MakeSpace Cambridge

Name

MakeSpace Cambridge

Legal name

Makespace Cambridge Ltd

Website

https://makespace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Workshop Services

akta.pro primary industry

Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

3D Printing, CAD & Digital Fabrication Programs (EDAMADAH)

Keywords

• Community makerspace access
• Shared workshop facilities
• Maker equipment access
• Craft workshop membership
• Prototyping workshop space

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Monthly membership fee of £40 giving 24/7 access to the 4000sq ft workshop, free equipment use, personal storage box, and access to dedicated storage for large projects.
2. Materials sales: Consumable materials such as plywood sheets, acrylic sheets, 3D printer filaments, leather, and other supplies sold on-site. Payment via card machine in kitchen.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MakeSpace Cambridge operates a 4,000 sq ft community workshop in central Cambridge providing members with 24/7, 365-day access to a range of professional-grade making equipment including laser cutters, a CNC mill, 3D printers, woodworking machinery, an electronics bench, and an embroidery machine, plus dedicated craftroom and classroom spaces. Members pay a £40 monthly fee that covers access, free equipment use, a personal storage box, and dedicated storage for large projects, while consumable materials are sold separately on-site. The space is managed entirely by and for its members, with no paid staff, and operates as a community interest company.

Product overview

MakeSpace Cambridge is a member-run community workshop offering a unified suite of making facilities and services. The core offering is access to a 4,000 sq ft workshop (24/7, 365 days/year) equipped with tools including 3D printers, a laser cutter, CNC mill, embroidery machine, woodworking equipment, an electronics bench, and a dedicated craftroom for leather and textile work. This is supported by a structured membership program (£40/month), a training and equipment induction system (red/orange equipment tiers), and community programs including clubs and events organized via Meetup. Members also have access to a web-based Members App and a trouble ticketing system for equipment maintenance. All offerings are interconnected through the shared goal of enabling hands-on making and community learning in Cambridge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workshop Membership Monthly membership at £40/month providing 24/7, 365-day access to the 4,000 sq ft workshop in central Cambridge. Includes free use of all equipment (laser cutters, CNC mill, 3D printers, woodworking machinery, electronics bench, embroidery machine), a personal storage box, and dedicated storage for large projects. Consumable materials are sold separately. Minimum commitment is 3 months.
• Training and Equipment Induction Structured training program covering equipment safety and operation. Red-tag equipment requires formal training before access; orange-tag tools are accessible with basic induction. Training is delivered by volunteer members as part of the community-led model.
• Clubs Program

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Fab Foundation: Global non-profit network supporting the Fab Lab movement with shared digital fabrication facilities worldwide. Operates a broader portfolio of labs and educational programs than any single community makerspace, including formal accreditation and curriculum frameworks.

Direct peers

• Makerversity: London-based community makerspace providing members and startups with access to digital fabrication tools and prototyping facilities. Comparable equipment offering (laser cutters, CNC, 3D printing) with stronger commercial/startup orientation.
• Leeds Hackspace: UK community-run hackerspace providing shared workshop access, training, and equipment to members. Comparable subscription-based access model and member-led operations make it a direct UK peer to MakeSpace.
• Brighton MakerSpace: Community-run makerspace in Brighton providing members with access to fabrication tools, electronics, and craft facilities. Comparable horizontal membership model serving hobbyists and small businesses.
• Bristol Hackspace: Community workshop in Bristol offering shared tools and equipment to members on a subscription basis. Comparable member-run structure and broad maker equipment offering including laser cutting, CNC, and electronics workbenches.
• London Hackspace: UK community-run hackerspace offering shared workshop facilities, equipment access, and member-led training. Closely comparable volunteer-driven model and equipment breadth (laser cutters, 3D printers, CNC, electronics) to MakeSpace Cambridge, but at significantly larger London scale.
• Nottingham Hackspace: Volunteer-run community makerspace in the UK providing member access to laser cutters, 3D printers, woodworking, and electronics. Operates on a similar subscription model with induction-based onboarding, directly comparable to MakeSpace's community-led GTM.
• Manchester Hackspace: Volunteer-operated community makerspace in Manchester providing member access to fabrication tools and electronics equipment. Operates under a similar non-profit, community-interest ethos to MakeSpace Cambridge.
• Birmingham Hackspace: Community hackerspace in Birmingham offering shared access to making tools and equipment via membership. Similar volunteer-led governance and equipment breadth including 3D printing, laser cutting, and woodworking.

Others

• TechShop (legacy reference): Historically the largest US chain of paid membership makerspaces before ceasing operations in 2017. Relevant as the cautionary precedent illustrating scaling and unit-economics risks in commercial makerspace models — informative benchmark for any expansion thesis on MakeSpace.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cammakespace
• Facebookfacebook.com/makespacecambridge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/makespace-cambridge-ltd

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 MakeSpace Cambridge