Manchester Makerspace

What Manchester Makerspace does

Manchester Makerspace is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit shared workspace founded in 2015 in Manchester, New Hampshire. It operates approximately 7,000 square feet of workshop space in an 1890 mill building in Manchester's historic Gaslight District, comprising 12 specialized workshops spanning metalworking (MIG/TIG welding, CNC plasma cutting, blacksmithing), woodworking, electronics, textiles, rapid prototyping (3D printing, laser cutting), automotive (accommodating vehicles up to 25 feet), machine shop (manual and CNC lathes/mills), amateur radio, podcasting, and a paint booth. The organization is 100% volunteer-run, with experienced Resource Managers overseeing each workshop to provide mentorship and ensure safe equipment use.

The core business model is a monthly subscription membership priced at $75, granting members 24/7 key-fob access to all workshops and tools, supplemented by discounted student, military, and senior (55+) rates and a 15% household discount for two adults at the same address. Revenue is diversified across memberships, fee-based educational classes sold via Eventbrite (Metalworking 101, MIG Welding, locksport, textiles), $15/month tote storage rentals, short-duration project plot rentals, event space rental, gift cards, and tax-deductible donations via PayPal. New member acquisition is driven by weekly Monday open houses (the only guaranteed on-site registration window), Slack-based member community engagement, and organic social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

The organization serves hobbyists, entrepreneurs, students, educators, artists, crafters, and households in the Manchester, NH area, positioning around low barriers to access (no GPA, degree, or certification required) and community benefit rather than profit maximization. Governance is provided by a volunteer board including President Kevin Kadow, Vice-President Jared England, Treasurer Tyler Arkell, and Secretary Alex Duran. The organization has no external venture capital or private equity backing.

Name

Manchester Makerspace

Legal name

Manchester Makerspace

Website

https://manchestermakerspace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Manchester Makerspace is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit shared workspace in Manchester, NH, offering $75/month memberships with 24/7 access to 12 workshops across 7,000 sq ft, serving local hobbyists, entrepreneurs, students, and artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Shared Workspace / Makerspace Services

NAICS

General Warehousing and Storage (493110)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps (EDAMALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Furniture Rentals (Tables, Chairs, Lounge) (HSACAFAB), Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Shared workspace
• Maker community
• Workshop access
• Hands-on training
• Nonprofit makerspace

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Monthly membership at $75 provides 24/7 access to all workshops, tools, and community. Household/family plans available at 15% discount. Student, military (active/veteran), and senior (55+) discounts of 10% available.
2. Classes and Training: Public and members-only classes on Eventbrite. Metalworking 101 (with 1-month membership) priced at $150. MIG Welding and Arc/TIG classes available. Classes taught by subject matter experts.
3. Storage Rentals: Tote/bin storage rental at $15/month for work-in-progress projects, tools, or supplies. No duration cap as long as membership remains active. Project floor plots and shelves available for short-duration rental.
4. Gift Cards: One-month gift membership ($75), three-month membership ($210), or Metalworking 101 class with membership ($150). Gift cards available for in-person purchase during open houses.
5. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted via PayPal. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donors can deduct contributions from taxable income. Tool/equipment donations selectively accepted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Manchester Makerspace provides monthly subscription membership ($75/month) granting members 24/7 access to approximately a dozen specialized workshops across ~7,000 square feet, including automotive, electronics, metalworking, machine shop, rapid prototyping (3D printing/laser), textile, woodworking, ham radio, podcasting, and paint booth facilities. The non-profit supplements membership with fee-based classes, storage rentals, event space, household memberships, and gift cards, supported by 100% volunteer Resource Managers providing expert mentorship.

Product overview

Manchester Makerspace is a 501(c)(3) non-profit shared workspace offering a unified platform of workshop access, educational classes, and membership services. The core offering is monthly membership ($75/month) providing 24/7 access to approximately a dozen workshops across 6,500-7,000 square feet, including Automotive, Electronics, Metalworking, Machine Shop, Rapid Prototyping (3D printing/laser), Textile, Woodworking, Ham Radio, Podcasting, and Paint Booth facilities. Add-on services include project plot rentals for multi-session projects, tote storage ($15/month), household memberships (15% discount for two adults), educational classes (MIG Welding, Arc/TIG, blacksmithing, machining), gift cards, and event space rental for private functions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Core Monthly Membership Monthly subscription at $75/month granting members 24/7 access to all workshops and tools across the ~7,000-square-foot facility, with support from subject matter experts and Resource Managers, Slack community access, discounts on classes/events, and a key fob for facility entry.
• Household Membership Family membership subscription for two adults sharing the same address, offering a 15% discount off the regular $75/month rate on a single shared billing plan. Requires government ID with matching address for activation; does not stack with other discounts.
• Educational Classes Fee-based classes taught by subject matter experts covering metalworking (MIG Welding 101, Arc/TIG Welding 102, metal lathe), blacksmithing, machining, laser cutting, 3D printing, textiles, locksport, and other maker skills. Sold via Eventbrite to both members and the public; some classes (e.g., Metalworking 101 at $150) include one month of membership.
• Tote Storage Rental Monthly rental of a tote or bin for storing work-in-progress projects, tools, or supplies. Priced at $15/month as of 2025 with no duration cap as long as membership remains active.
• Project Plot Rental Short-duration rental of project floor plots and shelves for multi-day or multi-week projects requiring ongoing work at the makerspace. Variable sizes with limited availability.
• Event Space Rental Rental of general-purpose rooms and event space for private functions, classes, and member-hosted meetups. Setup and teardown is the responsibility of the member host.
• Gift Cards Gift membership options in one-month ($75), three-month ($210), and Metalworking 101 class with one month membership ($150) tiers. Transferable, non-refundable gift codes; recipient must be age 18+. Available via PayPal online or in-person during open houses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Low barrier to entry with $75/month membership
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Noisebridge: Noisebridge is a San Francisco volunteer-run, donation-funded makerspace providing shared workshop access and classes — a strong peer match on the community-led, volunteer-operated, donation-supported operating model.
• Sector67: Sector67 is a Madison, WI-based non-profit makerspace providing multi-discipline workshop access (wood, metal, electronics, 3D printing), classes, and monthly memberships — a closely matching operating structure to Manchester Makerspace.
• MakerSpace NYC: MakerSpace NYC is a community-operated shared workspace and makerspace offering member access to workshop equipment, classes, and tool training — directly comparable operating model to Manchester Makerspace in a different metro.
• Artisan's Asylum: Artisan's Asylum is a non-profit makerspace in Somerville, MA (New England region) offering multi-discipline workshop access, classes, and memberships in metal/wood/electronics/textiles — the closest comparable peer for shared-workshop community models.
• HeatSync Labs: HeatSync Labs is an Arizona-based nonprofit makerspace offering shared workshop and tool access across electronics, metal, and rapid prototyping with member-supported funding — directly comparable community-workshop model.

Broad incumbents

• WeWork: WeWork is a broad flexible-workspace incumbent offering shared workspace and member community amenities; relevant as a broader coworking benchmark for monthly membership pricing and community-led acquisition, though not focused on fabrication tools.
• TechShop (defunct reference): TechShop was the well-known multi-location paid makerspace chain offering extensive fabrication equipment access via memberships and classes; while now defunct, it is the industry reference model for scaled commercial makerspaces and benchmark for membership pricing in the category.
• Home Depot Workshops: Home Depot runs in-store DIY workshops covering woodworking, basic metalwork, and tool education; a broader incumbent for the DIY education/classes category that competes for entry-level maker participation.

Regional players

• Asylum Arts / Make It New Market: Asylum Arts is a New England-based arts and craft community organization with workshop spaces and maker-style programming, relevant as a regional peer for community workshop/craft programming in the Northeast.

Others

• Eventbrite Classes: Eventbrite is the class ticketing and discovery platform Manchester Makerspace uses for its public class sales; relevant as an enabling infrastructure/distribution peer rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mhtmakerspace
• Facebookfacebook.com/mhtmakerspace
• Instagraminstagram.com/mhtmakerspace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manchester-makerspace

Compliance1 record

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 Manchester Makerspace