Makerversity x Kickstarter Residency: CLOSED

Makerversity + Kickstarter are very excited to work together this summer on a brand new residency for a young creative business to launch a new project around the theme of Sustainable Design. Kicking off in July 2019, the residency will run for six months and support the launch of a sustainably focused, mission–based campaign by the new year.

Deadline Friday 31 May 2019 at midday.

Over the past five years, we’ve been home to some incredible maker businesses who’ve launched hugely successful products via Kickstarter. From Beasts of Balance, an all–ages board game in which you stack magical creatures into precarious towers to create digital worlds bursting with life on your phone to Bento Lab, a brilliant biotech DNA lab that you can take anywhere to Beeline, a stripped back, intuitive, navigation device for cyclists. We’ve loved seeing imaginative and instinctive design brought to life from Densters (monsters that bite, grab, clip and tie blankets and sheets into forts and dens anywhere) to Mayku – the beautiful, desktop vacuum former that lets you make anywhere your factory. In one year alone we saw £5 million raised by our members through crowdfunding.

So – as such a natural fit for so many of our new members for whom crowdfunding is the most practical way of pushing their latest projects out into the world, this new partnership will see the launch of a Kickstarter sponsored residency at Makerversity.

The Residency:

The Kickstarter residency at Makerversity will support one chosen individual or business through six months of free membership at our Somerset House space. And we’re extending this residency specifically for a new member who is looking to launch on Kickstarter by the end of 2019.

As part of this exciting new membership opportunity, our Kickstarter resident will be part of a like-minded, dynamic and self-starting community of 350 members – many of whom have enjoyed huge success launching some amazing projects on Kickstarter.

The offer includes:

• Six month residency at Makerversity from July – December 2019
• 24/7 co–working on site, and unlimited access to clean and messy workshops and making facilities
• Unlimited access to use of a huge range of tools and machinery across 5 workshops: textile, digital, engineering, 3D printing and woodwork and use of photography equipment
• Inductions on all equipment and machines
• Free Autodesk software and a range of supplier discounts
• Access to Makerversity private members bar and cafe
• Programme of talks, skill shares and community events
• Somerset House and local services discounts
• A central London postal address
• Hands on mentoring and support from the Makerversity and Kickstarter teams

Eligibility:

This opportunity is open to designer–makers at any point in their career – and open to international applicants. The nature of this particular membership offer means it is anticipated that the successful applicant will have already formulated an idea and sense of timeline for the project before taking up the residency in early July – and should ideally be expecting to launch their Kickstarter campaigns by the end of the residency period.

Both new projects and projects in development but not yet completed are totally eligible. At Makerversity and Kickstarter, we’ll be putting our heads together, combining our joint knowledge of product design and crowdfunding trends to handpick the most exciting application for the first residency of this kind at Makerversity. We will select based on the strength of the project, it’s intervention within the theme of Sustainable Design, and a demonstration that the residency will be beneficial.

Timeline:

29 April: Applications Open
31 May: Applications Close
03 June: Panel selection review of applications and shortlist
04 – 06 June: Phone interviews
07 June: Residency awarded
June: Final concept agreed and Resident’s participation announced
01 July: Residency begins

Apply here – good luck!

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