Makerversity has always offered 20% of all memberships for free, as part of our residency programmes – Under 30’s and Makers with a Mission. Here we take a look at the latest Makers with a Mission cohort joining Makerversity for 6 months free membership and support.

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Agreka Build

Agreka Build are revolutionizing the construction industry by developing circular, sustainable, high-performance building materials. Their flagship product is an innovative bio-based insulation material crafted from agricultural by-products. Agreka Build work closely with local farmers in the UK, delivering a truly sustainable product that minimizes waste and reduces emissions in both the construction and agriculture sectors. Their product is ideal for eco-conscious builders and developers as it meets the standards required while offering a low-embodied carbon solution.

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Agreka Build are a team of three: with their award-winning architect and CEO, Antoinette Yetunde Oni; serial entrepreneur and COO, My Linh; and PhD civil engineer and Technical Lead, Han Ming Lai. Together, they share a passion for delivering sustainable alternatives to traditional building materials and working closely with farming communities to achieve this goal. Agreka Build are excited to grow and expand their team - further strengthening their R&D efforts to drive more sustainable innovations in construction materials.

You can find out more about Agreka Bulid's mission and products on their website Agreka Build.

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Clara Chu

Clara Chu is a London-based multidisciplinary artist and designer whose namesake brand specialises in fashion accessories that challenge the ordinary. Clara's work reimagines everyday domestic objects through the lens of vibrant pop art, transforming discarded household items—such as mops, toasters, and toothbrushes—into bespoke wearable pieces.

By blending mass production techniques with hand craftsmanship, she creates visionary products that defy conventional fashion norms, advocate for change, and promote awareness about repurposing through education. Through her workshops, art installations, and fashion collections, Clara reshapes perceptions of waste, giving discarded homewares new life and relevance. Clara has joined the Summer 2024 cohort of Makers with a Mission, utilising facilities such as laser cutting and 3D printing to futher develop her work. Clara has also had a focus on running workshops, one of which was during London Design Festival at Makerversity which sold out. These hands on workshops give participants skills and techniques to make their own reworked innovative bags from everyday objects.

You can find Clara's collections and other exciting projects here, You can also follow what she's up to here!

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BioFonic

Biofonic is developing novel, low-cost soil sensors and autonomous technology to accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture. Founded by designer, inventor, experienced business manager ,and data specialist Alexandra Park.

We are losing arable soils at an alarming rate - It is estimated that the UK loses 3M tonnes of soils per year, costing £3.21 billion annually (Sustainable Food Trust, 2019). Soil is the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet. A healthy soil biome creates the conditions for optimal nutrient transfer and climate resilience, enabling reduction of chemical inputs and maximising farm yields while providing natural protection against flood, drought and heat. However, most farmers cannot afford the high labor and lab analysis costs to conduct the high-frequency soil testing needed to inform soil ecosystem focused methods of farming.

Biofonic is on a mission to create high-impact solutions for farmers of all scales and types of operation to transition to net-zero methods in an accessible and de-risked manner, making sustainable farming sensible for both their bottom line and for the planet.

Keep up with the amazing work that Biofonic is doing here.

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Kerrie O'Leary

As part of her 'Maker with a Mission' residency at Makerversity, Irish artist Kerrie O'Leary is in the research and development phase of a new project addressing the environmental impact of flooding in the UK. Leveraging open-source flood data and physical computing, Kerrie is working toward a kinetic installation that transforms abstract information into a tangible, immersive experience that encourages reflection on human responsibility in environmental crises.

With an undergraduate degree in Management Science and Information Systems and an MFA in Computational Art, Kerrie’s interdisciplinary approach merges data analysis, technology to push traditional art forms.

Building on her research into hyper-objects — a term used to describe phenomena so large they defy individual comprehension, such as climate change and ocean pollution—Kerrie seeks to make the enormity of flooding more accessible. By turning flood statistics into physical forms, the moving sculpture will allow the audience to engage with the overwhelming scale of the issue on a personal level, bridging the gap between data and lived experience.

Another key influence in this project is hydrofeminism, a philosophy developed by Astrida Neimanis that frames all life as interconnected “bodies of water.” Kerrie aims to show how flooding is not just a distant natural disaster but something deeply tied to human existence, sparking dialogue about our shared responsibility to the environment.

Throughout her residency, Kerrie has used Makerversity’s workshop space, including its 3D printers, to prototype elements of the sculpture. She has also engaged with the RNLI crew at Tower Bridge right next to Makerversity's location. to gain insights into the real-life effects of flooding on the River Thames. This field research is crucial to her process, grounding the project in lived experience while integrating personal narratives alongside raw data.

While the final piece is still evolving, Kerrie’s research at Makerversity is laying the groundwork for an installation that brings together data, technology, and human stories to explore our complex relationship with the environment.

You can read more about Kerries projects on her website here.

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