About Us

Your prototype doesn't work, but Series A is 6-9 months away. This is a situation faced by an estimated 40% of hardware startups. 

We are specialists for turning around hardware projects. Our deep mechanical engineering expertise can get you moving forward in a few different ways:

 • Prototype Rescue: Achieve the specs you promised (or get close enough) to achieve product-market fit and profitability

• Strategic Pivot: Create a compelling alternative when the original plan won't work, a plan that's credible in Series A

• Develop a Patentable Solution: Build a defensible IP moat that investors value and opens up market opportunities.

Solve the technical bottleneck preventing you from meeting promised specs. Achieve the performance you need for Series A (or get close enough).

When This Works:

- Core concept is sound, execution is stuck

- Specific component or subsystem is failing

- Team has exhausted internal approaches

- Specs are achievable with specialized expertise

What You Get:

-Root cause analysis (Week 1-2)

-Functional solution concept (Week 3-6)

-Production-ready design (Week 7-14)

-FEA validation and manufacturing feasibility

Timeline:

3-4 months from stuck to working prototype.

Create a compelling alternative when the original approach won't work. Find a viable path that salvages the investment and enables Series A.

When This Works:

-Current approach has fundamental limitations

-Team has tried 3+ iterations without success

-Investors are supportive of exploring alternatives

-Need new direction to salvage investment

What You Get:

-Honest assessment: Is there a viable path? (Week 1-2)

-2-3 alternative approaches with feasibility analysis (Week 3-4)

-Validated functional concept (Week 5-8)

-Professional documentation for investors

Timeline:

2-3 months from pivot decision to validated .

Build a defensible IP moat that investors value. Transform technical innovation into patent-pending status that improves Series A valuation.

When This Works:

-Prototype works but lacks competitive moat

-Investors want IP protection for Series A

-Have ideas for a better solution, but technical roadblocks prevent implementation

-Need differentiation for fundraising

What You Get:

-Patentability assessment (Week 1-2)

-Patent-ready concept with claims (Week 3-16)

-Production-ready design optimization (Week 12-20)

- IP transfer, patent application

Timeline:

4-5 months from concept to patent-pending status

Current track record is 5/5 on patents, a 100%  success rate.

Our founder has experience rescuing projects that are stuck. Some notable achievements:

• 30% torque density improvements on a small-form gearbox through a novel mechanism design
• Invented complex pipe gripping mechanism that now makes it possible to lift 250,000 pounds of jointed pipe out of an oil well (instead of just smooth pipe)
• High expansion seals for a critical safety application that survive 1500 psi pressure, mechanical damage, poor installation concentricity, elevated temperature, and compression set, while still forming a reliable seal
• Breakthrough performance on projects where 3 previous engineers couldn't solve it

We answer the hard questions that others aren't prepared to answer — or haven't been able to answer. When your prototypes are stuck and your runway is shrinking, we provide the breakthrough you need.

Our founder is a mechanical engineer with 20 years of product-development experience, 7 patents (5 granted, 2 pending), and a track record of creating new technologies with breakthrough specifications. His expertise spans multiple industries and multiple knowledge domains - domains such as industrial machinery, gearboxes, oilfield equipment, oilwell drilling/completion tools, pressure equipment, pipeline & pressure vessels, chassis & trailers, welding machining & forging, structural analysis, etc.

In previous companies, he has successfully obtained government grant funding, enabled sale of the company through technology he developed, participated in due-diligence reviews, led patent correspondence, and prevented patent workarounds.

This track record allows us to develop new solutions effectively - and get you to Series A with confidence. 

Scenario 1: Technical Bottleneck

Your team has hit a wall on a specific component. You've tried multiple approaches and nothing works. You need specialized expertise to break through the constraint that's blocking progress.

Scenario 2: Performance Gap

Your prototype works but doesn't meet the specs you promised investors. You need optimization and breakthrough thinking to close the gap and achieve the performance you committed to.

Scenario 3: Fundamental Redesign (about 40% of startups)

Your current approach isn't working and you need a completely new concept. Your team has exhausted their ideas. Investors are supportive of exploring new directions to find a viable path forward and salvage the investment.

Scenario 4: Demo/Funding Preparation

You have a critical deadline approaching—investor demo in 2-4 weeks, funding round preparation, or KPI milestone. You need compelling proof of progress backed by professional documentation.

All scenarios are normal in hardware development. We've lived through them all, and we know how to help. The companies that succeed are the ones that recognize when they need specialized expertise and act decisively.

Founders: Maybe technical setbacks are blocking you from achieving the specs you need to deliver. You're close, and with enough time you can probably solve it, but runway is getting short and you have to act. It is what it is. 

Bringing in a specialist can give you the answers you're looking for, on a timeline that matters. When runway is really tight, we can work with your investor, so you still have room to operate.

Enlisting the right people when you need them shows:

- Strategic thinking (knowing when to seek help)

- Commitment to success (taking action, not hoping)

- Resource intelligence (same approach used by industry leaders)

- Professional approach (systematic exploration of alternatives)

We can find a path forward

Path 1: Find the Technical Solution, Get to Profitability

You achieve that product-market fit by achieving the performance specs

- We find the technical breakthrough

- We complete development in 2-3 months

- You launch the product and start generating revenue

- You get to profitability without raising Series A

Path 2: Find a Partial Solution, Raise Series A

You need more capital to scale, but need technical credibility first

- We find the technical breakthrough that's attractive enough for funding

- We create professional documentation and a functional concept asap

- You have compelling proof of feasibility

- You raise Series A with strong technical narrative

Stop the Burn

- Engineering team: $40K-$80K per month

- Facilities, equipment, materials: $10K-$20K per month

- Total: $50K-$100K per month

It adds up quick. 

What Happens If You Bring Us In:

- Week 1: Assessment determines if a viable path exists ($5K)

- Week 2-4: Functional concept provides breakthrough ($25K-$40K)

- Month 2-4: Your team (or IAS Machine) designs the solution

- Month 4-5: Your team implements the solution

- Month 5:  Either generating revenue or raising Series A with strong technical proof

Investors: You've invested $500K-$5M in a hardware startup with breakthrough potential. But maybe 8-12 months in, the technical approach isn't working. The team has tried multiple iterations. The runway is shrinking. You're facing a decision: write it off or find a way to pivot.

This is more common than you think — 40% of hardware startups face this situation.

The Investor's Dilemma

Option 1: Persist with Current Approach

- Team continues on current path for 3-6 more months

- Hopes to solve the technical hurdle... possible but uncertain

- Burns $150K-$300K more runway

- Probability of success: 10-30%

- If it fails: Total loss of investment

Option 2: Strategic Adaptation with Expert Guidance

- Bring in specialist to explore new directions

- Investment: $25K-$40K

- Timeline: 3-4 weeks to validated concept

- Probability of finding viable alternative path: 60-70%

- If successful: Salvages investment, enables Series A

What we Provide Investors

1. Honest Assessment (Phase 1)

- Is there a viable technical path forward?

- What would it take to achieve promised specs?

- Should you continue investing or cut losses?

2. Multiple Options (Phase 1, extended)

- 2-3 alternative technical approaches

- Feasibility analysis of each with calculations and FEA

- Probability of success for each option

- Resource requirements and timeline

3. Path to Series A (Phase 2 & 3)

- Validated functional concept that demonstrates feasibility

- Professional documentation for due diligence

- Investor presentation materials

- Clear roadmap to production

This becomes the centerpiece of your Series A pitch.

Managers: Maybe you're 6-8 months from running out of runway, or facing a critical demo in 2-4 weeks. You need solutions NOW — not exploration, not concepts, but implementable designs that work.

How We Deliver Speed:

Focused Expertise

We solve your specific technical bottleneck while your team stays focused on core development. No learning curve, no distraction, just results. We work alongside your team, not instead of them. 

Pattern Recognition

20 years of product development means we've seen similar challenges before. We know where to look, what approaches work, and where we can find a similar solution to replicate- this compresses months of trial-and-error into weeks.

Implementable Solutions

We deliver functional designs with FEA validation and manufacturing feasibility 

analysis — not just concepts, but solutions you can build immediately. Your team takes ownership of implementation. 

Knowledge Transfer

We don't just hand over designs — we explain the thinking behind them. Your team learns from the process and builds capability for future challenges.

Proof When You Need It

Even with tight deadlines — customer demos in 2 weeks, investor presentations in 4 weeks, KPI milestones approaching — we deliver compelling proof of progress backed by professional documentation.

Timeline Examples:

- Technical assessment with roadmap: 2-4 days

- Functional concept with FEA validation: 2-3 weeks 

- Production-ready design: 6-10 weeks

You get the breakthrough you need, when you need it, without derailing your team's focus.