Maker District Competitors

Adafruit was founded in 2005 by MIT engineer, Limor "Ladyada" Fried. Her goal was to create the best place online for learning electronics and making the best designed products for makers of all ages and skill levels. In the last 15 years, Adafruit has grown to over 100+ employees. Adafruit has expanded offerings to include tools, equipment, and electronics that Limor personally selects, tests, and approves before going in to the Adafruit store. Adafruit is a 100% woman owned manufacturing company, a certified Minority and Woman-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE), a certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), and WOSB. During the COVID-19 outbreak Adafruit Industries is operating as an essential service and manufacturing business: NYC – Executive Order 202.6 making PPE and medical device components. Adafruit was appointed to the Small Business Sector Advisory Council by the City of New York to help restart the NYC economy. Post pandemic New York City launched a new Industrial Working Group which Adafruit is Co-Chairing, bringing together leaders from across the city’s industrial and manufacturing sectors with academics and policy experts to redefine the sectors’ needs and opportunities. In 2024 Adafruit moved to Industry City! Brooklyn, New York! Industry City is a six-million-square-foot ecosystem in Brooklyn, NY - a bustling workplace for professionals across multiple disciplines including USA advanced electronics manufacturer Adafruit Industries! After hours and on weekends, Industry City becomes Brooklyn’s unofficial backyard, offering live music, festivals, dining, and tons of retail.

Local Motors is a digital OEM, capable of micro-manufacturing, sales, service, and operations all from a local footprint using a microfactory.

TechShop is a membership-based workshop and fabrication studio (a "makerspace") that provides access to the tools, equipment, education, and other resources needed for you to develop your ideas and turn them into reality. We offer a creative and collaborative community of like-minded people: makers, artists, tinkerers, entrepreneurs, and every D-I-Y enthusiast in between. TechShop is paving the way for the future of innovation and manufacturing. Our goal is to spread the passion of the Maker Movement across the globe by continuing to open new locations, giving more and more people access to affordable tools. Stop by one of our eight unique locations for a tour today! -San Jose, CA -San Francisco, CA -Redwood City, CA (Mid-Peninsula) -Detroit, MI -Round Rock, TX (Austin) -Pittsburgh, PA -Chandler, AZ (Phoenix) -Arlington, VA (Washington, D.C.)