quite a year…

2021 has been another year of change and adapting, but we are so happy to have been able to see more members face to face, around the space and at events. We welcomed 24 new businesses to Makerversity this year, working on a huge variety of projects, from recyclable latex development to industrial design.

In 2020, spearheaded by member Nate Petre of DAM, Makerversity members banded together and produced a comfortable and sustainable face shield, made from bio-plastic filament and reclaimed ocean plastic, which could be disinfected multiple times - collaborating with the Healthcare Workers’ Foundation. In addition, we ran our first ever virtual Prince's Trust, Get Started in Product Design programme, to design PPE.

In 2021, inspired by members' work with the Healthcare Workers’ Foundation, Makerversity’s Makers with a Mission programme launched a call for a special Health -Tech cohort who work on ground-breaking solutions. Successful applicants - Soapstone, Christian Tighe, Bia Care & Davin Browner Conaty - won a 6 month residency, with access to all Makerversity’s workshops, business support, extensive membership benefits and mentoring from a variety of health, physical manufacturing and digital product experts.

Read on for more news from the year…

71

businesses

made up of 250 members

64%

MALE

8

MAKERS WITH A MISSION

our residency scheme providing membership to maker teams changing the world. Most recently;

ShADe, an anti-greenwashing web plugin

Hannah Williams Studio, creator of MarbleSil® a highly durable material that can be endlessly recycled

James Haywood, furniture & homeware made from waste concrete

10

UNDER 25'S

our Under 25s Programme providing membership to under 25 year olds working on their own startups and maker projects. Most recently;

Marta Torrent Boix, who created new machines from e-waste to produce ceramic pieces

Fred Yates - NoFootprint Ltd, a sustainable technology start-up in the process of designing small-scale renewable energy solutions

Dhiresh Nathwani, reusing cardboard packaging in conjunction with 3D-printed parts to create beehives

49

free memberships

we’re committed to 20% of all our memberships (and events) being free! this year 49 members were on a free membership. 

Members include…

79

EVENTS

Princes trust - get started in graphic design

Every 6 months since almost the beginning of Makerversity’s existence, we have run hands on making workshops for 18-25yr olds in partnership with The Princes Trust. Led by Tina Gorjanc, for the first time ever we ran a graphic design programme. 10 young people worked on briefs set by imagined businesses to brand them - from mood boarding and sketching, to logo design and photographing their branded products.

pattern project

Website launch

Pattern Project are a South London micro-factory. They make clean, urban, local manufacturing of clothing possible and cost-effective and produce clothing after it is sold in a matter of days. Through their website you can purchase pre cut patterns to sew at home, creating a perfect fit one off piece of clothing to last a lifetime.

Pattern Project have received extensive press coverage this year including this piece on the Guardian

the tyre collective

€200,000 funding win & BBC Earthshot series feature

The Tyre Collective are working to reduce microplastic pollution from tyres on the road, by collecting it at the source. They received the runner up prize of @postcodelottery #Greenchallenge the largest sustainability competition in Europe! They receive €200,000 to keep developing the idea.

They also featured in the BBC Earthshot Prize series, Episode 3: Clean Our Air

humanising autonomy

$11 million Series A funding

Humanising Autonomy are a behaviour AI company building the global standard for intuitive interaction between people and machines. This year they closed a Series A funding round of $11 million, alongside investors Beacon Capital LLP and Emellience Partners, who co-led the round.

dam

Large scale 3D printing for MINI & Formula E

DAM built one of the largest 3D printers in the UK - using which they produced multiple parts for the MINI E Pacesetter, the new for 2021 Safety car of Formula E.