solidSF
AI-native browser CAD. $29/month.
Rust Kernel
77K
Lines of code, zero external deps
Passing Tests
1,265
Zero ignored
CAD Operations
36+
Extrude, revolve, loft, sheet metal…
TAM
$15B
Global CAD market, 7% CAGR
The Problem
Pricing is absurd
SolidWorks costs $4K–$20K/year per seat. Hardware startups and students are completely priced out of professional-grade tools.
Desktop-bound, Windows-only
No collaboration. No cloud-native workflow. Engineers on Macs need Boot Camp. No modern DevOps. No real-time sharing.
Zero AI integration
Every feature, constraint, and dimension is manual. Engineers waste hours on repetitive tasks AI could handle in seconds. CAD is the last major category untouched by AI.
The Solution
Kernel
Custom Rust CAD Kernel
77K LOC, B-Rep topology, NURBS, constraint solver (Gauss-Newton + sparse Cholesky), 18 constraint types, booleans, assemblies, sheet metal, STEP AP203 I/O. Zero external dependencies. Built from scratch.
AI Agents
Hermes — Natural Language to Geometry
"Add 4mm fillets to all exterior edges." "Generate a mounting bracket for this motor with M4 bolt pattern." 21 CAD tools. Runs on Claude Sonnet 4.6. Agents manipulate the real feature tree — not images or dead meshes.
Generative Design
TPMS Lattice + Topology Optimization
Gyroid, Schwarz P, Diamond, Lidinoid infill patterns. Field-driven variable-density lattice for topology optimization. SDF boolean operations. Features SolidWorks doesn't have.
Pricing
10–50x Cheaper Than Incumbents
Free tier for everyone. Pro at $29/mo — unlimited projects, AI agents, STEP export, simulation. Team at $49/seat/mo — collaboration, version control. Enterprise custom. Stripe already built.
Market Sizing
| Market | Size | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| TAM | $15B | Global CAD software market (2026), growing at 7% CAGR |
| SAM | $3B | SMB + startup + education — teams priced out of SolidWorks/Fusion |
| SOM | $5.9M ARR | 10K paying teams at $49/mo avg — achievable in 2-3 years via PLG |
| Expansion | +$8B | CAE/simulation market as platform grows beyond pure CAD |
Why Now
1. AI inflection — LLMs can now reason about geometry, constraints, and engineering intent. CAD is one of the last major software categories untouched by AI.
2. WebGPU/WASM maturity — Browser compute is finally fast enough for real CAD kernels (Rust → WASM). This was not true 3 years ago.
3. Onshape validation — PTC acquired browser CAD startup Onshape for $470M in 2019. Category proven. But Onshape is now stalled under enterprise bloat.
4. Hardware renaissance — Explosion of hardware startups (robotics, EVs, drones, space) creating massive demand for affordable, modern CAD tools.
The Ask — $20M Seed
$20M
Series A — 24 months of runway
Target close
8 weeks
Use of Funds
Engineering (12 people)$3.6M
AI Infrastructure$2.4M
Go-to-Market$2.0M
Product Development$1.5M
Marketing & Growth$1.5M
Infrastructure$1.0M
Business Operations$1.0M
Contingency + M&A$6.4M
Pitch Deck
11-slide narrative — for investor meetings and demos
Week 1 Action Plan
March 16–23, 2026 — Launch & Fundraise Simultaneously
Dual Strategy: Launching the product AND raising capital in the same week. This shows investors real market traction as you're pitching — a signal most founders can't manufacture.
Launch
Investor
Content
Ops
SUN 3/16
Today — Foundation Setup
4–6 hours
MORNING — 2 hrs
Practice demo script — Record yourself 5 times, time each run
Create demo backup files — Save complex CAD parts for demo
Test solidsf.com performance — Ensure site can handle traffic spike
AFTERNOON — 2–3 hrs
Write HackerNews post — Focus on technical achievement
Prepare Twitter thread — 10-tweet story about building CAD kernel
Film demo video — 5 minutes, professional quality
EVENING — 1 hr
Update LinkedIn — Change title to "Founder @ solidSF"
Draft Product Hunt submission — Schedule for Thursday
MON 3/17
Public Launch + Investor Outreach Wave 1
6:00 AM — LAUNCH SEQUENCE
Submit to HackerNews — "Built a browser CAD system with custom Rust kernel (77K LOC)"
Post Twitter thread — Tag key people in CAD/AI space
Send to personal network — 20 people, ask for RTs/shares
9:00 AM — INVESTOR OUTREACH
Email Founders Fund — Brian Singerman, demo request
Email Lux Capital — Adam Ghobarah, manufacturing angle
Email DCVC — Matt Ocko, deep tech positioning
12:00 PM — CONTENT AMPLIFICATION
Respond to HN comments — Stay engaged, answer technical questions
Share on Reddit — r/engineering, r/MachineLearning, r/rust
Post in CAD forums — SolidWorks community, Fusion 360 forums
3:00 PM — NETWORK ACTIVATION
Message Jim Keller network — Request 3 warm intros
Reach out to Elon network — Ask for SpaceX/Tesla engineer intros
SF founder network — Activate 5 warm connections
6:00 PM — METRICS REVIEW
Track HN position — Goal: front page for 4+ hours
Monitor Twitter engagement — Retweets, replies, DMs
Email responses — Follow up same day
TUE 3/18
Momentum Building + Strategic Targets
MORNING — 9 AM – 12 PM
Product Hunt launch — Submit for Thursday feature
Cold outreach batch 1 — 10 tier-1 investors
Demo meeting requests — Convert warm intros to meetings
AFTERNOON — 1 PM – 5 PM
Strategic angel outreach — 5 former CAD executives
AI researcher outreach — Andrej Karpathy, Chris Lattner
Follow up on HN leads — Convert interest to demos
EVENING — 6 PM – 8 PM
Investor CRM setup — Track all interactions
Demo calendar — Block time for meetings
Prepare data room — Organize technical docs
WED 3/19
Demo Conversions + Media Coverage
First investor demos — 2-3 meetings if scheduled
TechCrunch outreach — Pitch the story
Industry publication outreach — CAD magazines, design blogs
Hardware startup outreach — 10 potential customers
University partnerships — MIT, Stanford engineering schools
Cold outreach batch 2 — Next 10 investors
THU 3/20
Product Hunt Launch + Scaling Demos
12:01 AM — Submit to Product Hunt — Coordinated launch
Rally network for votes — Text 50+ people
Investor demos — 3-4 meetings if scheduled
Product Hunt promotion — Twitter, LinkedIn, email
Customer development — 5 user interviews
FRI 3/21
Week Wrap-Up + Weekend Momentum
Demo meetings — Any remaining this week
Investor follow-ups — Send next steps to interested parties
Media coverage compilation — Create press kit
Customer feedback review — Update product roadmap
Fundraise pipeline review — Update CRM with status
SAT–SUN 3/22–23
Strategic Planning + Rest
Week metrics review — Users, signups, investor responses
Investor research — Prepare for next week's targets
Demo script refinement — Based on week's feedback
Next week's calendar — Block demo times
Rest and recharge — You'll need energy for week 2
Week 1 Success Metrics
| Category | Metric | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | HackerNews front page | 4+ hours, 200+ upvotes |
| Launch | New signups | 500+ users |
| Content | Twitter impressions | 10K+, 100+ retweets |
| Content | Media mentions | 1–2 publications |
| Investor | Investors contacted | 25 |
| Investor | Positive responses | 10+ |
| Investor | Demos scheduled | 5 meetings |
| Product | Users create first part | 50+ activated |
| Product | STEP file exports | 25+ |
2-Week Campaign Blitz
March 16–29, 2026 — $10M deployment. Make solidSF unavoidable.
Doctrine: Every hardware engineer in SF, LA, SD, NYC, CHI, and MIA will see solidSF on a building, a train platform, a billboard, on YouTube, on their campus, and in their Reddit feed — in the same week. Territorial seizure.
$10M Budget Allocation
Out-of-Home (billboards, transit)$2,500,00025%
Digital paid (Google, YouTube, Meta, Reddit)$2,000,00020%
Influencer / YouTube sponsorships$1,500,00015%
University blitz program$800,0008%
Sponsorships (podcasts, newsletters)$800,0008%
Events + trade shows + demos$600,0006%
Professional film production$500,0005%
Brand video + creative production$300,0003%
Swag, merch, sampling$200,0002%
Reserve / opportunistic$400,0004%
OOH City Breakdown
| City | Monthly Spend | Key Placements |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | ~$180K/mo | I-80/101 merge, SoMa 4th & Brannan, Mission Bay, BART domination (Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell), Caltrain station, Union Square digital |
| New York City | ~$235K/mo | L train domination (Williamsburg tech corridor), 7 train (LIC/Hudson Yards), Times Square digital 48hr, Bedford Ave station, Penn Station digital, PATH train |
| Los Angeles | ~$140K/mo | I-405 near El Segundo (SpaceX/Raytheon corridor), I-405 at Wilshire (UCLA), SpaceX Hawthorne Crenshaw billboard, Expo Line subway, Silicon Beach digital |
| San Diego | ~$70K/mo | Sorrento Valley corridor (Qualcomm, hardware startups), UCSD La Jolla Village Dr, I-5 North Del Mar Heights, MTS Trolley Blue Line |
| Chicago | ~$85K/mo | L Train Brown/Purple (Evanston → Loop, Northwestern), I-90/94 Kennedy Expressway, Fulton Market tech cluster, O'Hare Airport terminal |
| Miami | ~$77K/mo | I-95/395 merge, Wynwood murals + digital, Brickell Ave LED, MIA Airport terminal, Metromover digital, FIU/UM engineering campuses |
Billboard Creatives
FORMAT A — THE PRICE SHOCK
SolidWorks: $4,000/year
solidSF: $29/month
solidSF: $29/month
Same CAD. Runs in your browser.
solidsf.com
FORMAT B — THE STATEMENT
The last CAD software you'll ever pay $4,000 for just launched for $29.
solidSF — AI-native browser CAD
solidsf.com
FORMAT C — UNIVERSITY ONLY
Your university pays $800/seat for SolidWorks.
You can use solidSF for $9/month.
You can use solidSF for $9/month.
AI-powered. Browser-native.
solidsf.com
Production Schedule
2-Day Shoot (~$15,000 all-in)
DAY 1
Product Demo Shoot (Studio / WeWork)
Hero brand video: 60-second manifesto — "This is what CAD looks like in 2026"
Product demo: 3-minute polished walkthrough — feature tree, AI agent, generative design
AI agent isolated 30-second clip — text input → parametric geometry
Talking head: Andy to camera — "I built this in a year. SolidWorks took 30 years and costs $4K."
B-roll: screen captures, close-ups, keyboard, screen reflections in glasses
DAY 2
Lifestyle / Contextual Shoot (SF Locations)
Engineer working in SF coffee shop with solidSF on MacBook
Hardware startup office environment — parts, circuit boards, solidSF on display
Timelapse: complex assembly being built by AI agent in real-time
Multiple formats: 16:9 (YouTube), 9:16 (Reels/TikTok/Shorts), 1:1 (Instagram), 4:5 (ads)
Growth Flywheel
24-Month Incentive Architecture — March 2026 to March 2028
The 3-Stage Funnel
TRY
Get them in. Make them feel the power. First part created + AI agent used.
Target: 40% activation in 7 days
SHARE
Make it socially and financially irrational NOT to share. K-factor > 0.5.
Target: 30% share within 30 days
SWITCH
Free/Pro → Team. SolidWorks/Fusion → solidSF. Migration so easy it's the obvious move.
Target: 15% Team conversion in 90 days
Referral Reward Ladder
1
1 free month Pro ($29)
Immediate, automatic. Triggered the moment their referral creates a first part.
~$0 cost
3
Full year Pro free ($348)
A real gift — costs near nothing at scale. Strong signal to keep referring.
~$0 cost
5
solidSF hoodie shipped
Trigger Printful auto-ship. Physical merchandise creates brand presence.
~$40 COGS
10
Lifetime Pro + mechanical keyboard
Only 100 keyboards/month — creates scarcity. Engineers are competitive, they'll optimize for this.
~$150 COGS
25
Lifetime Team + call with Andy + credits page
This person is a champion. Featured publicly. Treat them accordingly.
~$0 (time)
50
$500 in cloud credits + case study + full merch kit
Top 1% of users. Worth dramatically more than this in LTV. ROI: 7.1x on reward cost.
~$550 cost
North Star Metrics
| Metric | Target Month 3 | Target Month 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly active users | 2,000 | 15,000 |
| MRR | $15K | $150K |
| Referral K-factor | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Paid CPA (blended) | < $25 | < $20 |
| Enterprise trials | 3 | 25 |
| University programs | 10 | 50 |
| NPS score | 40 | 60 |
The one metric that predicts everything else: % of new users who create their first part within 7 days of signup. Above 40% → everything follows. Below 20% → fix onboarding before spending another dollar on acquisition.
Quarterly Roadmap
Q1 2026 • March–May
Launch + Blitz
5K signups · 50 paying · $1.5K MRR
- Digital + OOH launch across 6 cities
- University blitz: 22 campuses in 2 weeks
- Referral program live
- Merch program live (earned-only)
- Migration pipeline (Tier 1 self-serve) live
Q2 2026 • June–August
Validate + Double Down
500 paying · $15K MRR · 2 enterprise pilots
- Kill underperforming OOH, double SF + NYC
- First enterprise migration deals (Tier 2)
- YouTube sponsors signed (3–5 channels)
- Professor program: 10 professors signed
- Back-to-school campus blitz (August)
Q3 2026 • Sept–Nov
Scale + Enterprise
2K paying · $60K MRR · 1 enterprise customer
- First Tier 3 white glove deal ($50K+ ACV)
- YouTube organic driving 30% of signups
- Referral K-factor measured — double down if >0.4
- Third campus blitz: fall semester
- First 3 case studies published
Q4 2026 • Dec–Feb 2027
Compound
5K paying · $150K MRR · 5 enterprise
- Enterprise sales team (2 reps) hired
- Professor program: 50 professors, 5K students
- OOH running in 3 cities on autopilot
- Product Hunt "Best of 2026" nomination
- Series A metrics emerging
Q1–Q2 2027
Enterprise Expansion
$500K MRR · 10+ enterprise
- Enterprise ACV growing ($100K+ deals)
- Customer success team hired
- International: UK, Germany, Japan
- University: 100 professors, 20+ universities
Q3–Q4 2027
Category Leadership
$1M MRR ($12M ARR) · Series A term sheets
- Press narrative: "solidSF is the Figma of CAD"
- Series A close, or profitability
- Trade shows: SOLIDWORKS World, Autodesk University
- The incumbent has noticed. The moat is real.
OOH Campaign
$2.5M out-of-home across 6 cities — Boards live by Day 5
City Allocations
San Francisco
$500K
I-80/101 merge billboard · SoMa 4th & Brannan · Bryant St corridor · Mission Bay Illinois & 16th · Market Street (4 shelters) · BART domination: Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell, 16th St Mission · BART car wrap (2 cars, Fremont line) · Caltrain SF → Palo Alto station takeover · Union Square digital · Market St LED panels
New York City
$600K
L Train line domination (Williamsburg tech) · 7 Train (LIC/Hudson Yards) · A/C/E line · Bedford Ave station domination · Union Square station · Times Square digital 48hr · BQE Billboard · LIC 21st & Jackson · Hudson Yards 30th & 10th · Flatiron Broadway · Cornell Tech corridor shelters · PATH train interior
Los Angeles
$400K
I-405 NB at Wilshire (UCLA exit) · I-405 SB near El Segundo (aerospace corridor) · I-405 at National (Culver City/Silicon Beach) · Lincoln Blvd Venice · SpaceX Hawthorne Crenshaw billboard · Expo Line 7 stations · Red Line Hollywood–DTLA · Culver City digital
San Diego
$200K
Sorrento Valley Rd corridor (Qualcomm, hardware startups, x4) · UCSD La Jolla Village Dr (x2) · I-5 North Del Mar Heights · Miramar Rd defense corridor · MTS Trolley Blue Line · Downtown Gaslamp digital
Chicago
$200K
L Train Brown/Purple (Evanston→Loop, Northwestern) · I-90/94 Kennedy Expressway · Fulton Market West Loop (Google Chicago) · Michigan Ave digital · O'Hare Airport terminal digital · Northwestern campus Sherman Ave
Miami
$150K
I-95/395 merge billboard · Wynwood murals + digital panels · Brickell Ave LED (x2) · MIA Airport terminal · Metromover digital · FIU Engineering + UM Coral Gables bus shelters
Budget Phasing
| Phase | Duration | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 4 weeks | All 6 cities simultaneously. Creative A (Price Shock) everywhere. |
| Month 1 Week 4 | Review | Kill 2 lowest-signal cities. Increase budget in top 4. |
| Month 2 | 4 weeks | Top 4 cities with better placements. Creative B (AI angle): "CAD that understands what you're building." |
| Month 3 | 4 weeks | Rotate creative in top cities. Creative C (social proof): "10,000 engineers switched. [City] is next." Add 1 new test city. |
| Month 4+ | Ongoing | Run top 2–3 cities indefinitely while profitable CPA. |
Primary Vendors
Lamar Advertising
Best for highway bulletins (I-80, I-5, I-405, I-95). Static vinyl = 10–14 day lead time. Digital = 48–72 hrs. Negotiate multi-market package: 20–30% off when booking 6 cities simultaneously.
Clear Channel Outdoor
Transit shelters, urban street furniture, airport displays, digital bulletins. Negotiate digital dayparting: peak commute hours 7–9 AM, 5–7 PM at flat rate.
Outfront Media
NYC subway MTA contract holder. All subway advertising goes through Outfront. Station domination packages $40K–80K/4 weeks. Line takeover $25K–60K.
Blip Billboards (Programmatic)
Self-serve. Pay-per-play. Go live in 24–48 hours. CPM $4–$15. Best for fast activation Day 1, A/B testing creative in real time, budget flexibility. Set $500/day/city to start.
Digital Paid
$2M budget — Google, YouTube, Meta, Reddit. Day 1 execution-ready.
Core message (never changes): SolidWorks costs $4,000 a year. solidSF costs $29 a month. It runs in your browser. AI understands what you're building. Every ad is a variation of that sentence.
Google Search — 3 Campaigns
Campaign 1
Competitor Displacement
Target CPA $20. Daily cap $500. Capture engineers searching for SolidWorks alternatives.
TOP KEYWORDS
"solidworks too expensive" · "solidworks cheaper alternative" · "solidworks replacement" · "replace solidworks" · "cloud based solidworks" · "solidworks for startups" · [solidworks alternative]
Campaign 2
Category Capture
Target CPA $25. Daily cap $400. Engineers searching generically for CAD software or affordable CAD.
TOP KEYWORDS
"browser cad software" · "ai cad software" · "parametric cad software" · "cad for mac" · "generative design software" · "affordable cad for engineers" · [ai cad]
Campaign 3
Hardware Startup Targeting
Target CPA $30. Daily cap $300. Engineers at hardware startups making tool decisions for their team.
TOP KEYWORDS
"cad for hardware startups" · "cad for robotics company" · "cad for drone company" · "collaborative cad software" · "team cad software" · "browser cad for teams" · [cad for hardware startups]
Top Ad Copy Examples
Price Shock — Ad Group 1A
SolidWorks Costs $4K/Year
solidSF Costs $29/Month
Professional parametric CAD with AI agents. No download. No license key. Start modeling in 60 seconds. Free to try.
Browser CAD — Ad Group 2A
Browser-Native CAD Software
$29/Month. Try Free Today.
Professional parametric CAD that runs entirely in your browser. No install. Works on Mac, Windows, Linux. 36+ operations including assemblies, sheet metal, and FEA.
AI CAD — Ad Group 2B
AI-Native CAD — Finally
Natural Language → 3D Parts
Tell solidSF what you need. AI agents build parametric geometry, add constraints, modify the feature tree — in real time. Not a chatbot. A real CAD agent.
Mac CAD — Ad Group 2D
Real CAD on Your Mac
No Windows VM Required
SolidWorks doesn't run on Mac. solidSF does — natively in Safari, Chrome, or Firefox. Full parametric modeling, assemblies, STEP export. No bootcamp required.
Platform Budget Table
| Platform | Weekly Budget | Primary Format | Target Audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Search | $30K/wk | Search ads | High-intent: "SolidWorks alternative", "browser CAD", "parametric CAD" |
| YouTube | $25K/wk | Pre-roll + in-stream | CAD tutorial channels (Solidworks Tutorial, CAD CAM, Kevin Kennedy), engineering channels |
| $15K/wk | Feed + conversation | r/engineering, r/mechanical_engineering, r/CAD, r/rust, r/MachineLearning | |
| $10K/wk | Sponsored content | Mechanical engineers, hardware CTOs, engineering managers at Series A–C startups | |
| Meta (IG/FB) | $10K/wk | Video ads + carousel | Engineering interests, hardware startup founders, tech workers age 25–40 |
University Program
$800K budget — 22 campuses in 2 weeks. $5K per campus kit.
Per-Campus Kit ($5,000): Branded pop-up table with live demo monitor · 500 free Pro QR code cards · Sticker + USB + branded notebook swag bags · 1,000 full-color price comparison flyers · 10 campus ambassador t-shirts ($50/referral) · Pizza/coffee engineering club sponsorship · Professional banner
Target Campuses by City
SF Bay Area
NYC
Los Angeles
San Diego
Chicago
Miami
| Campus | Eng Enrollment | Key Buildings / Clubs | Best Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | ~4,500 | Huang Engineering Center, Product Realization Lab, Tresidder Union · Formula SAE, Robotics Club, ASME | Mon–Thu 11–2 PM, Tue/Thu 4–6 PM |
| UC Berkeley | ~5,200 | Jacobs Hall, Soda Hall, Bechtel Engineering Center · Formula Racing, Hyperloop, Cal Robotics, ASME | Mon–Fri 10 AM–2 PM, Tu/Th 11:30–1:30 PM peak |
| SF State | ~1,800 | Thornton Hall, Cesar Chavez Center · IEEE, SHPE, ASME, Robotics | Tue/Thu 11–2 PM, Mon/Wed 2–5 PM |
| Santa Clara University | ~2,300 | Bannan Engineering, Benson Memorial Center · Robotics, IEEE, ASME, Solar Car (Midnight Sun) | Mon–Thu 11–1 PM, Tue/Thu 4–6 PM |
| San Jose State | ~5,500 | Engineering Building, McLaughlin Hall · FSAE, Robotics, Aerospace Club, SWE | Mon–Thu 11–2 PM |
| Campus | Eng Enrollment | Key Buildings / Clubs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia University | ~4,000 | Mudd Building, Hamilton Hall · ASME, IEEE, Robotics, Formula Racing | Morningside Heights campus |
| NYU Tandon | ~3,500 | Engineering Quad, Dibner Library · Robotics, IEEE | Brooklyn campus |
| Cornell Tech | ~700 | Small campus — easy to dominate · Tech entrepreneurship focus | Roosevelt Island |
| City College of NY | ~3,000 | Grove School of Engineering · ASME, SHPE, IEEE | Harlem |
| Pratt Institute | ~1,800 | Industrial design + engineering crossover | Brooklyn |
| Campus | Eng Enrollment | Key Buildings / Clubs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | ~5,000 | Samueli School of Engineering, Boelter Hall · Formula SAE, Robotics, ASME, IEEE | Westwood |
| USC | ~6,000 | Viterbi School, Davidson Plaza · Formula SAE, Robotics, IEEE | Downtown LA adjacent |
| Caltech | ~600 | Millikan Library, Beckman Institute · Small but highly influential; deep technical culture | Pasadena |
| Cal Poly Pomona | ~6,500 | College of Engineering · Heavy hardware/manufacturing focus · FSAE, Robotics | Pomona |
| CSULB | ~4,000 | Engineering Quad · Aerospace, ME, EE clubs | Long Beach |
| Campus | Eng Enrollment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego | ~6,000 | Jacobs School of Engineering — Atkinson Hall, Warren College. Robotics, IEEE, ASME, FSAE all active. Near Sorrento Valley tech corridor. |
| San Diego State | ~3,500 | Engineering Building, SDSU Aztec Center. IEEE, ASME, Robotics Club. |
| USD | ~800 | Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering. Small but engineering-forward. |
| Campus | Eng Enrollment | Key Buildings / Clubs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern | ~3,500 | Technological Institute, Ford Engineering Design Center · FSAE, Robotics, IEEE, ASME | Evanston |
| IIT (Illinois Tech) | ~2,500 | Armour College of Engineering · Historically strong in engineering + design | Bronzeville |
| University of Illinois Chicago | ~3,000 | College of Engineering · ASME, IEEE, Robotics | Near West Side |
| Campus | Eng Enrollment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FIU | ~7,000 | College of Engineering & Computing. One of the largest engineering programs in Florida. IEEE, ASME, Robotics, SHPE all strong. |
| University of Miami | ~2,200 | College of Engineering. Coral Gables campus. Strong research engineering programs. |
| Florida International Univ | ~4,000 | Engineering campus in Sweetwater. LatAm engineering pipeline. |
University Budget Summary
| Region | Campuses | Days | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| SF Bay Area | 5 | Day 4–6 | $25,000 |
| New York City | 5 | Day 7–9 | $25,000 |
| Los Angeles | 5 | Day 8–10 | $25,000 |
| Chicago | 3 | Day 9–11 | $15,000 |
| San Diego | 2 | Day 10–11 | $10,000 |
| Miami | 2 | Day 11–12 | $10,000 |
| Ambassador team (10 people × $25/hr × 8 hr × 14 days) | — | All | $28,000 |
| Total Phase 1 | 22 | 2 weeks | $138,000 |
Enterprise Migration
The migration offer is the sales call disguised as a service
ICP: Hardware company, 10–500 employees, 3–75 mechanical engineers, current CAD spend $15K–$500K/yr. Industries: robotics, EVs, drones, aerospace, medical devices, defense tech. Stage: Seed → Series C.
Migration Tiers
TIER 1
Self-Serve Migration
Free
Up to 500 STEP files · 48 hr processing
- Bulk STEP importer (web UI + API)
- AI-generated part descriptions (Claude)
- Auto-organized folder structure by type
- Parametric reconstruction confidence score
- 14-day Team trial included
- One-click export-back, permanent and unconditional
TIER 2
Guided Migration
Free 30 days → $5K
Up to 5,000 files · 2-week timeline
- Everything in Tier 1
- 2-hour kickoff video call with solidSF engineer
- Custom folder hierarchy matching existing structure
- AI vocabulary training on their part names
- 30-day Team trial for up to 20 seats
- Dedicated Slack channel during trial
- If no convert: full export-back, no charge
TIER 3
White Glove Enterprise
$25K–$100K+
Unlimited files · On-site visit · ACV $50K–$100K
- Unlimited STEP files
- Andy + 1 engineer on-site, 2 days
- Full parametric reconstruction where STEP allows
- Custom PLM/ERP integrations
- 90-day dedicated support channel
- SSO, on-prem, SLA options
- Becomes case study for next 10 deals
Tier A Target Companies ($50K+ ACV)
| # | Company | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joby Aviation | Santa Cruz, CA | eVTOL, ~1,000 engineers, raised $1.6B. VP Eng is economic buyer. |
| 2 | Archer Aviation | San Jose, CA | eVTOL, ~300 engineers, Series C funded, SolidWorks-heavy. |
| 3 | Wisk Aero | Mountain View, CA | Autonomous eVTOL, Boeing-backed, ~200 engineers. |
| 4 | Sarcos Technology | Salt Lake City | Exoskeleton robotics, ~150 engineers, Series C. |
| 5 | Apptronik | Austin, TX | Humanoid robotics, ~100 engineers, Series A, tech-forward. |
| 6 | Figure AI | Sunnyvale, CA | Humanoid robots, raised $675M, explosive eng headcount growth. |
| 7 | Skydio | San Mateo, CA | Autonomous drones, ~500 employees, defense + commercial. |
| 8 | Shield AI | San Diego, CA | Defense AI, autonomous aircraft, ~600 employees, Series F. |
| 9 | Anduril Industries | Costa Mesa, CA | Defense tech, ~1,200 employees. Target: Director of Mechanical Engineering. |
| 10 | Hadrian | Hawthorne, CA | Automated precision manufacturing, raised $117M. CAD is core. |
| 11 | Machina Labs | Los Angeles | AI-powered metal forming, raised $32M. CAD + manufacturing overlap. |
| 12 | Relativity Space | Long Beach, CA | 3D-printed rockets, ~800 engineers, unusual CAD stack. |
| 13 | Impulse Space | Culver City, CA | Orbital transfer vehicles, raised $45M, ~100 engineers. |
| 14 | Hermeus | Atlanta, GA | Hypersonic aircraft, raised $100M, ~80 engineers. |
| 15 | Physical Intelligence | San Francisco | Robotics AI, raising fast, growing hardware team. |
| 16 | Agility Robotics | Corvallis, OR | Bipedal robots, Amazon-backed, ~200 engineers. |
| 17 | Astra Space | Alameda, CA | Small launch vehicles, hardware-heavy. |
| 18 | Terran Orbital | Irvine, CA | Small satellites, public company, ~250 engineers. |
| 19 | Kitty Hawk / Opener | Mountain View | Early eVTOL, small tight team, tech-forward culture. |
| 20 | Bright Machines | San Francisco | Intelligent factory automation, raised $300M. |
Objection Handling
"We've invested years in our SolidWorks library. We can't lose that."
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Your files come with you, full stop. Every STEP file you upload to solidSF can be exported back at any time, in the original format, with the original folder structure, regardless of whether you're a paying customer. The migration is not a trap — it's a conversion. Your files are yours. The only risk you're taking is that you might like the tool.
"Our engineers know SolidWorks. Switching tools will kill productivity."
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solidSF was explicitly built with SolidWorks UI conventions — same ribbon structure, same feature tree, same right-click behavior, 116 keyboard shortcuts that match SolidWorks defaults. An engineer who uses SolidWorks today can be productive in solidSF in an afternoon. We designed it that way deliberately. Don't take our word for it — give one engineer a free account and ask them to try one real project.
"Can a browser-based tool handle our production-quality work?"
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The kernel is 77,000 lines of production Rust with B-Rep topology, NURBS surfaces, a Gauss-Newton constraint solver, 36+ parametric operations, and 1,265 passing tests. This is not a toy or a wrapper around someone else's geometry engine. It's purpose-built CAD kernel that runs in the browser via WASM. The computational geometry is the same whether it runs on a desktop or in Chrome. We're happy to do a technical deep-dive with your lead mechanical engineer before you commit to anything.
"What about data security? Our files are proprietary IP."
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Per-user isolation is built into the infrastructure at the architecture level — not as a bolt-on. Files are stored with per-org encryption, never commingled. SOC 2 is in progress. For enterprise customers we offer on-prem deployment options where your data never leaves your network. We have a security one-pager for your IT team. For highly sensitive IP, we recommend starting with non-production reference designs for the migration trial so you can evaluate the product without exposing your core IP.
"How do you compare to Onshape? We've already evaluated them."
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Onshape is $1,500/seat/year, is owned by PTC (which acquired them for $470M in 2019), and has essentially stopped innovating since the acquisition. It has no AI integration, no generative design, and no pathway to the features that the next generation of CAD needs. solidSF is $49/seat/month — 37% of Onshape's cost — and ships AI agents, TPMS lattice generative design, and a kernel that was written in 2025, not 2012. We're not the safer choice. We're the better one.
"You're a startup. What if you shut down?"
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The export-back guarantee is unconditional and contractual — not dependent on our continued operation. Your files are always exportable in STEP format. We also use industry-standard file formats throughout, so even if solidSF ceased to exist, every file you've ever created remains usable in any other CAD tool. There is no proprietary format lock-in. This is a deliberate design decision we're proud of.
Outreach Emails
6 email packs — investor, enterprise, press, hardware founders, university, influencer
Investor Emails
Subject: Custom CAD kernel + LLM training infrastructure — 15-min demo?
Subject: Built something you'd understand — custom CAD kernel + CUDA training
Subject: Follow-up: solidSF demo + data room access
Subject: Traction update: [X] signups in first week — still raising $20M
Subject: Term sheet request — solidSF Series A
Enterprise Emails
Subject: Free SolidWorks library migration — no contract, keep your files either way
Subject: [Company]'s SolidWorks renewal — an alternative worth 30 minutes
Subject: CAD for [Company]'s engineering team — 30-min demo?
Subject: Follow-up: solidSF migration trial for [Company]
Subject: Your 30-day trial is ending — next steps
Press Emails
Subject: Solo founder built browser CAD with 77K LOC Rust kernel — launch story?
Subject: $4K vs $29: the CAD pricing war just started
Subject: Exclusive: first AI-native browser CAD system launches in SF
Subject: Follow-up: solidSF coverage + demo access
Hardware Founder Emails
Subject: Browser CAD for [Company]'s hardware team — free Pro accounts
Subject: Your SolidWorks budget could pay for 3 engineers instead
Subject: solidSF design partner program — 12 months free for early hardware teams
University Emails
Subject: Free solidSF Team licenses for your CAD course — offer for engineering professors
Subject: solidSF curriculum kit — prepared lesson plans for [Course Name]
Subject: [Club Name] — solidSF Pro accounts for your whole club, free
Subject: solidSF campus ambassador program — $50/referral + merch
Influencer Emails
Subject: Sponsorship inquiry: solidSF for [Channel Name]
Subject: [Channel] — AI-native browser CAD that your audience hasn't seen yet
Subject: solidSF x [Channel] — custom affiliate code + $1,500/integration rate
Legal Documents
5 agreements — ready to send
AMBASSADOR
Campus Ambassador Agreement
For student brand ambassadors. Defines $50/referral commission, social post requirements, content approval, exclusivity clause, and IP ownership.
DESIGN PARTNER
Design Partner Agreement
For early hardware companies getting 12 months free. Defines feedback obligations, case study rights, logo usage, no confidentiality on general product direction.
ENTERPRISE
Enterprise Trial Agreement
For Tier 2/3 migration trials. Covers file handling, data ownership, export-back guarantee, trial-to-paid conversion terms, and SLA.
INFLUENCER
Influencer Sponsorship Agreement
For YouTube and social media creators. Defines deliverables, affiliate rates, FTC disclosure requirements, content approval process, and exclusivity windows.
PROFESSOR
Professor Partnership MOU
For academic partnerships. Free Team licenses for all course students in perpetuity. Defines curriculum co-development, data privacy for students, logo co-branding.
Creative Assets
Brand guidelines, ad copy packs, social content
BRAND
Brand Guidelines v1.0
Logo usage, color palette, typography, voice, tone by channel, photography direction. Written March 16, 2026.
#2563eb — Electric Blue (primary)
#0a0a0a — Near Black (background)
#f0f0f0 — Off White (text)
Font: Inter Bold (headlines) · JetBrains Mono (code/data)
VOICE
5 Brand Voice Principles
Direct — Says what it means, no hedging. "$4K vs $29" is the whole argument.
Precise — "77,000 lines of Rust" not "built with modern technology."
Confident — No apology for being small or new. The product is real.
Dry — Understated humor. The joke in "$29/month" needs no explanation.
Respectful of engineers — Writes for people who know what B-Rep is.
Precise — "77,000 lines of Rust" not "built with modern technology."
Confident — No apology for being small or new. The product is real.
Dry — Understated humor. The joke in "$29/month" needs no explanation.
Respectful of engineers — Writes for people who know what B-Rep is.
OOH COPY
OOH Copy Pack
Full set of billboard, transit shelter, subway card, and digital OOH copy variants. Includes price shock format, statement format, AI format, and university-specific.
Billboard headline (7 words max)
"$4,000/year. Or $29/month."
Transit shelter (technical, more room)
"Built from scratch in Rust. B-Rep topology, NURBS, constraint solver. Not a toy — a full CAD kernel at 10x less than SolidWorks."
DIGITAL ADS
Digital Ad Copy Pack
Full Google Ads, YouTube scripts, Reddit copy, LinkedIn posts, and Meta ad copy. Campaign 1 (competitor), Campaign 2 (category), Campaign 3 (startup).
Google Ad — Highest CTR variant
SolidWorks Alternative
AI-Native CAD — $29/Month
Parametric CAD with AI agents. Switch from SolidWorks in one afternoon. Your STEP files come with you. 30-day free trial.
Marketing Collateral
4 designed HTML files — ready to print, share, or display
INVESTOR
Investor One-Pager
Single-page HTML formatted for printing or PDF export. Covers problem, solution, traction, team, market, and the $20M ask. Clean black-on-white layout for investor meetings.
Open
CUSTOMER
Customer One-Pager
Lead with the pricing comparison. Features, integrations, migration path. Designed to be left behind at enterprise sales meetings or attached to outreach emails.
Open
STUDENT
Student Flyer
8.5×11" flyer for campus tabling. Price comparison front and center: "Your university pays $800/seat for SolidWorks. You pay $9/month." QR code links to signup.
Open
ENTERPRISE
Enterprise Brochure
4-page brochure layout for enterprise deals. Migration tiers, security overview, pricing comparison, case study format, and contact information.
Open
Media Kit
Fact Sheet
Key stats, founding date, funding status, product description, and contact for press. marketing/mediakit/FACT_SHEET.md
Press Kit
Full press kit with company story, founder bio, product descriptions, and approved quotes. marketing/mediakit/PRESS_KIT.md
Influencer Kit
Talking points, demo script, affiliate link instructions, FTC disclosure language, and approved brand assets. marketing/mediakit/INFLUENCER_KIT.md