TechShop, a makerspace for hardware tinkerers and startups, expands to Asia

We recently wrote about the ex-marine who builds artisanal mounts for connected homes. Now TechShop, the makerspace that gave him his start, has opened its first location in Asia — specifically, in Tokyo, Japan. And it’s partnered with Japanese tech giant Fujitsu to do it.

The unveiling of the new space — the company’s 10th location globally — takes place this week, but it won’t officially open its door to makers until early next year. Its most successful alumnus is probably payments company Square, which on Wednesday officially filed for IPO.

Makerspaces are essentially DIY workshops where hardware startups or individuals can tinker and experiment, and the movement seems to be gaining momentum — TechShop says it saw its revenue grow by 345 percent over the past three years, reaching $12 million last year, with new member signups growing by 30 percent.

“Makerspaces are becoming increasingly popular worldwide, but especially in Asia where IoT companies and others are looking for new and inventive ways to bring products to market,” TechShop said in a statement.

Had a fantastic time at #Tokyo's #innovationtokyo2015! Can't wait to open up the first Japan TechShop right here! pic.twitter.com/LwOWPJsgLL

— TechShop (@techshop) October 14, 2015

So far this year, it has already added two new locations in the U.S., but Japan makes sense as a first stop in Asia — the company said the country accounts for 6.8 percent of global GDP, and is home to 225 Forbes Global 2000 companies. The Tokyo space will house “more than $1 million of equipment, including laser cutters, 3D printers, and metal and woodworking tools.”

The focus will be on three key areas: Operating a membership-based, do-it-yourself workshop; education, sales, events, and conference-room rentals; and small loT production and sales, contract manufacture, and support for launching businesses.

“TechShop’s mission is to help drive global innovation by engaging, enabling and empowering everyone to build their dreams,” the company’s chief executive, Mark Hatch, said. “By helping to establish TechShop Japan today with TechShop Tokyo, we’re realizing that global mission and I’m proud to see the maker movement – with its focus on innovation and accessibility and opportunity for all – embraced and executed with the support of our partners at Fujitsu.”

Outside of the U.S., TechShop currently also has locations in Paris and Abu Dhabi. The full address for the new Tokyo space is: Ark Mori Bldg, 3F, 1-12-32, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Check out the video below to get a better idea of what TechShop’s spaces look like — this one from its San Francisco location: