What MakerNet does

MakerNet is a privately held operator of a three-sided online marketplace that connects designers and engineers, local manufacturers, and end buyers for the design, production, and sale of physical hardware products. The platform is structured around three integrated modules: Shop, an online marketplace for purchasing customized, on-demand products manufactured locally for each buyer; Projects, an online workshop where designers upload 2D/3D files and instructions to host and distribute their designs; and Manufacture, a fulfillment service that routes manufacturing orders to manufacturers on the platform, with the stated goal of producing items close to the buyer. The company's stated positioning is to recreate pre-mass-manufacturing, local production at internet scale, supporting a full workflow from design hosting and collaboration through to distributed manufacturing and sale.

The underlying technology is a web-based marketplace platform with self-serve onboarding (Users and Creators), an integrated identity layer via makerpassport.org, and payment processing through PayPal. MakerNet earns revenue by taking a share of the gross transaction revenue generated by Creators, with creators retaining discretion over their own pricing. Distribution and acquisition are community-driven, primarily through a Discord channel and word-of-mouth referrals, with the website (makernet.org) serving as the sole direct channel. The platform is offered globally with no geographic restrictions, and the company operates with a lean team of 1-10 employees. Leadership comprises CEO Pierre-Alexis Ciavaldini, COO Laura Bui, and CSO Corentin Derbre, supported by advisors affiliated with FabCity, Shenzhen Open Innovation Lab, GoodTechLab, and SC21/LeChaudron.

MakerNet is privately held with no identified external investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and no disclosed revenue. The Terms of Service indicate Singapore as the primary data-processing jurisdiction, while firmographic records list Créteil, France as the operating city. Observed marketplace activity is modest: the Shop displays roughly 10 active product listings and the Projects module shows approximately 62 items, suggesting the platform is operational but at an early stage of scale.

Name

MakerNet

Legal name

MakerNet

Website

https://makernet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MakerNet operates a three-sided online marketplace connecting designers, local manufacturers, and buyers to design, produce, and sell customized hardware products via its Shop, Projects, and Manufacture modules. The platform earns a transaction-based revenue share and serves individual creators, SMB manufacturers, and consumer buyers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Distributed Manufacturing Marketplace

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Merchandise & Print-on-Demand Platforms (MPACAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

3D Printing, CAD & Digital Fabrication Programs (EDAMADAH), Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)

Keywords

• Online manufacturing marketplace
• 3D design platform
• Local on-demand production
• Hardware product marketplace
• Distributed manufacturing platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Créteil

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transaction Revenue Share: Creators may set prices for their content and products at their own discretion for sales through the Service. The Company is entitled to a share of the revenue Creators receive from Transactions calculated on gross revenue from the Transactions. The Company collects the purchase price and applicable fees and taxes through payment providers and pays Creators the proceeds net of applicable Revenue Share, payment provider fees, and applicable taxes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

MakerNet operates a three-sided online marketplace that lets designers and engineers upload 2D/3D design files and build instructions as Projects, lets manufacturers select and fulfill those Projects locally as Manufacture orders, and exposes the resulting on-demand physical products to end buyers through a Shop storefront. The platform processes payments via PayPal and bundles design hosting, local production, and consumer commerce into a single distributed-manufacturing workflow.

Product overview

MakerNet is an end-to-end design and manufacturing platform consisting of three core modules: the Shop for purchasing on-demand products, Projects for uploading and collaborating on 2D/3D design files, and Manufacture for fulfilling orders locally. The platform enables designers to host, collaborate, manufacture, sell, and distribute hardware and physical products globally through local manufacturing networks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shop Consumer-facing online storefront at makernet.org/shop where users can browse and purchase on-demand physical products created through MakerNet's Projects and built by local Manufacturers. Targets end consumers ('Users') who register to buy customized, locally produced goods; payments processed via PayPal.
• Projects Designers' workspace on MakerNet (accessed via /create) where 'Creators' upload 2D/3D design files, source code, and build instructions for physical products. Enables designers and engineers to host and monetize their designs through MakerNet without having to run their own production or e-commerce stack.
• Manufacture Production request queue for 'Manufacturers' on MakerNet (accessed via /build/requests) where local fab shops and producers can pick up Projects to manufacture and ship to nearby buyers. Lets manufacturers find work, utilize idle capacity, and upskill via the maker community while producing goods close to the end customer.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Cults3D: Cults3D is a marketplace for downloadable 3D models where designers monetize designs and users access files for printing. It overlaps directly with MakerNet's Projects module and shared designer-monetization model.
• Treatstock: Treatstock is a global on-demand 3D printing and manufacturing marketplace connecting designers with service providers (manufacturers) and end buyers. Its three-sided structure mirrors MakerNet's, with a stronger emphasis on instant quoting for manufacturing services.
• Maker's Row: Maker's Row connects designers with US-based manufacturers for apparel and goods production. Its two-sided marketplace (designers + manufacturers) parallels MakerNet's design-to-manufacture workflow in a different vertical.
• Pinshape: Pinshape is a 3D printing designs marketplace where makers upload and sell printable models. It targets the same designer-to-buyer flow as MakerNet's Projects feature.
• Wikifactory: Wikifactory was a collaborative platform for open-source hardware projects, offering file hosting, collaboration, and manufacturing connections — the closest direct peer to MakerNet's Projects + Manufacture combination, though it has since shut down.
• Shapeways: Shapeways operates an online 3D printing marketplace where designers upload models and buyers purchase printed goods. It is the most directly comparable model to MakerNet's design-to-manufacture workflow, although it relied on centralized manufacturing rather than local fulfillment.
• Thingiverse: Thingiverse, owned by MakerBot, is the largest repository of user-uploaded 3D print files. It overlaps with MakerNet's Projects/Shop module around designer-uploaded printable content.
• 100k Garages: 100k Garages (now defunct) was a FabLab-based network connecting designers with local makerspaces and manufacturers for distributed digital fabrication — the original conceptual peer for MakerNet's local manufacturing model.

Broad incumbents

• Etsy: Etsy is a global marketplace for handmade, custom, and craft goods. It dwarfs MakerNet in scale and serves a comparable buyer persona seeking customized, often locally-made physical products.

Emerging players

• Thangs: Thangs is a 3D model search and sharing platform with growing creator features. It is comparable to MakerNet's Projects module and competes for the attention of designers publishing hardware designs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 MakerNet