UTDesign Makerspace
UTDesign Makerspace is a free, student-led university makerspace at UT Dallas that provides no-cost access to 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics, VR, and sewing equipment for current students, faculty, and staff.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersRichardson, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What UTDesign Makerspace does
UTDesign Makerspace is a free, student-led university makerspace operated out of room SPN 2.220 in the Synergy Park North building on the University of Texas at Dallas campus in Richardson, Texas. It provides the UT Dallas student, faculty, and staff community with no-cost access to a multi-station fabrication facility spanning FDM and resin 3D printing (a fleet including Bambu Lab A1, Prusa Mini+, Prusa MK4, Qidi Tech, and Anycubic Photon Mono units), a Glowforge Basic laser cutter, an electronics workstation (Weller soldering stations, Keysight oscilloscopes, and bench power supplies), an HTC Vive VR station, and sewing/embroidery equipment (Brother SE600, Singer 4423, Cricut Explore Air 2).
The organization backs these physical tools with a purpose-built software stack: per-printer OctoPrint instances, a Moodle-based training platform at learn.utd.ms (courses 101–301 gate equipment access), the open-source BitBot Discord bot, an internal reservations web app, and the MOSH training platform — all maintained by an IT committee and published on a public GitHub organization. Operationally, it runs Monday–Friday 7 AM to 9 PM and is governed by elected student officers (President, VP, Treasurer) and functional committee leads across Events, Operations, Maintenance, Systems Administration, Art & Design, Social Media, and Outreach, with two faculty advisors acting as liaisons to the UTDesign department.
The business model is non-commercial. All equipment and space are provided at no charge, with users supplying only their own consumables (filament, resin, thread). Revenue inflows are limited to PayPal donations, low-price merchandise sales (apparel at $5–$10, keychains at $3, stickers from $1), and corporate sponsorship (Mouser Electronics as a core sponsor, alongside GLYDR, Repairify, Dallas Makerspace, and ECS Student Council). The go-to-market is community-led — Discord, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, on-campus tabling, and a formal student-organization partnership program that drives referral traffic from 14+ UT Dallas student groups.
UTDesign Makerspace firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- UTDesign Makerspace
- Legal name
- UTDesign Makerspace
- Website
- https://utd.ms
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- UTDesign Makerspace is a free, student-led university makerspace at UT Dallas that provides no-cost access to 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics, VR, and sewing equipment for current students, faculty, and staff.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
UTDesign Makerspace industry classification
Industry- Product category
- University Makerspace Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- 3D Printing, CAD & Digital Fabrication Programs (EDAMADAH)
Keywords
Where UTDesign Makerspace is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richardson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
UTDesign Makerspace business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Accepts general donations and runs specific fundraising campaigns for equipment (e.g., embroidery/sewing machine fundraiser). Donation option available on the store page via PayPal.
- Merchandise Sales: Sells apparel (legacy shirts $5-$10), keychains ($3), stickers (starting at $1), and sticker collections. Users provide materials; makerspace provides equipment free of charge.
- Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors provide new technology, speakers for events, prizes, and general donations. Sponsorship packet available via Box shared link.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free access for UT Dallas community |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
UTDesign Makerspace product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UTDesign Makerspace is a free-to-use university makerspace located at UT Dallas (Synergy Park North 2.220) that provides current students, faculty, and staff with supervised physical access to 3D printers (FDM and resin), a Glowforge laser cutter, electronics workbench, VR station, and sewing/embroidery equipment. Users provide their own consumable materials; the space, equipment, and required safety training through the learn.utd.ms Moodle platform are provided at no charge.
Product overview
UTDesign Makerspace is a free physical makerspace for UT Dallas students, faculty, and staff located in Synergy Park North (SPN 2.220). The organization offers a comprehensive suite of fabrication services and educational resources including 3D printing (FDM and resin), laser cutting, virtual reality, electronics workshop (soldering, power supplies, oscilloscopes), sewing and embroidery, and room reservations. Access requires completing mandatory training courses through the Moodle-based learning platform before using corresponding tools. The makerspace operates Monday-Friday 7 AM to 9 PM and is entirely student-led with volunteer officers and committee members managing facilities, community events, IT systems, and marketing. Physical materials must be provided by users while all tools and equipment are free to use.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BitBot: The official Discord bot of UTDesign Makerspace, managing community interactions and server functionality.
- MOSH
Products and services
- 3D Printing Services Free FDM and resin 3D printing using a fleet of Bambu Lab, Prusa, Qidi Tech, and Anycubic printers for verified UT Dallas students, faculty, and staff. Users provide their own consumables (1.75mm PLA/PLA+/PLA Pro filament, or Inland standard resin).
- Laser Cutting Services Free Glowforge Basic laser cutting and etching for approved materials (acrylic, paper, cardboard, MDF, plywood, cork). Mandatory training and Glowforge safety glasses required before use.
- Virtual Reality Station Free HTC Vive 1.0 VR headset with controllers and base stations available for verified members; gaming limited to one hour per day, while creative and educational use takes priority.
- Electronics Workshop Free soldering (Weller WSD81, SparkFun 937b), desoldering (OK Industries BTR1000), power supplies (Keysight E3631A, Keithley 2230-301), Keysight MSO-X 3032A oscilloscope, and Agilent multimeters and waveform generators for electronics projects.
- Sewing and Embroidery Station Free sewing and embroidery equipment (Brother SE600 sewing-and-embroidery machine, Singer Heavy Duty 4423, Cricut Explore Air 2 vinyl cutter) for crafts, cosplay, and apparel projects.
- Training Courses (learn.utd.ms) Free Moodle-based safety and tool-specific training that certifies members to use corresponding equipment (General & Safety 101 is required for general access; 201, 211, and 301 unlock specific tools).
- Room Reservations for Student Organizations Free reservation of UTDesign Makerspace facilities (classroom, meeting room, open lab, arcade cabinet) and storage lockers for UT Dallas student organizations; two-week advance booking required.
- Merchandise Store Online store at utd.ms/store selling apparel (legacy shirts $5–$10), keychains ($3), stickers (starting at $1), and sticker collections, with PayPal donation option.
Companies that use UTDesign Makerspace
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
UTDesign Makerspace technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
UTDesign Makerspace partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Accessible Prosthetics Initiative at UT DallasminorStudent organization partner that uses the space frequently and helps promote UTDesign Makerspace. Must list makerspace on their website or Discord server and hold at least one meeting per semester open to all students.
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (UT Dallas Chapter)minorStudent organization partner that uses the space frequently and helps promote UTDesign Makerspace through their group.
- Arters & CraftersminorStudent organization partner that uses the space frequently and helps promote UTDesign Makerspace through their group.
- Comet KeyboardsminorStudent organization partner that uses the space frequently and helps promote UTDesign Makerspace through their group.
- Comet RoboticsminorStudent organization partner that uses the space frequently and helps promote UTDesign Makerspace through their group.
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE UT Dallas)minorStudent organization partner that uses the space frequently and helps promote UTDesign Makerspace through their group.
- RoboSub (UT Dallas)minorStudent organization partner that uses the space frequently and helps promote UTDesign Makerspace through their group.
- Student Game Developer Association (SGDA)minorStudent organization partner that uses the space frequently and helps promote UTDesign Makerspace through their group. Also the copyright holder noted on the website footer.
- UT Dallas DiscordminorStudent organization partner that uses the space frequently and helps promote UTDesign Makerspace through their group.
- Wind Energy ClubminorStudent organization partner that uses the space frequently and helps promote UTDesign Makerspace through their group.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
UTDesign Makerspace competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- TheLab.ms: A community makerspace serving the North Texas area with fabrication and electronics tools. UTDesign Makerspace specifically directs non-affiliated individuals to TheLab.ms as an alternative, making it a directly referenced peer in the same geography.
- Dallas Makerspace: A community-run makerspace in the Dallas area offering 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics, woodworking, and craft tools. It is listed as a sponsor and is explicitly named by UTDesign Makerspace as an alternative for non-UTD community members, making it the closest regional comparable.
Broad incumbents
- Stanford Product Realization Lab: University-supported fabrication facility at Stanford offering 3D printing, laser cutting, and electronics for student projects. Notable as a broader, more established campus makerspace with longer institutional history and deeper funding.
- MIT Media Lab: MIT's research-oriented fabrication and prototyping environment. While far more research-focused than UTDesign Makerspace, it is included as the most prominent university-affiliated maker/research space and a long-running benchmark for campus maker culture.
- Artisan's Asylum: A large community makerspace in Somerville, MA offering 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics, textiles, and woodworking to a broad membership. Comparable in offering diversity but operates as a paid membership rather than a free university service.
Direct peers
- Georgia Tech Invention Studio: A student-run makerspace at Georgia Tech offering 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics, and other fabrication tools, with mandatory training and volunteer-led operations. It is one of the most direct functional analogs of UTDesign Makerspace in a university setting.
- Carnegie Mellon University Maker Club and MakerSpace: Student-operated fabrication spaces at Carnegie Mellon providing 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics, and sewing to engineering students. Comparable operating model, training-gated access, and student committee structure.
Emerging players
- NYC Resistor: A Brooklyn-based community hackerspace with 3D printers, laser cutters, electronics, and sewing equipment. Comparable in being a community-driven workshop offering similar tools, but operates on a paid membership model rather than a free university service.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
UTDesign Makerspace social profiles
Digital presenceUTDesign Makerspace financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
UTDesign Makerspace leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
UTDesign Makerspace funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
UTDesign Makerspace M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about UTDesign Makerspace
What does UTDesign Makerspace do?
UTDesign Makerspace is a free-to-use university makerspace located at UT Dallas (Synergy Park North 2.220) that provides current students, faculty, and staff with supervised physical access to 3D printers (FDM and resin), a Glowforge laser cutter, electronics workbench, VR station, and sewing/embroidery equipment. Users provide their own consumable materials; the space, equipment, and required safety training through the learn.utd.ms Moodle platform are provided at no charge.
Is UTDesign Makerspace a public or private company?
UTDesign Makerspace is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was UTDesign Makerspace founded?
UTDesign Makerspace was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is UTDesign Makerspace based?
UTDesign Makerspace is headquartered in Richardson, United States, in the North America region.
How does UTDesign Makerspace make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales and sponsorship.
Who are UTDesign Makerspace's main competitors?
Regional players on record are TheLab.ms and Dallas Makerspace. Broad incumbents are Stanford Product Realization Lab, MIT Media Lab and Artisan's Asylum. Direct peers are Georgia Tech Invention Studio and Carnegie Mellon University Maker Club and MakerSpace. NYC Resistor is listed as an emerging player.
Does UTDesign Makerspace have an API?
No public API is recorded for UTDesign Makerspace.
What industry is UTDesign Makerspace in?
UTDesign Makerspace's product category is University Makerspace Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMADAH, 3D Printing, CAD & Digital Fabrication Programs.