Fire 
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Boston is a city of makers, and we're not only talking about MIT Beavers. Whether it's software, cyborg plants or 3D-printed satellite capsules, it seems like everyone here is creating something new.
Some products, like Breegi Scientific’s neonatal intensive care incubator, could help change the world in fundamental ways. Others, like MakerFleet, aim at bringing a relatively new and still expensive technology like 3D printing in the hands of other makers -- creating a positive maker-to-maker circle.
Regardless of outcome, the important thing is that we're finding inspiration, creating solutions, building and constantly iterating. As one of the makers featured in the following list said, "For every maker, the dream is having people use what we create."
BostInno is dedicated to covering Boston's startup scene. While Internet and software businesses remain the driving forces of the city's tech scene, there is a bustling makers community churning out amazing inventions. We seek to bring a spotlight to those people and companies that are on the cusp of making something awesome -- or already have.
To build this list, we reached out to advisors, accelerators and other sources to help bring together a list of 10 makers that we think are worthy of your attention right now and in the near future.
Now, let's see what they're creating...
Autonomous Marine Systems
Have you ever had the pleasure of sailing in a catamaran? Please meet its cousin 2.0, the “Datamaran.” Developed by Autonomous Marine Systems, the Datamaran is an unmanned mobile platform that can collect data about its marine surroundings, from wind speed to whale sounds. Entirely powered by four solar panels, the smart boat can also adjust its path based on a given mission and the direction of winds in the area. What else? It can take photos, too. AMS has been around since 2014, with CEO Ravi Paintal taking over in January 2017. Currently based in Greentown Labs in Somerville with a team of five full-time employees, the seed-stage company raised a total of $4.5 million to date and is getting ready for its Series A—expected to close in the first quarter of 2019, Paintal said.
BigRep
With its U.S. headquarters in Woburn, large-scale 3D printing company BigRep might have a chance to win an Academy Award this year. How so? It all started with the movie First Man, which was released in theaters in October last year. As you may know, the Steven Spielberg-produced biographical drama stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong and follows the years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. What you may not know about the movie is that it used BigRep’s 3D printing techniques during production. Specifically, the BigRep ONE printer was used to create a scale replica of the Apollo 11 capsule all in one go, as well as other iconic replicas. Using specific slicing software, the First Man production team ran two of BigRep’s machines round the clock for six months in order to complete the job—the result being life-like replicas of a piece of history. Coincidence? One of First Man’s four Oscar nominations is for Best Production Design.
Breegi Scientific’s NICI
When a doctor and human rights activist sets his heart on reforming neonatal care, you know innovation is written all over it. Breegi Scientific’s Neonatal Intensive Care Incubator "NICI" is the first multi-functional disposable incubator. The incubator delivers heat, humidity, ventilation and has wifi and cameras, enabling remote monitoring of infants by doctors. The company recently signed an agreement with the Honduran government for a clinical assessment. The machine will cost under $350 and can be solar-charged. It’s also portable and can be hooked inside a car.
Elowan
Harpreet Singh is thankful for an old adage that goes, ‘Boredom always precedes a period of great creativity.’ A research affiliate at MIT Media Lab’s Fluid Interfaces group, he didn’t realize the hackneyed imagination of robotic use for humans would catapult him to imagine a plant as a cyborg. And thanks to that realization, we have Project Cyborg Botany, a four-phase project that augments nature instead of humans and uses plants as sensors and actuators. ‘Elowan’ (which means “good light” in Celtic) is the first phase of this project in which plants work as light sensors. In this case, a plant’s response to a light source triggers the movement towards it. In essence, the plant controls the robot, instead of the other way around. The plant has electrodes embedded in its stems, and leaves pick up the bio-electrochemical signals the plant sends it interacts with light. These signals prod the wheeled robot pot to move towards the source of light.
Embr Labs
It looks like a Fitbit, but it’s not. The bracelet made by MIT-born and Intel Capital-backed Embr Labs is a temperature-controlling device that can trick your brain into feeling warmer or cooler for a while. Embr's device started to gain attention in 2017 after its Kickstarter campaign more than tripled its initial goal in a little over 24 hours, raising almost $630,000. The wristband retails for $299, and needs to be charged every two to three days. CEO Elizabeth Gazda said that its core users are women who experience hot flashes or feel perpetually cold. In January 2019, the Cambridge company announced a research collaboration with Johnson & Johnson to explore the efficacy of its thermal waveforms for conditions experienced by menopausal women.
GeoOrbital
Inspired by the motorcycle in the movie "Tron: Legacy," Cambridge serial entrepreneur Michael Burtov invented a plug-in wheel that transforms any ordinary bicycle into, well, an electrical scooter. The wheel, which can be installed in under a minute, let users ride their bikes at 20 miles per hour for as much as 50 miles at a time. “Our bike wheel product is primarily targeted toward two customer segments, public safety and consumer,” Burtov wrote in an email. “In total we have sold over 3,000 wheels to police departments as well as consumers.” Recently, GeoOrbital raised over $265,000 through an equity crowdfunding round on StartEngine. “With our wheel now entering its third generation, we have been able to identify many areas for innovation… including for wheelchairs and autonomous vehicles,” Burtov said.
Hydrow
Formerly known as True Rowing, Cambridge startup Hydrow was founded in 2017 by former U.S. National Team Rowing Coach and entrepreneur Bruce Smith. The company that recently raised $20 million wants to recreate an on-river, outdoor experience for users at home. Hydrow claims that its machine engages 86 percent of one’s muscles, compared to 44 percent in other activities like biking and running. Hydrow’s rowing machine comes attached with a 22-inch television screen that will allow users to follow live-streamed or recorded workouts led by some of the world’s top rowers.
MakerFleet
Some people dream of being billionaires. Harnek Gulati, the founder of Harvard startup MakerFleet, dreams of building 3D printing ‘farms’ around the world. At the Harvard ilab, Gulati set up what he calls a ‘farm’ or ‘factory’ of 18 3D printers that users can rent for $2, plus $3.5$ / hour. The idea is to connect the prototyping and manufacturing worlds via the web, allowing anyone with an Internet connection to 3D print their projects, from mugs to synthetic bones. “The dream is to, actually, create modular factories, just like AWS has different data centers around the world,” Gulati said. He’s not a first-time maker; in 2017, he raised over $75,000 on Kickstarter to build wood watches.
Sprout World
Back in 2013, a group of MIT students invented the plantable Sprout pencil—a pencil that can be planted and will literally grow into herbs, vegetables and flowers. Sprouted in a mechanical design class at MIT, the idea has turned into an international company with offices in Denmark and Boston. Five years after the launch of the pencil on Kickstarter, the startup Sprout World has now patented, produced, and sold over 10 million pencils in over 70 countries. Its clientele includes companies like Disney, Coca Cola, Marriott, Toyota, New York Highline and Unilever. And it’s now entering the cosmetics market with a plantable makeup pencil.
Suvie
It’s not dystopian if it’s already in your kitchen and has a name, Suvie. A cooling-to-cooking kitchen robot called Suvie comes with four different cooking zones, one each for protein, carbs, sauces and produce/vegetables — making a square meal for four. The ingredients come packed in water jackets that regulate the temperature of the food; Simply put, these water jackets do both cool and cook the food. The Cambridge-based company is partnering with meal-kit providers, food suppliers and fish packers — intended to target the audience that does not want to source ingredients or follow a recipe. Suvie retails at $599.
