It’s an awesome moment when a new member joins Makerversity and we tell them one of the perks is free Autodesk Fusion 360 software. And an on-site Autodesk expert. Shout out to Paul Sohi in London. What’s even more exciting and inspiring is seeing what they actually do with the software. But, the most rewarding part? Our members being given the opportunity to showcase their products to the world. To have the chance to have live feedback from customers and to be challenged by fellow entrepreneurs, designers and developers. And to be in a forum where they can meet investors and practice their selling in front of marketing managers.
This year our partner Autodesk helped us bring four of our incredible members to The Next Web. An absolutely huge conference (15,000 attendees) in the centre of Amsterdam – you might have heard of it?! But how did we choose who to bring with us? Well the selection spans drones, wearable cameras, ceramics and IoT hardware. Read the stories of our four members Crescent Vision, AVY, Common Works and ULTRA IoT below.
CRESCENT VISION


Crescent Vision improves online medical education by bridging the knowledge gap between students and surgeons through their wearable camera technology and VR experiences. It was set up by Amsterdam member Samy Andary and is currently part of the YES! Delft incubator program. We highly suggest you read more about it here.

“Autodesk software allows us to design, test and build our prototypes while remaining machine and location independent. While Makerversity’s thriving community helps us overcome obstacles by tapping into the collective knowledge base. At The Next Web I met people who will be able to help bring Crescent Vision to the next level through buying, funding or developing.” – Samy Andary, founder.
COMMON WORKS


Common Works are in the throws of launching a new product – designed by the consumer. The studio challenge interactions between traditional craft manufacture and emerging web technologies. They do this through building engaging platforms empowering consumers to create unique physical products. Their approach was celebrated by the Crafts Council UK at Createch2017 for helping to fuel the growing consumer interest in craft and emerging technology.
“We are able to bridge the gap between digital development and ‘on demand’ manufacture using Autodesk software. Relationships and collaborations built at Makerversity are vital to our studio, allowing us to grow naturally and find our identity within the creative community.” – Chris Waggott, co-founder.
AVY
AVY redefines the quality of life and work by developing a family of innovative aircraft for humanitarian and professional applications. They use Autodesk Fusion 360 collaboratively from design up to manufacturing.

“As a startup we really appreciate and need the free software and support given to members. This – coupled with the creative community and shared professional maker space – means Makerversity is the best base for us. TNW 2017 was two days full of inspiring people, surprising meetings and interesting contacts in a fun and laid back atmosphere. You never know what events like these will be like. But the enthusiasm and positivity of all visitors and startups is something that sticks. Unlike any other event we’ve been to. It reminds us of how lucky we are to be doing what we do and it fuels us with much energy to keep on going.” – Paul Vastert, industrial designer.
Ultra IoT

ULTRA IoT believes a truly smart city or home should be built by the people living in it. So they offer Internet-of-Things hardware that is simple, intuitive and creative for anyone to use. The collaborative design services of Autodesk Fusion 360 is a necessary tool for their remote team.

“We scored two potential investors. Loads of feedback. And we ‘lost’ two of our prototypes because a customer wanted the dev kit in his home straight away! Soon expanding to London; we love the community, events and the vast range of machines we use to craft our prototypes.” – Joris Lam, founder and one of Amsterdam’s first members.