Why Do Startups Still Wait Weeks for a Board?
For teams racing to product-market fit: Full commercial access without the sales hoops or delays that slow everyone else down.
Here's something that's been bothering us: why do so many hardware startups end up losing weeks to months waiting on PCB layout? And this isn’t just talking about the one-man-army designers, even the best-funded hardware startups are getting stuck.
Think about what that means. You've got a working schematic. Real momentum. But you can't test, can't iterate, can't ship. Every week of waiting is a week you're not learning from actual hardware. It's bugs you're not finding, customers you're not talking to, assumptions you're not testing.
Introducing the Quilter Startup Program
Today we're launching our Startup Program built specifically for funded hardware startups who need to move fast.
We've been working with hardware teams for a while now, and we keep hearing the same thing: traditional EDA tools just weren't built for how modern startups work. They were built for big companies with dedicated layout teams and quarterly release cycles. Not for teams shipping every week.
The truth is, hardware development has changed. Boards are cheaper. Testing is faster. The winning strategy isn't "get it perfect the first time". Winning comes from shipping, testing, learning, and shipping again. If layout eats weeks every cycle, that playbook collapses.
What We're Offering
Simple: everything you need to turn schematics into boards, fast.
- Full commercial Quilter license
- No usage limits or restrictions
- Keep using your existing schematic tools
- Ship as many boards as you need
- Optional co-marketing opportunities
This isn't some stripped-down "starter edition." You get our full platform—the same autonomous layout capabilities our biggest customers use.
Why We Built This
We've watched too many great hardware teams lose momentum to layout bottlenecks. Teams that could be shipping weekly instead wait months. Engineers who should be testing with customers instead of sitting in meetings debating timeline estimates.
Product-market fit doesn’t come from planning alone. It comes from putting hardware in hands, seeing what fails, talking to customers, and going again. Fast iteration cycles beat perfect planning every time.
Traditional tools make this nearly impossible unless you have dedicated PCB designers. We built Quilter so you don't need them. Your existing engineers can go from schematic to layout without years of specialized training. No waiting for a slot in someone else’s queue. Just faster cycles, more learning, and a real, bona fide shot at keeping your momentum alive.
How to Get Started
We're keeping this simple. No enterprise sales process, no lengthy demos, no "let's schedule a follow-up to discuss your needs."
If you're a funded startup building hardware, you can apply here. We'll review your application and, if you qualify, send you commercial terms immediately.
Your next board really could be done by Friday. Let's make it happen.
Questions? Reach out anytime. We're here to help teams ship faster..