Hardware startups today face a unique paradox: the problems they’re solving have never been more urgent, yet the traditional tools for bringing solutions to market have never felt more limiting.
Consider the scale of challenges confronting innovators worldwide. Electronic waste is projected to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030, growing five times faster than recycling efforts. Climate solutions require rapid iteration and global collaboration to achieve meaningful impact. Manufacturing inefficiencies continue to generate massive waste streams that forward-thinking companies are working to eliminate.
These aren’t problems that can wait for lengthy development cycles or be solved by teams working in isolation. They demand a new approach to hardware innovation – one where speed, collaboration, and global connectivity are built into the development process from day one.
The innovation ecosystem: Where world-changing ideas take shape
Across the globe, specialised accelerators and incubators are fostering startups that tackle humanity’s greatest challenges. From Carbon13 in Cambridge, supporting climate-focused ventures, to mHUB in Chicago, advancing manufacturing innovation, to SOSV’s global network backing deep-tech solutions – these programs share a common need: equipping their startups with tools powerful enough to turn ambitious concepts into market-ready solutions.
Onshape has partnered with these leading innovation hubs because we recognise that world-changing innovation requires world-class collaboration. Through the Onshape Startup Program, early-stage companies receive free access to Onshape Professional for at least a year, along with expert training and resources. For qualifying startups working on government or defence projects, the program also provides access to Onshape Government, ensuring teams have the right tools regardless of their regulatory environment.
But our support extends far beyond software access. We actively engage with these communities through personalised demos, workshops, lunch-and-learns, and hands-on training sessions, ensuring founders have everything they need to design at the speed their missions demand.
Real-world impact: Startups building a better tomorrow
The results speak for themselves. Across our global partner network, startups are leveraging Onshape’s cloud-native platform to create transformative solutions:
Tackling the e-waste Crisis: U.S.-based Red Wolf Technology is revolutionising mobile accessories through on-demand 3D printing. Their Primo Print3D system enables retailers to print custom phone cases and repair tools in just 15 minutes, eliminating the staggering 40% of inventory that major phone case brands typically destroy each year. “Every product is made with intent,” explains Marketing Director Jesse Cervantes. “We’re not guessing what someone might buy. We’re making what they’ve already asked for.”
Using Onshape’s real-time collaboration capabilities, Red Wolf’s globally distributed team can go from concept to printed product in under an hour. As Senior Product Engineer Scott Dayley notes, “We can have a designer in the U.S. make real-time edits with our customer in Europe, with a super short review and approval cycle. It’s like Google Docs for CAD.”
Advancing climate solutions: At Carbon13’s Cambridge accelerator, startups focused on carbon reduction and sustainability leverage Onshape to iterate rapidly on clean energy, carbon capture, and sustainable materials solutions. The cloud-native platform enables these teams to collaborate seamlessly across research institutions, manufacturing partners, and testing facilities worldwide.
Revolutionising manufacturing: Through our partnership with mHUB in Chicago, hardware startups gain access to both world-class prototyping labs and Onshape’s powerful design tools. This combination allows teams to streamline design iterations and move from digital concepts to physical prototypes with unprecedented speed and precision.
Scaling DeepTech innovation: SOSV’s global accelerator network, including programs like HAX and IndieBio, supports startups tackling complex challenges in mobility, energy, and life sciences. Onshape’s cloud-native architecture proves essential for these internationally distributed teams, enabling real-time collaboration between founders, engineers, and manufacturing partners across continents.
Why cloud-native CAD is essential for global innovation
Traditional CAD systems weren’t built for the challenges today’s startups face. Legacy software creates barriers through expensive licensing, complex IT requirements, and collaboration limitations that slow innovation when speed is critical. Onshape eliminates these constraints by offering:
Global real-time collaboration: Teams can design together simultaneously, regardless of location, which is essential when tackling global challenges that require international partnerships and expertise.
Instant accessibility: No downloads, installations, or hardware requirements. Access professional-grade CAD on any device, anywhere in the world, enabling startups to work at the speed of innovation.
Built-in security and compliance: From startups developing consumer products to those working on defence applications requiring ITAR compliance, Onshape’s platform scales to meet diverse regulatory needs without sacrificing collaboration or speed.
Integrated workflow: Seamlessly connect design, simulation, rendering, and manufacturing tools in one unified platform, eliminating the bottlenecks that traditionally slow hardware development.
The multiplier effect: Amplifying innovation globally
What makes Onshape’s approach unique isn’t just the technology – it’s the ecosystem effect. By partnering with leading accelerators and incubators worldwide, from ventureLAB in Ontario to Newlab in Brooklyn and Detroit, to Emera ideaHUB in Halifax, we’re creating a connected global network where innovation flows freely across borders, time zones, and disciplines.
When a climate tech startup in Cambridge collaborates with a manufacturing partner in Asia, or when a hardware startup in Chicago works with suppliers across multiple continents, Onshape’s cloud-native platform ensures that geographic distance never becomes a barrier to breakthrough innovation.
Join the movement
The challenges facing our world require unprecedented collaboration and speed. Whether you’re developing solutions for sustainability, revolutionising manufacturing, advancing healthcare technology, or working on defence applications, the Onshape Startup Program provides the tools and ecosystem support to turn your vision into reality.
Ready to accelerate your mission-driven startup? Visit the Onshape Startup Program to check your eligibility and join a global community of innovators building the future. Because when the world’s biggest challenges demand the fastest innovation, every minute – and every collaboration – counts.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/07/building-the-future-hardware-startups-solving-global-challenges-with-onshape-sponsored/
