Academany - The Academy of (almost) Anything

What Academany - The Academy of (almost) Anything does

Academany - The Academy of (almost) Anything is a global distributed educational network that operates multiple specialized programs teaching digital fabrication, synthetic biology, textile technology, and maker education through a hybrid model combining virtual global masterclasses with local hands-on practice at Fab Lab Learning Nodes. The organization offers six core programs: Fab Academy (digital fabrication applications), Fabricademy (textiles and biology intersection), Fab Learning Academy (K-12 educator certification at $3,500 per 6-month program), Bio Academy (synthetic biology, currently inactive in distributed form), Fab All-In (inclusion-focused community program at $100 per participant), and Fab Futures (vocational skills). The technology stack integrates digital fabrication tools (3D printing, laser cutting, vinyl cutting, electronics, programming) with educational platforms including Discord for communication, Zoom for global masterclasses, SCOPESdf.org for lesson repositories, and Miro for collaboration. Supporting infrastructure includes IoT platforms (IFTTT, Adafruit IO, ThingSpeak, Node-RED, Blynk) and simulation tools (Tinkercad). The 39-employee organization serves educators, designers, makers, and students globally through 100+ Fab Lab nodes spread across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Programs are developed in partnership with MIT Center for Bits and Atoms (Neil Gershenfeld), Harvard Medical School (George Church), Fab Lab Barcelona-IAAC, University of Oulu, and EduFab, leveraging the Fab Foundation's global network. Revenue is generated primarily through program tuition fees, with no venture capital or public market funding identified. The structure operates as an educational network rather than a traditional corporate entity, with the Fab Learning Academy's second edition scheduled for September 2025 - March 2026 signaling continued programmatic expansion.

Name

Academany - The Academy of (almost) Anything

Legal name

Academany

Website

https://academany.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Academany is a global distributed educational network operating multiple programs (Fab Academy, Fabricademy, Fab Learning Academy, Bio Academy, Fab All-In) that teach digital fabrication, synthetic biology, and maker skills through virtual global masterclasses paired with local hands-on practice at 100+ Fab Lab nodes worldwide, serving educators, designers, and aspiring makers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Fabrication Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Teacher Training & Curriculum Providers (Robotics/Maker Education) (EDAMADAM), Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI)

Keywords

• Digital fabrication education
• Maker education programs
• Distributed learning network
• Synthetic biology training
• STEM educator certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Fab Learning Academy Tuition: 6-month executive certification program with full-time dedication requirement
2. Fab All-In Tuition: 8-session community program for inclusion and community building
3. Fabricademy Tuition: 6-month full-time transdisciplinary textile academy program

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Academany operates a global distributed campus offering tuition-based educational programs that combine virtual global masterclasses from expert instructors with hands-on practice at 100+ Fab Lab Learning Nodes worldwide. Core programs include Fab Academy (digital fabrication), Fabricademy (textiles, digital fabrication, biology), Fab Learning Academy (K-12 educator certification), Bio Academy (synthetic biology), Fab All-In (inclusion-focused community building), and Fab Futures (vocational skills). Programs run 6 months on average, with tuition ranging from $100 to $3,500 per participant, and culminate in globally recognized certification.

Product overview

Academany operates as a global distributed campus offering multiple specialized educational programs, unified by a model where students learn skills from global experts and practice them locally through a worldwide network of Fab Labs. The core portfolio includes Fab Academy (digital fabrication), Fabricademy (textiles and biology), Bio Academy (synthetic biology), Fab Learning Academy (K-12 educator certification), Fab Futures (vocational skills), and Fab All-In (inclusion-focused community building). Programs share the distributed educational model: virtual global instruction paired with local hands-on practice at certified Learning Nodes. Supporting infrastructure includes Discord for course communication, SCOPESdf.org lesson repository, and cloud-based documentation platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fab Futures: Vocational skills for the Future program
• Fab Academy
• Fabricademy
• Fab Learning Academy
• Fab All-In
• Bio Academy
• Why to make
• Agricademy
• How to Design (Almost) Anything

Products and services

• Fab Academy A distributed educational program teaching the applications and implications of digital fabrication, where students learn skills from global leaders and practice them locally at hundreds of Fab Labs worldwide.
• Fabricademy A transdisciplinary 6-month program focusing on the intersection of textiles, digital fabrication, and biology, targeting sustainable alternatives in the fashion industry.
• Fab Learning Academy A global certification program for educators in K-12 settings teaching through digital fabrication tools and technologies; uses a distributed model with local Learning Nodes and virtual global masterclasses. Tuition is $3,500 per participant for the 6-month program.
• Bio Academy A 6-month program on the applications and implications of synthetic biology, originally developed from a Harvard Professor George Church variant of the Fab Academy curriculum covering DNA nanostructures, CRISPR-CAS9, FISSEQ, open source hardware for Bio Labs, and 3D bioprinting.
• Fab All-In An 8-session community-building program designed to increase belonging and expand inclusive, urgent, and enviro-social-economic-cultural impact through interactive sessions focused on social systems in digital fabrication. Tuition is $100 USD per participant.
• Fab Futures A vocational skills program focused on preparing students for future workforce needs through practical, hands-on training delivered through the distributed Fab Lab network.
• Fab Academy X A collection of different versions of Fab Academy, offering variations of the core digital fabrication curriculum.
• Why to Make (Almost) Anything A 2017 short course with artist Olafur Eliasson exploring the philosophical and intentional aspects of making, focusing on the 'why' rather than tools or techniques.
• Diploma Thesis A program enabling students to grow their Fab Academy experience into a formal thesis project.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 Fab Learning Academy participants from around the world in first edition
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Fab FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary organizational partner managing the Fab Lab network and supporting distributed educational programs. Coordinates Fab Academy, Fab Learning Academy, and other programs across the global Fab Lab ecosystem.
• MIT Center for Bits and AtomscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing intellectual leadership for Fab Academy and Bio Academy programs. Neil Gershenfeld from MIT serves as key faculty. Bio Academy originated as variant of Fab Academy curriculum.
• FabLabs.iomajorTechnology or IntegrationPlatform partner providing Fab Lab discovery, networking, and coordination infrastructure for the distributed learning network.
• Fab Lab Barcelona - IAACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary content developer and coordinator for Fab Learning Academy curriculum. Designs and runs the global certification program for educators using digital fabrication.
• University of OulucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Fab Learning Academy development, contributing pedagogical frameworks and research in educational technology integration.
• EduFabmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner contributing to Fab Learning Academy content development, particularly in digital fabrication integration for K-12 education.
• Fab FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFab All-In co-created with Fab Foundation leadership; Fab All-In Faculty consists of Fab Lab community colleagues from around the world working with Fab Foundation.
• Harvard Medical SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBio Academy first version started when Harvard Professor George Church made a variant on Fab Academy curriculum focusing on How to Grow (almost) Anything.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• edX (2U): Online university-level education platform founded by MIT and Harvard, offering certified courses globally. Comparable as an MIT/Harvard-affiliated distributed certification model, though at much larger scale and broader topic coverage.
• Coursera: Major online education platform partnering with universities to deliver certificates and degrees globally. Comparable as a distributed higher-education and certification platform, but with a much larger catalog and corporate/enterprise focus.
• MIT OpenCourseWare: MIT-affiliated free courseware platform offering high-level educational content globally. Comparable as an MIT-tied distributed higher-education model, though broader in scope and not focused on maker/digital fabrication.
• Autodesk (Tinkercad, Fusion 360): Provides CAD/3D design tools and free education versions (Tinkercad) widely used in maker and K-12 education. Comparable as a digital fabrication tools + education ecosystem, though commercial software-focused rather than curriculum-led.

Direct peers

• Fab Foundation: Operates the global Fab Lab network that Academany's programs run through; it is also the coordinating partner and co-creator of Fab All-In. Directly comparable as the parent ecosystem and shared infrastructure layer.
• General Assembly: Vocational skills training provider offering short courses and bootcamps in tech, design, and business. Comparable as a vocational/career-change skills educator using cohort-based and certification models, though more commercially oriented.
• IAAC (Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia): Barcelona-based Fab Lab operator and co-developer of Fab Learning Academy curriculum. Directly comparable as a Fab Lab educational institution offering transdisciplinary digital fabrication programs.

Emerging players

• Instructables (Autodesk): Community-driven platform for sharing maker/DIY project tutorials. Comparable as a maker-education content and community platform, though focused on free peer-shared tutorials rather than credentialed certification.
• Skillshare: Online learning community offering creative and maker-oriented courses. Comparable as a distributed, project-based learning platform targeting makers and creative professionals, though consumer subscription-based.

Others

• MakerBot Industries: 3D printer manufacturer historically active in maker education programs and curricula. Comparable as an enabling hardware + education provider in the digital fabrication ecosystem, though primarily a hardware vendor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/academany
• Facebookfacebook.com/academany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/academany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 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 Academany - The Academy of (almost) Anything