Crowdsource small-batch manufacturing by pooling student hardware projects to meet factory MOQs.
Students building hardware startups cannot manufacture small batches due to high MOQ requirements from factories, blocking their product launches.
Students upload their designs and specs; ProtoBatch matches compatible projects for shared production runs, splitting costs and meeting MOQs. Factories get full orders while students launch prototypes affordably. Track progress in a dashboard with automated splitting of invoices.
Students building hardware startups
Exclusive focus on student hardware startups with university-verified users for trusted batching.
supportive
Upload CAD files, specs, and quantities to create a batch request.
AI matches projects by component similarity for batching.
Automatically calculates and splits costs among matched users.
Real-time tracking of batch status, deliveries, and payments.
Verify student status via .edu email for access.
In-app messaging for matched students to coordinate.
Pre-vetted factory templates for common components.
Cost savings and timeline insights per project.
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| text | No | |
| verified_student | bool | No |
| created_at | timestamp | No |
Relationships:
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| user_id | uuid | No |
| specs | text | No |
| quantity | int | No |
| status | text | No |
Relationships:
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| factory_partner | text | No |
| total_cost | int | No |
| status | text | No |
Relationships:
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| batch_id | uuid | No |
| user_id | uuid | No |
| amount | int | No |
Relationships:
/api/projectsCreate new project
/api/matchesGet matching projects
/api/batchesJoin or create batch
/api/dashboardFetch user dashboard data
/api/users/verifyVerify student email
No batches over 10 units
Batches up to 100 units
None
| Month | Users | Conversion | MRR | ARR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 50 | 2% | $80 | $960 |
| Month 6 | 300 | 5% | $750 | $9,000 |
ProtoBatch pools student projects for affordable small-batch manufacturing.
Post in university maker subreddits like r/MITmakers, DM hardware club leads from top engineering schools, offer free Pro tier for beta feedback.
Low cost for PCBs
High MOQ for non-PCB, no student focus
Aggregated batches for any hardware, student community
Network effects from student-only batches; data on common student specs improves matching.
Rise in student hardware accelerators (Y Combinator H/W, etc.) with no low-MOQ solutions.
Low student adoption
Partner with uni clubs pre-launch
Matching inaccuracies
Manual review initially
IP sharing concerns
NDAs in batches
Success: 70% express interest
Success: 3 paid batches
Success: 100 signups
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