What is hardware product development?
Everything between an idea and a product a factory can make at volume: concept design, industrial design, mechanical and electronics engineering, prototyping, design for manufacturing, sourcing and launch. A product development company runs those stages so decisions made early don't become expensive surprises later.
How much does product development cost?
Most first products land between $51,000 and $85,000 over 9–14 months, and Phase 1 usually starts around $10,000–$15,000. After the call you get a custom proposal, so you know the full number before you commit. Electronics, certification and tooling complexity move the number most.
How long does it take to develop a physical product?
Usually 9–14 months from concept to production-ready. The working time is 4–6 weeks of concept, 8–14 weeks of engineering and prototyping, 10–16 weeks of manufacturing preparation and 6–10 weeks of launch support; the total also includes reviews, decisions and vendor lead times between phases.
Do I need a technical background to work with you?
No. Most of the founders we work with are building their first physical product. We translate the engineering and manufacturing decisions into plain language and you make the calls.
Can you manufacture my product?
We don't own factories. We design for manufacturing, select and audit vendors from our 150+ partners, negotiate quotes and tooling, and our team of four in Shenzhen is on the factory floor for first production runs.
Do you work with founders in the US and Europe?
Yes. About 75% of our clients are in the US and Europe, our contracts and payments are set up for them, and we schedule reviews in your working hours.
Do you sign NDAs, and who owns the IP?
We'll sign your NDA or send ours before you share anything sensitive. You own your idea and the IP we create for it; that's written into our agreements.
Why hire a studio instead of freelancers?
A freelancer usually covers one stage, so you manage the handoffs between design, engineering and the factory yourself. We run the whole path as one team, in fixed-price phases, with the senior people doing the work.
How much does a hardware prototype cost?
A working prototype is part of phase 2, together with the engineering, test reports and a first BOM. What it costs depends on what the prototype has to prove, so we price it in your proposal after the first call.
What isn't included in your fees?
Third-party costs: injection-mould tooling, certification lab testing and production units are billed by the factory or lab directly to you, and we take no commission on them. We get them quoted in phase 3, so you see the whole budget before you commit.
Can I start with a smaller budget?
Yes. Small fixed-fee sprints answer one specific question in two or three weeks. If you start phase 1 within six months, the sprint fee comes off the price.
Do you help with FCC, UL and other US certifications?
Yes. We map the certifications your product needs in phase 3 and design for them before tooling, so certification doesn't turn into a late, expensive surprise.
Can you help me launch on Kickstarter?
Yes. Launch support covers campaign assets, renders and a go-to-market plan, and we work with crowdfunding partners such as LaunchBoom. EUME hit its crowdfunding goal in under 12 hours.
What do I need before I contact you?
Just the idea. A sketch, CAD file or prototype lets us start further along, but most founders come to us with nothing drawn.
How do I get started?
Book a free 30-minute call. We reply within one working day, and after the call you get a fixed scope and price for the phase you actually need.