Pool orders with other founders to hit MOQs and cut costs 70%.
Solo founders struggle to find affordable manufacturers for small-batch hardware production due to high minimum order quantities (MOQs) and long lead times.
ProtoPool lets solo founders join or create order pools for identical/small-variation hardware to meet manufacturer MOQs collectively. It matches compatible projects, splits shipping, and handles group payments. Lead times drop to 3 weeks with bulk discounts passed directly to users.
Solo founders developing physical hardware products needing small-batch (under 100-500 units) production
Community pooling mechanic reduces per-unit cost dramatically for <100 unit needs, with compatibility matching.
friendly
Post your specs to create a pool and invite matches.
Algorithm matches similar specs from open pools.
Auto-generate pooled RFQ to manufacturers.
Join pools, commit units, and track commitments.
Pro-rata billing based on units ordered.
Group discussion for specs alignment.
Past successful pools as templates.
Alerts for pool fills and quotes.
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| text | No | |
| name | text | Yes |
| tier | text | Yes |
| created_at | timestamp | No |
Relationships:
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| creator_id | uuid | No |
| specs_hash | text | No |
| target_moq | int | No |
| status | text | No |
| current_units | int | No |
Relationships:
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| user_id | uuid | No |
| pool_id | uuid | No |
| units | int | No |
| committed | bool | No |
Relationships:
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| pool_id | uuid | No |
| per_unit_price | int | No |
| manufacturer | text | No |
Relationships:
/api/poolsCreate pool
/api/pools/openList open pools
/api/pools/:id/contributeJoin pool
/api/pools/:id/quotesGet pool quotes
/api/payments/pool/:idPay pool share
No create pools
5 pools/mo
Unlimited
| Month | Users | Conversion | MRR | ARR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 60 | 1.5% | $23 | $270 |
| Month 6 | 450 | 3.5% | $388 | $4,660 |
Group with other founders for bulk discounts without changing your design.
Share in MakerLog, r/makers, and Hardware Discord servers with pool beta invites. Recruit from recent Kickstarter hardware campaigns via Twitter outreach. Offer free Pro for first pool.
Group buys for components
Limited to specific parts, infrequent
On-demand for any hardware, instant matching
Network effects from growing pool liquidity; data on successful matches improves algorithm.
Rise of collaborative indie hardware communities post-pandemic.
Pools don't fill
Seed initial pools
Spec matching accuracy
AI + manual review
Success: 20 interested
Success: 1 successful pool
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