Hardware startups need three things before launch: a design that can be made, a prototype that proves it, and visuals that sell it. Product design services for startups can cover all three, but prices vary from a few hundred dollars to six figures. Here is a realistic budget and timeline.
Typical budget for a first consumer product
- Concept renders for pitching and pre-sales: $690 to $1,900 with us (concept rendering)
- Product CAD, up to 12 parts, with drawings and prototype files: $1,890 (CAD design)
- Prototype printing: a few hundred dollars per round through a print service
- Tooling-ready engineering: from $4,900
- Launch visuals: renders from $790, animation from $590, launch films from $4,800
Many startups spend $3,000 to $10,000 on design and visuals before tooling, far less than a full-service product development firm, which commonly charges tens of thousands.
Typical timeline
- Concept and renders: 1 to 2 weeks
- Engineering CAD: 2 to 3 weeks
- Prototype and revision: 2 to 4 weeks
- Production package: 4 to 8 weeks
- Launch visuals: 1 to 3 weeks, often in parallel with production
What to outsource and what to keep
Keep product vision, customer research and supplier relationships in-house. Outsource specialist work: CAD engineering, DFM, rendering and animation. The key is working with a team that reuses one model across engineering and marketing, so you do not pay to build the product three times.
Funding and pre-sales
Concept renders and a short how-it-works animation help with investor decks, Kickstarter campaigns and pre-order pages before production units exist. See our guide to Kickstarter renders and animation costs.
Choosing a product design partner
- Can they engineer for manufacturing, not just render?
- Do they deliver native CAD, drawings and DFM notes?
- Will they sign an NDA and transfer ownership?
- Do they offer fixed prices and clear timelines?
- Can they produce launch visuals from the same model?
Work with us
We help hardware startups from sketch to launch: concept renders, CAD, prototype files, exploded views and launch films. Tell us about your product for a fixed quote within one working day.
