Startup-Ready CAD: How Modern Hardware Teams Build Faster

Every successful hardware company starts with an idea and a design. But here’s what separates thriving hardware startups from those that never make it past the prototype stage: having the right tools to execute their vision without burning through precious capital.

Traditional CAD software can cost startups thousands of dollars per seat upfront, plus annual maintenance fees. That's before factoring in expensive workstations, PDM systems, and IT overhead. For early-stage companies watching their runway, these costs can be prohibitive.

That's why innovative hardware startups are switching to Onshape’s cloud-native platform. Companies like Open Bionics, DarkAero, and Cirkul are saving tens of thousands of dollars annually while accelerating their product development. 

Let’s explore how they’re achieving these results.

The Real Cost of Traditional CAD for Startups

When hardware startups begin their journey, they often underestimate the true cost of traditional design tools. Beyond the steep upfront cost for each CAD license, companies face substantial annual maintenance fees just to keep their software current. The expenses multiply quickly: every engineer needs a high-performance workstation powerful enough to run complex designs, and most teams require a PDM system to manage their files. Before a startup can design their first prototype, they're looking at significant overhead costs that could otherwise fund several months of development.

Perhaps the most costly is the drain on engineering resources. Many startups find their engineers spending a significant portion of their work week on IT support and file management rather than actual product development. For small engineering teams, this represents not just substantial upfront costs and ongoing overhead, but a critical loss of innovation time – hours and days that could be spent developing breakthrough products are instead consumed by system administration and file management tasks.

These costs aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet – they represent real barriers to innovation for hardware startups. But what if there was a way to eliminate these barriers while actually improving the development process? That's where Onshape's transformation of hardware development begins.

How Onshape Improves Hardware Development for Startups

Although Onshape’s plans and prices are aimed at making companies of all sizes more productive, the accounting especially works in favor of startups – saving considerable time and money in ways that might not be immediately obvious

Professional Tools Without Premium Pricing

The traditional model of expensive upfront licenses no longer makes sense for agile hardware startups. Onshape Professional starts at $2,500 annually, which includes CAD tools, built-in PDM, and collaboration tools. This cost reduction doesn’t come with compromises – you get professional-grade tools without the premium pricing.

Work Anywhere, On Any Device

Hardware development doesn’t happen in isolation at a single workstation. Modern teams work between home, office, and manufacturing facilities. Onshape runs in your browser, enabling engineers to design on any device – even Chromebooks. This flexibility eliminates the need for expensive hardware while enabling true mobility.

Real-Time Collaboration That Actually Works

The days of engineers working in isolation are over. Modern product development requires simultaneous input from mechanical, electrical, and firmware teams. Onshape enables true simultaneous editing where every change appears in real-time, with a complete edit history.

Built-In Data Management

Traditional file-based CAD requires expensive PDM systems and restrictive workflows to prevent version control issues. Onshape's cloud architecture includes built-in data management – no copies, no check-out/check-in, no confusion.

Your IP, Fully Protected

In today's connected development environment, sharing designs with vendors and partners is essential – but it shouldn’t put your intellectual property at risk. Onshape's granular sharing controls let you instantly grant and revoke access while tracking exactly who has viewed your designs.

Faster Time to Market

Product development rarely succeeds on the first try. It requires iteration, experimentation, and refinement. Onshape's Branching and Merging functionality lets teams explore design alternatives without impacting the main design, then integrate the best ideas while discarding the rest.

Zero IT Overhead

Why should startups waste valuable engineering time on CAD administration and IT issues? Onshape eliminates installation, licensing, and server maintenance. Updates happen automatically in the cloud, keeping your team focused on innovation.

Scale Without Friction

As your team grows, traditional CAD costs multiply, creating barriers to scaling. Onshape's subscription model grows with you, allowing you to add seats instantly without new infrastructure or IT complexity.

While these benefits sound promising, nothing speaks louder than real results. Let's look at how three innovative startups are using Onshape to revolutionize their industries and accelerate their growth.

Real Results from Onshape Startups

From robotic prosthetics and experimental aircraft to innovative consumer goods, Onshape is proving its value as the product development platform of choice for hardware startups.

Open Bionics: Democratizing Bionic Prosthetics

The Open Bionics Hero Arm, shown here with a Star Wars-themed magnetic cover, can be programmed with up to six different grips to help users perform a variety of daily tasks.

The carbon fiber DarkAero 1 airplane is being designed in Onshape, the leading product development platform.

The Cirkul product development team uses cloud-native Onshape to design its products and streamline collaboration between its facilities in Massachusetts and Florida.