Rapid Hardware Accelerator

What Rapid Hardware Accelerator does

NextFab, operating the RAPID Hardware Accelerator, is a privately-held, membership-based makerspace founded in 2009 by Dr. Evan Malone in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company provides professional and aspiring makers access to a collaborative workshop environment spanning 2D/3D printing, laser cutting, CNC machining, woodworking, metalworking, jewelry fabrication, textiles, electronics, and design software, with over 160 machines and tools available across its 21,000+ square foot North Philadelphia flagship and a secondary site in Wilmington, Delaware. The firm's core offering is a tiered subscription model priced at approximately $129-$149 per month (with annual contract and discount variants), complemented by dedicated studio rentals ranging from $480 to $1,369 per month, jewelry benches at $319 per month, storage add-ons, and paid classes/workshops across more than 50 on-demand courses.

The business is anchored by two signature accelerator programs: the RAPID Hardware Accelerator, launched in 2017 as a 12-week program combining technical consulting with seed funding for hardware startups (alumni include Burro, Flux Marine, and Strella Biotechnology), and the Artisan Accelerator, a 13-week program for creative-product entrepreneurs funded through a U.S. Department of Commerce BTAP grant and structured to accept 15 participants per cohort with $2,400 in credits and nine months of studio access. Distribution occurs primarily through direct website sign-ups and a community-led, event-driven go-to-market motion featuring workshops, maker showcases, jewelry swaps, and partnership events with organizations such as Mechanism and the Wilmington Alliance. The customer base is long-tail, comprising individual makers, micro-businesses, and small studios, with additional revenue from the in-house 'Hire a Maker' project-matching platform. Founder Malone's prior co-founding of Fab@Home, credited with helping spark the consumer 3D printing market, provides the technical pedigree underlying the company's multi-material fabrication positioning.

Name

Rapid Hardware Accelerator

Legal name

NextFab

Website

https://nextfab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NextFab operates a membership-based makerspace in Philadelphia and Wilmington, providing individual makers, micro-businesses, and hardware startups with access to 160+ fabrication machines, dedicated studio rentals, classes, and the RAPID Hardware Accelerator and Artisan Accelerator programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hardware Startup Accelerator

NAICS

Computer Training (611420)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

Keywords

• Hardware startup accelerator
• Product development consulting
• Seed funding program
• Maker business incubator
• Hardware entrepreneur mentorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Monthly and annual membership subscriptions providing unlimited access to the makerspace, tools, equipment, classes, and community. Membership is the primary revenue driver.
2. Studio Space Rentals: Dedicated studio spaces, workshop rentals, jewelry benches, and warehouse spaces rented to makers, artists, and small businesses on monthly basis. Includes business address services and shipping/receiving.
3. Classes and Training: Revenue from hands-on workshops, maker series programs, and proficiency classes across all departments. Class packages and private training sessions generate additional per-transaction revenue.
4. Storage and Add-Ons: On-site storage options (lockers, cubbies, shop floor storage) and optional add-ons including 24-hour access, Adobe software, shipping services, and education credits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The RAPID Hardware Accelerator is a twelve-week program that helps hardware entrepreneurs jump-start their business by providing hands-on technical and business consulting, seed funding, and access to NextFab's 160+ machine makerspace. The program pairs structured accelerator curriculum with practical prototyping and production resources, enabling hardware startups to move from concept to product with reduced capital outlay.

Product overview

NextFab operates as a membership-based makerspace providing technology, tools, space, and resources for professional makers to turn ideas into physical products and businesses. The core offering is the makerspace membership, which grants access to shared workshops with state-of-the-art equipment including woodworking, metalworking, jewelry, textiles, 3D printing, laser cutting, and electronics departments. Supporting offerings include classes and workshops for skill development, studio space rentals for dedicated workspace, and the Artisan Accelerator program for creative entrepreneurs. NextFab also runs the RAPID Hardware Accelerator program to help hardware entrepreneurs with business consulting and seed funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RAPID Hardware Accelerator Program A twelve-week hardware accelerator program that helps hardware entrepreneurs jump-start their business by providing hands-on technical and business consulting and seed funding, with access to NextFab's 160+ machines and tools. RAPID stands for Revenue through Advanced manufacturing, Product development, Innovation, and Design thinking.
• Artisan Accelerator Program A 13-week accelerator program providing business education, shared studio space, annual membership, and $2,400 in credits for technical education and machine reservations to creative entrepreneurs who make physical products. The program is fully funded through a Department of Commerce BTAP grant for selected participants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Accelerator participants have scaled businesses by 20% in months through program participation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MechanismminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to host kickoff events for the 11th National Gathering on 'Imagining the Future of Local Production' at NextFab, connecting innovators in local manufacturing.
• Wilmington Alliance (formerly Wilmington Renaissance Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2017Key strategic partner that aided in the establishment of NextFab Wilmington as an anchor tenant in the city's creative district. The partnership was instrumental in the economic development of Wilmington's creative corridor and continues to support local small businesses and the creative community.
• Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2017Government economic development partner that supported the establishment of NextFab Wilmington as part of Delaware's creative district development strategy.
• Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2017Local educational institution partnership providing resources and student engagement opportunities for Wilmington's creative community.
• Museum for Art in WoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership hosting collaborative events such as Pride carving activities and community engagement programs at the makerspace.
• University City Science CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal incubator partner where NextFab's first location was established as part of the Science Center's business incubator in 2010.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• HacDC: Washington DC-area hackerspace offering shared equipment, classes, and community. Comparable maker collective model, though focused more on electronics/hardware hacking than the broader fabrication mix at NextFab.

Direct peers

• Makerspace Charlotte: Nonprofit community makerspace in Charlotte, NC with woodworking, metal, electronics, and 3D printing departments. Comparable member-supported workshop model serving regional hardware and creative entrepreneurs.
• Artisan's Asylum: Non-profit makerspace in Somerville, MA offering shared workshop access, classes, and structured maker programming. Most comparable peer: similar membership/studio model, broad fabrication equipment, and community-led maker support.
• NYC Resistor: Brooklyn-based makerspace and hacker collective offering classes, equipment access, and community programming. Comparable membership-driven model with focus on hardware hacking, electronics, and digital fabrication.
• Dallas Makerspace: Member-supported makerspace in Texas providing access to woodworking, metalworking, 3D printing, and textile equipment. Comparable community membership model and broad equipment catalog targeting hobbyists and small businesses.
• Bolt (hardware accelerator): Seed-stage hardware accelerator that provides seed capital and prototyping support for connected hardware startups. Directly comparable to NextFab's RAPID program in serving hardware entrepreneurs with structured business and funding support.
• Baltimore Fab Lab / Open Works: Baltimore-based nonprofit makerspace offering equipment access, classes, and business incubation for makers. Comparable East Coast urban makerspace serving hardware entrepreneurs and creative small businesses.

Broad incumbents

• Highway1 (Hardware-focused accelerator): Established hardware-focused accelerator providing mentorship and prototyping resources. Closely comparable to RAPID in targeting hardware entrepreneurs, though with a larger institutional backing and broader geographic reach.
• Techstars (Startup Weekend / Techstars Accelerators): Large global accelerator operator running cohort-based startup programs with investor connections. Broadly comparable as a startup accelerator model, though not specifically focused on hardware or maker businesses.

Others

• WeWork / Industrious (flex workspace): Commercial coworking/flexible workspace operators serving SMBs and creators. Tangentially comparable on the studio rentals and shared workspace offering, though without the fabrication equipment and accelerator program differentiation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/NextFab_PHL
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NextFabStudio
• Facebookfacebook.com/NextFabStudio
• Instagraminstagram.com/nextfab_phl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nextfab-studio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Rapid Hardware Accelerator