Ringier invests in DIY portal

Makerist operates a handicraft platform for creative exchange. In the online courses, beginners and advanced users learn everything to do with sewing, knitting, crocheting and cake decorating using step-by-step video instructions. The integrated instruction market for ebooks from the creative sector and an online store for materials round off the offer.

Since its foundation in June 2013, the young company has taken 38 employees and a network of over 300 designers and creatives on board. 140,00 PDF instructions and over 100 video courses, including 1000 individual episodes, have been created since then. The Berlin-based start-up already counts over 520,000 people from Germany, Switzerland and Austria among its customers. Expansion into other European countries is planned in the near future.

Ringier Digital Ventures and Gruner + Jahr Digital Ventures are participating in the EUR 5 million Series B financing round together with existing investors Hightech-Gründerfonds and OZ Verlag. Makerist's national and international growth will be driven by the extensive reach of the media companies Ringier, Gruner + Jahr and OZ Verlag with over 800 print, digital, radio and television offerings.

David Hug, Managing Director of Ringier Digital Ventures: "The do-it-yourself sector is enjoying growing popularity in many countries. This is also the case in Switzerland. Above all, the transfer of knowledge through moving images is making a major contribution to this, and Makerist is very innovative and competent in precisely this exciting growth area. We look forward to further expanding the range and reach of Makerist in Switzerland."

Makerist founder Axel Heinz: "Ringier will be a driving force behind our internationalization. We can benefit not only from the investment, but also from the experience and visibility of this strong partner and its numerous media products."

Makerist founder Amber Riedl: "18 million Germans actively sew or knit. Gruner + Jahr's strong brands will now make us visible to a significantly larger proportion of this population group in addition to the core target group that we reach through our existing channels and cooperations. In addition, the topics of handicrafts and DIY are an excellent fit with the readers of Gruner + Jahr titles such as Flow and Brigitte kreativ."

The investment will also be used to finance course production, marketing measures and an advertising spot. The founders Amber Riedl and Axel Heinz will continue to make all company decisions.