of the chess club receive a discounted tournament entry fee of €3 (vs. €5 standard).
• SiliciumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilicium, a technology association, partners with Artilect to host events such as CPU emission on FPGAs with Silicium and Radio FMR, an event involving attending a recording of a technology broadcast.
• OpenStreetMapminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpenStreetMap association holds mapping/HGIS events and workshops at Artilect, contributing to the collaborative mapping community in the Toulouse area.
• Naturel FactoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaturel Factory partners with Artilect to host DIY natural cosmetics workshops, teaching participants to make personalized natural cosmetic products. Repartez with 3 personalized products, recipe cards, and an accompanying guide. Sessions include 2.5 hours of hands-on creation.
• Odoo S.A.coreTechnology or IntegrationOdoo S.A. is the website hosting provider (web hosting) and also the software platform powering artilect.fr. The site is built on the Odoo CMS and e-commerce platform, which handles appointments, events, sales, and membership management.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Le Cargo - Caen Makerspace: French makerspace in Caen providing digital fabrication tools, training, and community events comparable to Artilect's FabLab+training+Labs combination.
• Technocité: Belgian innovation and makerspace hub offering FabLab training, coworking, and event hosting analogous to Artilect's operation in Toulouse.
• Halle Tropisme: Montpellier-based creative and maker campus combining coworking, event spaces, workshops, and community programming, mirroring Artilect's multi-use tiers-lieu offering.
• Makespace London: UK community-led makerspace offering workshop-based training, equipment access, and member programming structurally identical to Artilect's FabLab model.
• La Cordée: French coworking and event venue chain with creative community spaces; comparable in the coworking and event privatization dimensions of Artilect's offering.
• Le Lieu Multiple: Poitiers-based French makerspace offering FabLab equipment, workshops, and a third-place community model very similar to Artilect's tiers-lieu approach.
• La Mutinerie: Paris-based cooperative coworking space emphasizing community and creative professionals; overlaps with Artilect's entrepreneur/creative coworking segment.

Broad incumbents

• WeWork: Global coworking and flexible workspace operator providing a broad incumbent contrast to Artilect's local Toulouse-only coworking offering.

Others

• FABulous (European FabLab network projects): European Commission-backed FabLab network and curriculum project with which Artilect's CPF-eligible training and pedagogy are structurally aligned.

Regional players

• Plateau des Tropiques: Occitanie-region creative and coworking venue competing for the same Toulouse-area entrepreneur and creative customer base as Artilect.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FabLab_Toulouse
• Facebookfacebook.com/ArtilectFabLabToulouse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/artilect-fablab-toulouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Artilect FabLab Toulouse