Zen Maker Lab Competitors

We’re a full-service partner offering design tools, business solutions, and the world’s largest selection of in-stock electronic components. Since its founding in 1972, Digi-Key has been committed to offering the broadest selection of in-stock electronic components, as well as providing the best service possible to its customers, aiding engineers through the entire design process, from Prototype to Production®. This has led the company to be highly ranked year after year in industry surveys, in North America as well as Europe and Asia, in categories covering such facets of business as availability of product, speed of service, responsiveness to problems, and more. The content and services we offer on our website continue to rapidly evolve, and we are committed to providing you with full access to Digi-Key's products and services through the Internet.

In 2003, CU student Nathan Seidle blew a power supply in his dorm room and found he could only order replacement parts in bulk. Since then, he has been on a mission to make electronics and supporting documentation available to individuals everywhere. Since the beginning, SparkFun has been committed to sustainably helping our world explore the edges of technology and achieve electronics literacy from our headquarters in Boulder, Colorado. No matter your vision, SparkFun's products and resources are designed to make the world of electronics more accessible. In addition to more than 2,000 open-source components and widgets, SparkFun offers online tutorials and training designed to help people use technology to solve problems, create products, and get creative. We're here to help you start something!

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.