Seekmake is one of the largest manufacturing directories.
The German company has been around since 2016, and provides a rather large database of manufacturing services. These include not only additive manufacturing, but also CNC milling and laser cutting operations.
The workflow involves a customer that’s seeking part production looking through the directory to identify an appropriate manufacturing partner. From there Seekmake provides the ability to request quotes from the selected partners, and even a chat service.
This approach is somewhat different from other manufacturing networks that tend to hide their partners behind a single storefront. At Seekmake, however, manufacturing partners are front and center on the service. This encourages buyers to browse through alternatives and select the service they feel is most appropriate.
Seekmake doesn’t exactly list how many partners are in Seekmake’s network, but it appears there around 7,000 partners. The company believes it is the largest, saying:
“As of 2023, SeekMake is the world’s largest manufacturing services network, specializing in 3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC machining. We provide cutting-edge automation, powerful tools, and a user-friendly experience, setting new standards in the industry.”
Partners also carry a “star” rating as provided by customers, making the selection process a bit more reliable. Most entries encountered during my browsing session seem to have around four stars.
The rating system might make it more difficult for new partners. In my browsing I saw some partners with a few dozen “request proposals”, but far more with only one. It seems that it might be hard to be seen on Seekmake, but more about that in a moment.
Seekmake’s monetization strategy is a bit different from their competitors as well. They have four tiers of partners.
There’s a free tier where manufacturers can sign up and be listed on their directory. However, there is a 7.5% surcharge on each sale.
There are three paid tiers, each of which eliminate the surcharge. The difference between the tiers seems to be around the services associated with transactions. One tier offers “enhanced exposure” during buyer searches. Another offers “AI matching of client requests”, for example.
There are also “verified” badges that appear at higher levels, but it’s not clear what this means and whether there is any actual validation process. The “Ultimate” level offers a “Distinct Verified Badge”.
The highest tier provides the best search results, along with access to a number of unnamed plugins that presumably make life easier for the manufacturing partner.
If you’re a smaller manufacturer that’s looking for some additional business traffic, you might consider looking at Seekmake.
Via Seekmake
