What Hackteria does

Hackteria is a global, open-source community platform for DIY biology and biological art, founded in 2009 by Yashas Shetty, Marc Dusseiller (dusjagr), and Andy Gracie. Its core deliverables are a wiki and forum (hackteria.org and forum.hackteria.org) that document Creative Commons–licensed instructions for building generic lab equipment (DIY microscopes, OpenDrop liquid handling, bioelectronics) from recycled consumer technology, and a programme of workshops, residencies, hack-camps, and co-laboratories that bring artists, scientists, hackers, and makers into shared physical spaces.

The organisation's product surface centres on knowledge infrastructure (the Hackteria Platform, Wiki, and Forum), physical lab assets (Hackteria ZET Open Science Lab in Zürich at the Bitwäscherei Hackerspace Collective; BioTehna Lab in Ljubljana), kit products (DIY Microscope Stage Assembly Kit), and a recurring project framework (HackteriaLab) including Scientist-in-Residence and Hacker-in-Residence programmes. The flagship initiative is the Technobiological Futures Co-Laboratories Programme (February 2026 – August 2027), a multi-phase effort spanning Thailand, Switzerland, Indonesia, and India, co-funded by Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia and anchored on DIWO (Do-It-With-Others) participation.

The business model is non-commercial: Hackteria operates as a community platform funded by grants, donations, and volunteer effort, with no paid pricing tiers and no disclosed revenue. Primary customer segments are individuals — artists and bio artists, scientists and researchers, hackers and makers — with secondary reach into educational institutions (universities, art schools, maker spaces). Geographic footprint is genuinely global, with documented activity in Switzerland, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Slovenia, Finland, Germany, France, Croatia, the USA, and Taiwan.

Name

Hackteria

Legal name

Hackteria

Website

https://hackteria.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Hackteria is a global, non-profit open-source community platform for DIY biology and biological art, providing Creative Commons–licensed wiki documentation, physical lab spaces (Hackteria ZET in Zürich, BioTehna in Ljubljana), and workshops/residencies that serve artists, scientists, hackers, and makers across Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

DIY Biology Community Platform

NAICS

Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990)

SIC

Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens) (HLAGAIAC)

Keywords

• Open source biohacking
• DIY biology
• Biological art
• Lab equipment design
• Community science

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hackteria operates a global open-source platform (website, wiki, forum) sharing free DIY biology and biohacking knowledge, including designs for generic laboratory equipment built from recycled consumer technology. The organization also runs physical community labs (Hackteria ZET in Zürich, BioTehna in Ljubljana), residency programs, and immersive collaborative workshops such as HackteriaLab and the Technobiological Futures Co-Laboratories Programme spanning Thailand, Switzerland, Indonesia, and India.

Product overview

Hackteria is a global open-source biological art and DIY biology community platform comprising multiple interconnected products and services. The core offerings include an online platform and wiki (hackteria.org) for knowledge sharing, a community forum (forum.hackteria.org) for discussions, and physical lab spaces such as Hackteria ZET Open Science Lab in Zürich and BioTehna Lab in Ljubljana. The organization also provides tangible products including DIY Microscope Stage Assembly Kits. HackteriaLab serves as the collaborative project framework, while the Scientist-in-Residence and Hacker-in-Residence programmes enable hands-on collaboration. The Technobiological Futures Co-Laboratories Programme represents their flagship educational initiative spanning multiple countries. All offerings emphasize open-source principles, DIWO (Do-It-With-Others) collaboration, and transdisciplinary engagement between artists, hackers, and scientists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hackteria Platform A global open-source community platform connecting scientists, hackers, and artists to share knowledge about hacking living systems, featuring a wiki, forum, and network for collaborative projects in DIY biology and biohacking.
• Hackteria Wiki A wiki-based knowledge repository enabling anyone to learn and test different ways of hacking living systems, containing documentation on workshops, projects, and DIY biology techniques.
• Hackteria Forum An online forum serving as the global Hackteria Network discussion platform for community members to collaborate and exchange ideas.
• Hackteria ZET Open Science Lab A local public biolab in Zürich operating as part of Hackteria's global network activities, providing physical space for experiments and workshops.
• DIY Microscope Stage Assembly Kit A classic DIY microscope stage assembly kit designed for hands-on workshops, enabling participants to build their own microscopes for biological exploration.
• BioTehna Lab A physical lab infrastructure initiative established in Ljubljana, Slovenia, providing equipment and space for bioart and biotech experimentation.
• HackteriaLab Workshop Series Collaborative project series including immersive production workshops that bring together artists, researchers, educators, and designers to work on interdisciplinary issues.
• Hacker-in-Residence Programme A global residency programme for hackers, artists, and activists hosted at the Hackteria ZET space in Zürich within the Bitwäscherei Hackerspace Collective.
• Technobiological Futures Co-Laboratories Programme A multi-phase initiative (February 2026 – August 2027) spanning Thailand, Switzerland, Indonesia, and India, focusing on mutual learning and knowledge exchange in biology merged with digital technologies and traditional craft, with emphasis on DIWO participation.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hackteria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Hackteria