Startup profile · funding coverage
Diode funding, valuation and investors
AI software automating PCB schematic design for U.S. circuit-board manufacturing.
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Funding, valuation & investors
Answer-first snapshotLatest funding
Series A
$11.4M · July 2025
Latest known valuation
Not publicly disclosed
Total disclosed equity funding
$11M
Excludes debt, grants, acquisitions, secondaries, and IPO proceeds.
Current status
private
series a · San Francisco, California
Overview
Diode builds AI software that automates PCB schematic design and accelerates U.S. circuit-board manufacturing — targeting defense, robotics, and hardware teams that need faster domestic iteration. Raised $11.4M Series A in July 2025 led by a16z with Y Combinator, Caffeinated Capital, and BoxGroup participating.
Why Diode is interesting
a16z-backed AI for PCB design as reshoring and defense supply chains push faster domestic hardware iteration.
Product & use cases
AI automates schematic capture and PCB layout — compressing hardware design cycles for teams building physical products.
- Automating PCB schematic design for hardware startups
- Accelerating defense and robotics board iterations
- Domestic manufacturing-ready design outputs
Key facts
- Series A (Jul 2025): $11.4M led by a16z; YC, Caffeinated Capital, BoxGroup (Business Insider)
- Targets defense, robotics, and hardware teams
Funding history (newest first)
Series A
2025-07 $11.4MSource: https://www.businessinsider.com/diode-pcb-ai-funding-2025
Investors in our directory
Funds linked from Diode's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.
Competitive landscape
Edge: AI-native PCB workflow vs. legacy EDA tools designed decades ago.
EDA is dominated by Altium and Cadence but AI-native entrants target speed for startups and defense. Diode rides reshoring and American Dynamism tailwinds.
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Altium incumbent
Dominant PCB design software.
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Cadence incumbent
Enterprise EDA suite.
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Flux direct
Browser-based PCB design with AI features.
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KiCad alternative
Open-source PCB tool; free but less AI-native.
Notable stories
- Diode raised as U.S. reshoring and defense supply chain concerns push teams to iterate hardware domestically faster (a16z announcement, 2025).
Industries
Market / IPO context
Editorial / static context — not a live quote.
Related funding articles
Venture Capital Tracker pieces that cover Diode's financing or category context.
FAQs about Diode
Practical answers founders, operators, and investors typically search for.
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Editorial note: AI tools assisted with research, structure, or drafting. Venture Capital Tracker retains human editorial responsibility for factual accuracy, relevance, and source quality before publication.