Toolspace
Toolspace is a Stockholm-based prototyping lab and hardware accelerator, founded in 2017, that provides shared fabrication equipment, expert support, an 8-week accelerator (Ideaction), and manufacturing connections to early-stage hardware founders and professional designers across Sweden.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersStockholm, Sweden
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Toolspace does
Toolspace, founded in 2017 by Mikael Beving and J-B Gérard, operates a shared prototyping laboratory and hardware accelerator at Blekingegatan 12 on Södermalm in Stockholm, Sweden. The company provides access to multi-material fabrication equipment — including CNC machines, laser cutters, 3D printers and scanners, electronics workstations, metalworking tools, knitting machines, and a paint booth — alongside structured support programs for physical-product development. Its service portfolio comprises flexible lab access (membership and pay-per-use), an 8-week hardware accelerator called Ideaction, tailored innovation and design sprints, courses in CAD, 3D printing, and life cycle assessment, plus a 3–6 month Manufacturing Support program that connects founders with Swedish and European sub-contractors.
The business model blends four revenue streams: recurring annual memberships (2,500 SEK/person/year) plus access-period fees (400–7,600 SEK), professional services priced hourly (prototyping support at 750 SEK/hr, LCA support at 950 SEK/hr), the Ideaction accelerator (8,000 SEK/team, with subsidies via the Starta Eget Stockholm municipal program), and courses/workshops (1,850–2,500 SEK). Go-to-market is hybrid: a self-serve website booking layer for individual visitors and members sits alongside a direct-sales motion for enterprise sprints, accelerator engagements, and corporate team-building. Customer segments span early-stage hardware founders, professional designers and engineers, sustainability-focused product companies, and corporate teams seeking team-building experiences.
Since 2018, Toolspace reports supporting more than 300 ideas and spawning over 50 companies through the Ideaction program, with 42 ventures formally attributed to the accelerator. The company is privately held, has 1–10 employees (predominantly the two co-founders), has not disclosed external funding rounds, and operates from a single Stockholm site with stated reach across Sweden and broader Europe through its manufacturing partner network.
Toolspace firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Toolspace
- Legal name
- Toolspace
- Website
- https://toolspace.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Toolspace is a Stockholm-based prototyping lab and hardware accelerator, founded in 2017, that provides shared fabrication equipment, expert support, an 8-week accelerator (Ideaction), and manufacturing connections to early-stage hardware founders and professional designers across Sweden.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Toolspace industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Prototyping Lab Services
- NAICS
- Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332)
- SIC
- Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI), 3D Printing, CAD & Digital Fabrication Programs (EDAMADAH)
Keywords
Where Toolspace is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stockholm
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Toolspace business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Lab Membership and Access Fees: Yearly membership (2500 kr) plus pay-per-use access periods (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly). Core revenue stream from prototyping lab facilities.
- Professional Services and Consulting: Project support, prototyping support (750 kr/hr), business support, manufacturing support, life cycle assessment support (950 kr/hr), and first support sessions. Tailored advisory services for hardware product development.
- Educational Courses and Workshops: Courses on CAD/3D printing (Autocad Fusion 360, Rhino), Kniterate machine usage, Carbon Footprint & Life Cycle Analysis (2500 kr), team-building workshops like Infinity Puzzle and Synthesizer Gig (1850 kr/pers)
- Accelerator Programs: Ideaction 8-week accelerator program (8000 kr/team) supporting early-stage hardware startups through proof-of-concept stage with workshop hours and lab access included
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Yearly Membership + Access Periods |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Visitor Access |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Carbon Footprint & Life Cycle Analysis Course |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Prototyping Support Session |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Life Cycle Assessment Support |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Infinity Puzzle Workshop |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Ideaction Accelerator Program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Toolspace product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Toolspace operates a shared prototyping lab in central Stockholm providing access to fabrication equipment (CNC, laser cutting, 3D printing/scanning, electronics, metalwork, textile machines, paint booth) through memberships and hourly/daily/weekly/monthly access periods. The core offering is augmented by structured services including the 8-week Ideaction accelerator program for early-stage hardware startups, expert support sessions, courses in CAD and life cycle analysis, and a manufacturing readiness program connecting founders with European sub-contractors.
Product overview
Toolspace is a hardware product development platform combining a shared Prototyping Lab in central Stockholm with comprehensive support services. The core offering is the Prototyping Lab (accessed via Member or Visitor Access plans), which provides tools including CNC machines, laser cutters, 3D printers, 3D scanners, and electronics stations. This is supported by the Ideaction Accelerator Program (8-week intensive for early-stage ventures), Innovation & Design Sprints (tailored to circularity, sustainability, and go-to-market), and Courses (CAD/3D printing, LCA). Additional services include Manufacturing Support for Swedish/European production setup, Learn & Play team building workshops, and specialized consulting for carbon footprint, life cycle assessment, and business development. The platform serves entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, and organizations developing physical products with a focus on circular and sustainable design.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ideaction: Toolspace's hardware accelerator program for tech and market validation of early stage ideas. A 7-week to 8-week programme to prototype and identify product-market fit.
Quantifiable outcome
- 300+ ideas supported since 2018
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Toolspace
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Toolspace technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
Toolspace partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Starta Eget StockholmcoreToolspace is an authorized support provider through Stockholm city's Starta Eget Stockholm program. Stockholm residents receive 20 points of free support from Toolspace for early-stage physical product ideas. Services include design methodology, prototyping, business modelling, life cycle analysis, and marketing support.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Toolspace competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Fab Foundation: Fab Foundation operates the global Fab Lab network spun out of MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms, providing the framework and standards for hundreds of community fab labs worldwide — the indirect ecosystem in which Toolspace operates.
- Stratasys: Stratasys is a leading 3D printer manufacturer (parent of MakerBot) whose hardware is commonly installed in makerspaces and prototyping labs. Toolspace uses 3D printers as a core part of its lab offering, making Stratasys an enabling equipment provider rather than a direct competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Autodesk: Autodesk is the dominant CAD/CAM software provider (Fusion 360 is taught in Toolspace's courses) and has historically run large makerspace programs (formerly BUILD Space). Broad incumbent serving the same hardware-design customer base with software rather than physical lab access.
- Epicenter Stockholm: Epicenter Stockholm is a large innovation house offering co-working, events, and accelerator-style programs for a broad set of startups and corporates. Overlaps with Toolspace on community and entrepreneurship programming but is much broader than hardware-prototyping.
Direct peers
- HAX (SOSV): HAX is a global hardware-focused accelerator run by SOSV with programs in Shenzhen and San Francisco, supporting early-stage hardware startups from prototype through manufacturing. Like Toolspace's Ideaction program, it focuses on taking physical-product founders from concept to market-ready product.
- FabLab Barcelona: FabLab Barcelona, hosted at IAAC, is a community fabrication lab offering CNC, laser cutting, 3D printing and electronics prototyping to designers, engineers and startups. It operates the same makerspace-plus-education model that defines Toolspace.
- Bolt: Bolt is a hardware-focused seed-stage investor and accelerator that works with hardware startups on prototyping, manufacturing readiness, and go-to-market. It overlaps directly with Toolspace's accelerator + manufacturing-support model.
Regional players
- Aalto FabLab: Aalto FabLab is Aalto University's community prototyping lab in Espoo, Finland, offering similar multi-material fabrication (CNC, 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics) to students, researchers, and external makers. Comparable Nordic positioning but serves the Helsinki/Espoo market rather than Stockholm.
- Waag Futurelab (FabLab Amsterdam): Waag Futurelab operates the FabLab Amsterdam and runs community programs around digital fabrication, biotechnology, and circular materials. Same makerspace-plus-social-mission positioning as Toolspace, but based in the Netherlands rather than Sweden.
- Impact Hub Stockholm: Impact Hub Stockholm is part of the global Impact Hub network, providing co-working, incubation, and programming for impact-oriented startups — overlapping with Toolspace on the entrepreneurship-support side for Stockholm-based founders.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Toolspace social profiles
Digital presenceToolspace financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Toolspace leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Toolspace funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Toolspace 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 Toolspace
What does Toolspace do?
Toolspace operates a shared prototyping lab in central Stockholm providing access to fabrication equipment (CNC, laser cutting, 3D printing/scanning, electronics, metalwork, textile machines, paint booth) through memberships and hourly/daily/weekly/monthly access periods. The core offering is augmented by structured services including the 8-week Ideaction accelerator program for early-stage hardware startups, expert support sessions, courses in CAD and life cycle analysis, and a manufacturing readiness program connecting founders with European sub-contractors.
Is Toolspace a public or private company?
Toolspace is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Toolspace founded?
Toolspace was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Toolspace based?
Toolspace is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Toolspace make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Lab Membership and Access Fees are the primary driver. The others are professional Services and Consulting, educational Courses and Workshops and accelerator Programs.
Who are Toolspace's main competitors?
Others on record are Fab Foundation and Stratasys. Broad incumbents are Autodesk and Epicenter Stockholm. Direct peers are HAX (SOSV), FabLab Barcelona and Bolt. Regional players are Aalto FabLab, Waag Futurelab (FabLab Amsterdam) and Impact Hub Stockholm.
Does Toolspace have an API?
No public API is recorded for Toolspace.
What industry is Toolspace in?
Toolspace's product category is Prototyping Lab Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMADAC, Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios), with a secondary code of EDAEAGAI, Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming). Its NAICS code is 3332 and its SIC code is 3821.