Lenovo Make Space Network and AI creator matchmaking

Networking is already weird. Add AI, and suddenly it gets... weirder.

But here's the part that should make you sit up: when a hardware giant starts building creator matchmaking, they're not doing it for the vibes. They're doing it because collaboration is becoming a product feature. And platforms love turning human behavior into a funnel.

Creators don't lose to better tools. They lose to better distribution. Keep that in your peripheral vision.

What happened

Lenovo's Yoga team has been quietly building a creator-facing initiative called Make Space, a mix of online programming and real-world events tied to AI-enabled creative workflows. One of the early tentpole moments was a Brooklyn launch event on February 15, 2025, which Lenovo said drew 400+ young creatives. ([news.lenovo.com](https://news.lenovo.com/young-creatives-harness-ai-future-make-space-yoga/?utm_source=openai))

On December 18, 2025, Lenovo and Intel expanded that initiative with Make Space Network: an AI-assisted matchmaking tool meant to connect creatives across disciplines. You answer a short set of questions, the system suggests potential collaborators, and the intro moves to plain old email (not some giant in-app social graph). ([dazeddigital.com](https://www.dazeddigital.com/art-photography/article/69241/1/the-make-space-network-wants-you-to-find-your-creative-match?utm_source=openai))

This isn't happening in a vacuum. Lenovo's latest financials have been beating the "AI is just marketing" allegations: for its fiscal Q2 2025/26 (reported November 2025), Lenovo said AI-related revenue made up 30% of total revenue, and overall revenue was up 15% year over year. ([news.lenovo.com](https://news.lenovo.com/pressroom/press-releases/q2-fy-2025-26/?utm_source=openai))

So yeah - Make Space Network isn't some random side quest. It's part of a bigger push: Lenovo's CEO has openly framed the coming years as the company's "AI decade," with AI embedded across products and strategy. ([global.chinadaily.com.cn](https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202504/01/WS67ebd0a9a3104d9fd381d14f.html?utm_source=openai))

Why creators should care

Attention: Collabs are still the cleanest growth hack that doesn't require selling your soul. What's changing is the "how." Instead of you DM'ing 50 people and getting 49 silences, platforms and brands are trying to make collaboration matchable. That's a new kind of gatekeeping: whoever owns the matching logic gets to nudge who meets whom.

Distribution: We're watching two worlds collide. On one side: physical creator campuses and member clubs, like Whalar's Lighthouse (their Brooklyn space opened in November 2025, with studios, edit bays, kitchens, etc.). ([thewrap.com](https://www.thewrap.com/whalar-group-the-lighthouse-brooklyn-opening/?utm_source=openai)) On the other: lightweight "just get you introduced" tools like Make Space Network. Different formats, same endgame - engineer collisions that create content (and commerce) faster.

Monetization: This trend is not limited to "art friends." Matchmaking is showing up everywhere creators touch money. There are platforms matching creators to startups for equity-style deals. ([axios.com](https://www.axios.com/2025/09/29/owm-creator-marketing-equity-deals?utm_source=openai)) There are even early reports of creator-to-advertiser marketplaces being explored at the biggest scale imaginable. ([businessinsider.com](https://www.businessinsider.com/mrbeast-building-platform-to-connect-influencers-creators-marketers-2025-12?utm_source=openai)) The point: the business world is treating creators less like "talent" and more like a supply chain.

Workflow: Notice the product choice: email handoff. That's either refreshingly human... or a clever way to avoid becoming a moderation-heavy social platform. Either way, it means the real value is the intro, not the community. The community still has to be built by you.

If a tool "introduces" you to someone but doesn't help you build a repeatable collaboration pipeline, it's a spark - not a furnace.

What to do next

Treat AI matchmaking like lead gen, not friendship. Go in with a tight ask: "I need a motion designer for a 12-second ident," beats "let's collab sometime." Specific is attractive.
Write your 'collab brief' before you match. Two paragraphs max: what you make, what you're building next, what you can trade (audience, skills, budget, gear, distribution). If you can't explain it simply, you're not ready to collaborate - you're just lonely.
Pull the relationship off rented land fast. Email is fine. Even better: a shared folder + a one-page agreement (scope, ownership, credits, deadlines). The boring stuff is what keeps collabs from turning into subtweets.
Don't outsource your network to a brand initiative. Use these systems, sure - but keep building your own "bench" of collaborators in a spreadsheet and a private group chat. Algorithms change. Your roster shouldn't.