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Hardware Startups with Fexingo: Devices, Robotics, and Manufacturing Tech Companies

Hardware Startups with Fexingo: Devices, Robotics, and Manufacturing Tech Companies

By: Fexingo
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Lucas and Luna get into the gritty details of hardware startups — the kind that design, prototype, and manufacture physical devices, from industrial robotics to consumer gadgets. Each episode centers on a specific company or technology: how a robotics firm navigated the transition from lab prototype to production line, why a particular sensor startup chose one material over another, or what the unit economics of a new 3D-printing venture actually look like. Lucas brings the numbers — bill of materials, gross margins, capital expenditure — while Luna tests the story against real engineering constraints and manufacturing realities. They talk about supply chain bottlenecks, tooling costs, and the long timelines that separate hardware from software. No hype, no glossing over the hard parts. The listener is someone who thinks about hardware the way most people think about code: a founder, an engineer, or an investor trying to separate a real breakthrough from a Kickstarter illusion. Every conversation ends with a clear takeaway — not a platitude, but a concrete question: What does this company's balance sheet tell you about the durability of its product? #HardwareStartups #Robotics #Manufacturing #SupplyChain #3DPrinting #SemiconductorIndustry #Prototyping #IndustrialTech #ConsumerHardware #Electronics #DesignForManufacturing #BillOfMaterials #UnitEconomics #CapitalExpenditure #Engineering #Business #FexingoBusiness #Technology Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo© 2026 Fexingo. All rights reserved. Economics
Episodes
  • How Hardware Startups Use Flexible Printed Circuits

    How Hardware Startups Use Flexible Printed Circuits
    Jun 15 2026
    Episode 52 of Hardware Startups with Fexingo dives into flexible printed circuits (FPCs) — the bendable, space-saving alternative to rigid PCBs. Lucas and Luna explain why startups in wearables, robotics, and medical devices are turning to FPCs, using the example of a smart ring startup that cut its device thickness by 40 percent. They break the trade-offs: lower per-unit cost at scale but higher NRE and trickier assembly. Listeners learn about dynamic vs. static flex applications, the role of polyimide substrates, and why stiffeners matter. The episode also covers common pitfalls like copper fatigue and impedance mismatch, plus a real-world tip from a founder who prototypes FPCs with a laser cutter before committing to tooling. If you're building a connected device and hitting space or weight limits, this episode gives you the vocabulary to talk to your CM. No fluff, just the engineering decisions that separate working prototypes from shippable products. #HardwareStartups #FlexibleCircuits #FPC #PCBAssembly #Wearables #Robotics #MedicalDevices #ProductDesign #Manufacturing #Prototyping #Polyimide #CopperFatigue #ImpedanceControl #DesignForAssembly #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 mins
  • How Hardware Startups Use Selective Soldering for Mixed Tech

    How Hardware Startups Use Selective Soldering for Mixed Tech
    Jun 14 2026
    Most people think soldering is just soldering — but for hardware startups building devices that combine through-hole and surface-mount components on the same board, selective soldering is a game-changer. In this episode, Lucas and Luna walk through a real case: a startup making industrial sensors that needed to manually solder a high-power connector onto an otherwise automated SMT board. They break down why wave soldering would have destroyed nearby delicate parts, how a small benchtop selective soldering machine solved it for under $15,000, and why this technique is becoming essential for low-volume mixed-technology prototypes. Lucas shares the specific thermal profile tweak that prevented tombstoning on adjacent components. Luna asks the hard question: when does selective soldering stop making sense versus hand soldering or redesigning the board? They also touch on how contract manufacturers are now offering selective soldering as a standard service, even for runs under 500 units. If you're building hardware that combines power electronics with digital logic on one PCB, this episode will save you from a common rework nightmare. #HardwareStartups #SelectiveSoldering #PCBAssembly #ThroughHole #SurfaceMount #ManufacturingTech #ElectronicsManufacturing #Prototyping #IndustrialSensors #SMT #WaveSoldering #ThermalProfile #Tombstoning #ContractManufacturing #LowVolumeProduction #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
  • How Hardware Startups Use Jigs and Fixtures for Repeatability

    How Hardware Startups Use Jigs and Fixtures for Repeatability
    Jun 14 2026
    In Episode 50, Lucas and Luna explore how hardware startups use jigs and fixtures to achieve repeatable assembly without expensive automation. They break down a real-world example: a two-person startup producing 500 sensor units per month with a custom alignment jig that reduced assembly time by 40% and eliminated a common rework loop. The conversation covers the difference between jigs and fixtures, when to invest in custom tooling versus modular systems, and why even a simple plywood fixture can save weeks of debugging. Lucas explains the cost-benefit math for early-stage hardware companies, and Luna shares a counterexample where a startup overbuilt fixtures too early and wasted capital. They close by discussing how CNC-machined aluminum fixtures from Xometry or Protolabs compare to 3D-printed alternatives, and why the right fixture often pays for itself in under three months. #JigsAndFixtures #HardwareStartups #Manufacturing #Assembly #Repeatability #Prototyping #CNCMachining #3DPrinting #Xometry #Protolabs #QualityControl #LeanManufacturing #ProductionScaling #CustomTooling #ModularFixtures #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
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