Internet Of Production Alliance

What Internet Of Production Alliance does

The Internet of Production Alliance, legally the Internet of Production Foundation (UK charity no. 1184807), is a Cambridge-headquartered nonprofit founded in 2019 that builds open data infrastructure for decentralised manufacturing. Its portfolio centres on two authored open standards — Open Know-How (2019), a documentation standard for sharing hardware designs, and Open Know-Where (2021), an open data model for mapping manufacturing capabilities — implemented through a multi-stakeholder working group that includes Field Ready, Wikifactory, Fab Labs, MIT, UCL, and the Royal College of Art.

The alliance's primary technical asset is the Map of Machinery, an interactive open-data map aggregating 14 contributing datasets to catalogue 7,488+ machines and over 12,000 facilities across six continents (8,391 in Africa, 1,580 in Asia, 1,568 in Europe, 357 in North America, 276 in South America, 23 in Oceania). Built on the Open Know-Where standard and validated under FAIR principles, the platform is distributed via a public iframe-embedded map and a Zenodo data repository. Supporting products include the Electronic Components repairability initiative, the People and Skills mutual-recognition framework, the Digital Maker Passport credentialing system, and a Contracting for Distributed Manufacturing prototype for multi-manufacturer order management. Field deployments include 1,125 products produced collaboratively across nine makerspaces in three African countries during the 2023 Distributed Manufacturing Trials.

The organisation operates a grant-funded, open-source business model with no fees for standards, tools, or data. Revenue comes from project grants — Shuttleworth Foundation sponsored Open Know-Where (2021), Sloan Foundation supports global mapping, and Horizon Europe funds the mAkE project — supplemented by a membership programme. Go-to-market is community-led: an online forum, monthly newsletter, conference presence (Maker Faire, Re:publica, FabLab Network Conference), and self-serve adoption of standards by makerspaces, humanitarian NGOs, manufacturers, and trade associations. The leadership team is lean, comprising Chair Anna Lowe and Open-Know-Where Project Lead Antonio de Jesus Anaya Hernandez.

Name

Internet Of Production Alliance

Legal name

Internet of Production Foundation

Website

https://www.internetofproduction.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Internet of Production Alliance is a UK-registered nonprofit that develops open data standards (Open Know-How, Open Know-Where) and the Map of Machinery platform to enable decentralised manufacturing for makers, humanitarian organisations, and African and European maker ecosystems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Open Standards for Decentralized Manufacturing

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Open data standards
• Decentralized manufacturing
• Hardware documentation
• Maker ecosystems
• Distributed production

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project Funding and Grants: The organization operates as a registered charity (number 1184807) and receives funding through European projects such as Horizon Europe (mAkE project) and grants from foundations like the Shuttleworth Foundation and Sloan Foundation.
2. Membership and Community Contributions: The organization welcomes members who share their vision and participate in shaping the future of decentralized manufacturing through an application process.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Internet of Production Alliance develops and stewards open data standards and open-source platforms that enable decentralized manufacturing. Its core offerings are the Open Know-Where standard (a data model for mapping manufacturing facilities and machines) and the Open Know-How specification (a documentation standard for sharing hardware designs), supported by the Map of Machinery interactive platform, the Digital Maker Passport credentialing system, and a Contracting for Distributed Manufacturing prototype. The alliance operates as a UK-registered charity funded by grants and foundations, and distributes all outputs under open licenses.

Product overview

The Internet of Production Alliance offers a portfolio of open standards and platforms for decentralized manufacturing. The core products include Open Know-Where (an open data standard for mapping manufacturing capabilities) and Open Know-How (an open-source hardware documentation standard), complemented by initiatives for Electronic Components and People & Skills. Supporting projects include mAkE (African European Maker Innovation Ecosystem) and Innovative Manufacturing in Africa. Key platforms built on these standards include the Map of Machinery (an interactive open-data map for locating manufacturing resources) and the Digital Maker Passport (a digital credential system for maker skills). A contracting system prototype enables multi-manufacturer order management for distributed manufacturing workflows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Open Know-How: Open standard for sharing hardware designs and documentation online, to know how something can be made
• Open Know-Where
• mAkE
• Map of Machinery
• Maker Passport

Products and services

• Open Know-Where Standard An open data standard that classifies and collects data on manufacturing facilities and machines to enable discovery and exchange of manufacturing capabilities, allowing users to locate where products can be made. Targeted at humanitarian organizations, makerspaces, manufacturers, and trade associations.
• Open Know-How Standard An open-source hardware documentation standard for sharing hardware designs and documentation online so people can know how something can be made. Targeted at makers, Fab Labs, and hardware designers publishing reproducible documentation.
• Map of Machinery An interactive open-data map that locates and visualizes manufacturing machinery by location, ownership, and capabilities to enable local procurement, disaster relief, education, and economic development.
• Electronic Components Initiative (IOP-EC) An initiative developing an open standard to aid the repairability of electronics products through the Internet of Production Electronic Components project. Targeted at electronics manufacturers, repair communities, and makers working on hardware repairability.
• People and Skills Specification A specification providing a structure for verifying maker skills and experiences needed for specific making tasks, including a mutual recognition standard and the Digital Maker Passport framework. Targeted at makerspaces, Fab Labs, and program operators assessing maker capabilities.
• Digital Maker Passport A digital credential system that issues Maker Passports showing skills and experience levels of makers, developed under the Skills Mutual Recognition Standard. Targeted at makers and makerspace operators needing portable, verifiable credentials.
• Contracting for Distributed Manufacturing A contracting system prototype that enables buyers to manage orders across multiple manufacturers using a single interface, automating workflows for clarity and accountability. Targeted at buyers, makers, and intermediaries coordinating distributed production.
• mAkE Project (African European Maker Innovation Ecosystem) A European-funded project maximizing the potential of makers, makerspaces, and Digital Innovation Hubs across Africa and Europe, developing tools for distributed manufacturing. Targeted at African and European maker ecosystems and the institutions supporting them.
• Innovative Manufacturing in Africa Programme A programme supporting research mentoring, awards, and ecosystem development for African makerspaces, including the Africa Makerspace Ecosystem Gathering. Targeted at African makerspaces and innovation hubs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1125 products produced collaboratively across 9 makerspaces in 3 African countries during Distributed Manufacturing Trials 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BarbalcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnical document specialists from Bristol who provided facilitation and technical authoring for the Open Know-Where standard, developing cloud-based collaborative documentation tools.
• Field ReadycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization that uses Open Know-Where to locate manufacturing capabilities for disaster response, including finding sewing machines in refugee settlements and injection moulding factories for PPE production.
• WikifactorycoreTechnology or IntegrationBuilding an open-standards based model of distributed design and production; committed to implementing Open Know-Where into their manufacturing marketplace.
• Open Know-Where Working Group MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking group includes representatives from: Appropedia, COVID Action, Fab Labs, Field Ready, Juakali Smart, Makernet, MakerNet.work, Make Works, Manufacturing Change, MIT, Metabolic, Procedurable, Royal College of Art, UCL and WikiFactory.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wikifactory: Collaborative platform for distributed design and production that is implementing Open Know-Where. Directly comparable as a marketplace/community for distributed manufacturing and a working group participant.
• Make Works: UK-based directory of manufacturers and fabrication facilities. Comparable as a working-group data contributor for mapping manufacturing capabilities and addressing local-procurement pain points.
• Fab Foundation: Nonprofit that operates and coordinates the global Fab Lab network. Directly comparable as a charity-driven, open-infrastructure organization enabling distributed making and digital fabrication across the same maker ecosystem IoP Alliance serves.
• Field Ready: NGO using local manufacturing for humanitarian response and disaster relief. Closely comparable end-user and partner that operationalizes IoP's Open Know-Where data for refugee settlements and PPE production.
• Open Knowledge Foundation: Nonprofit promoting open data and open knowledge globally. Comparable as a standards-and-community-driven organization advancing open infrastructure, including the ODbL license IoP Alliance uses.
• Open Data Institute (ODI): Nonprofit focused on building an open, trustworthy data ecosystem. Comparable as a charity building data infrastructure and adoption capacity, with similar institutional and policy engagement.
• Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA): Nonprofit that maintains the open hardware certification and definitions. Comparable as an open-standards steward for hardware documentation, directly relevant to the Open Know-How specification.

Emerging players

• Arduino: Open-source hardware and software ecosystem widely used in makerspaces and Fab Labs. Comparable as open-infrastructure for distributed making that overlaps with the maker community IoP Alliance serves.
• Appropedia: Open knowledge platform for sustainability and appropriate technology. Comparable as a working-group member and complementary open-knowledge commons for makers and humanitarian practitioners.

Broad incumbents

• W3C: International standards body developing open web standards through member working groups. Comparable as a mature, globally recognized model for open standards governance relevant to IoP's working-group approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/IoP_Alliance
• GitHubgithub.com/iop-alliance
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKlP_Ft2e0uWpxvAFEaa_bA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/internet-of-production

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Internet Of Production Alliance