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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
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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