What Hackster.io does

Hackster.io is a web-based community platform dedicated to learning, programming, and building hardware. Founded in 2013 and acquired by Avnet in 2016, it operates as an 'Avnet Community' alongside Premier Farnell, element14, and Newark. The platform enables hardware makers, engineers, hobbyists, and students to publish projects with detailed documentation, code, schematics, and 3D models across topic channels including Sensors, Home Automation, Robotics, IoT, AI & Machine Learning, 3D Printing, Environmental Sensing, Security, and FPGAs. Headquartered in San Francisco with a global, web-based footprint, the company employs 11-50 people and is led by CEO Jessica Tangeman and Chief Marketing Officer Artie Beavis.

The product surface includes a Projects Platform, Channels, a News section, Contests (with prize pools funded by sponsors), an Events listing for global hardware conferences and maker faires, Video content (Hackster in the Wild, interviews, event coverage), and free user accounts. Monetised layers include Hackster Pro (premium subscription for professional developers) and Hackster for Business (enterprise offerings for companies running developer engagement campaigns). Hackster for Business generates revenue from contest sponsorships with semiconductor and electronics clients (Arduino, Qualcomm, Edge Impulse, Infineon, NXP), and from event media partnerships with Maker Faire, CES exhibitors, and others.

The business model combines sponsored developer contests (where brands fund hardware giveaways and prize money for projects built on their platforms), content syndication through Avnet's distribution network, free and premium newsletter subscriptions, and enterprise packages for technical marketing and ecosystem-building. Hackster.io's strategic role within Avnet is to drive developer adoption of components and platforms sold through Avnet's global distribution arm, making the community a marketing and demand-generation channel rather than a standalone SaaS business.

Name

Hackster.io

Legal name

Hackster.io

Website

https://hackster.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hackster.io is a web-based hardware developer community platform owned by Avnet, where makers and engineers publish projects, participate in sponsored contests, and access news, video, and event content. It serves hardware hobbyists, professional developers, students, and semiconductor brands running developer engagement campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hardware Developer Community Platform

akta.pro primary industry

Maker / DIY Electronics & Physical Computing Platforms (EDAFANAC)

Keywords

• Hardware developer community
• Maker learning platform
• IoT project hosting
• Developer contest platform
• Electronics engineering community

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Contest Sponsorships: Technology companies sponsor contests on the platform, providing hardware boards and prize money in exchange for developer engagement and project submissions showcasing their products
2. Event Partnerships: Hackster.io serves as media partner for maker events like Maker Faire, providing coverage, promotion, and potential travel fund sponsorships
3. Newsletter and Content: Weekly and monthly newsletter subscriptions with breaking news, product launches, and upcoming events delivered to subscribers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hackster.io is a web-based community platform where hardware makers, engineers, and hobbyists share electronics projects with tutorials, code, and schematics, participate in sponsored developer contests, and consume hardware news and event coverage. The platform connects semiconductor and electronics companies with a global hardware developer audience through contest sponsorships, event media partnerships, and paid enterprise offerings (Hackster Pro and Hackster for Business).

Product overview

Hackster.io is a community platform dedicated to learning hardware, offering a multi-product ecosystem for makers, engineers, and innovators. The core platform includes a Projects Platform for sharing hardware/software projects, Channels for topic-based communities (Sensors, Robotics, IoT, AI/ML, 3D Printing, etc.), a News section, Contests for competitive hardware innovation, Events listings, and Videos. The platform offers free user accounts alongside paid tiers (Hackster Pro for professionals) and enterprise solutions (Hackster for Business).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hackster.io Community Platform Free web-based community platform where individual hardware makers, engineers, and hobbyists share electronics projects with tutorials, code, schematics, and 3D models, organized across topic channels covering Sensors, Home Automation, Robotics, IoT, AI/ML, 3D Printing, Environmental Sensing, and Security.
• Hackster Pro Paid premium subscription tier offering enhanced features for serious hardware developers and professionals on the Hackster.io platform.
• Hackster for Business Enterprise offering for technology companies seeking to engage with the hardware developer community through sponsored contests, event partnerships, and access to technical talent and ecosystem engagement.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• AvnetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Hackster.io is an Avnet Community, operating as part of the Avnet electronics distribution and solutions ecosystem. This provides integration with Avnet's global distribution network including Premier Farnell, element14, and Newark.
• ArduinoflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerArduino partners with Hackster.io to host global developer contests for the Arduino UNO Q platform, driving innovation in AI, IoT, robotics, and edge computing through community competitions.
• QualcommflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerQualcomm Technologies partners with Hackster.io and Arduino to launch global developer contests featuring the UNO Q hybrid platform combining Qualcomm Dragonwing QRB2210 MPU with STM32 microcontroller.
• Edge ImpulsecoreTechnology or IntegrationEdge Impulse provides AI model training and optimization capabilities integrated with Arduino App Lab for developer contests, enabling machine learning on edge devices.
• DevKit HQminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDevKit HQ partnered with Hackster for the Best of 2025 Competition, providing development boards and $150 BOM funding for participants.
• Elephant RoboticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerElephant Robotics strengthened partnerships with technology companies including NVIDIA, Raspberry Pi, M5Stack, and Hackster.io at CES 2025, gaining media coverage through the Hackster community.
• Maker Faire ShenzhenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHackster.io serves as media partner for Maker Faire Shenzhen 2025, offering programs, contests, and potential travel fund sponsorships for selected participants.
• InfineonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInfineon sponsors the PSOC Edge City contest on Hackster.io, focused on AI at the edge using Infineon PSOC technology.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Element14 Community: Avnet-owned electronics community and component marketplace (sister brand to Hackster within Premier Farnell). Both target professional engineers and makers with project sharing, design challenges, and component purchasing — making Element14 the closest behavioral and structural peer.
• Adafruit Learning System: Free, high-quality electronics tutorials and project guides run by Adafruit, a major hobbyist hardware retailer. Directly comparable as a learning platform for makers building microcontroller and IoT projects.
• Arduino Project Hub: Official Arduino community for sharing and documenting hardware projects built on Arduino boards. Closely comparable as a project-hosting and tutorial destination for the same maker/engineer audience Hackster serves.
• SparkFun Electronics: US-based open-source hardware retailer that publishes tutorials and hosts a community of makers and educators. Comparable as a combined hardware-content + component-distribution ecosystem aimed at hobbyists and educators.
• Instructables: DIY project-sharing platform covering electronics, 3D printing, and maker crafts. Comparable as a user-generated project library with categories and contests that overlap Hackster's hardware-learning focus.
• Make: Community: Make Magazine's community platform for makers, hosting projects, tutorials, and the global Maker Faire network. Directly comparable as a media + community + events ecosystem targeting the same hobbyist/educator demographic.
• Seeed Studio Wiki: Open-source hardware maker Seeed Studio publishes detailed project tutorials and product documentation for IoT and edge-AI devices. Comparable as a learning + product-ecosystem platform aimed at developers building on Seeed/XIAO hardware.

Others

• Digi-Key Electronics: Major global electronic components distributor that publishes extensive technical resources, reference designs, and maker content. Comparable as an adjacent distributor/content ecosystem but not a community-first platform.
• Mouser Electronics: Global electronic components distributor with a large technical-resource center, projects hub, and educational content for engineers. Comparable as a parts-distribution + content ecosystem adjacent to Hackster's audience.

Broad incumbents

• GitHub: Dominant code-hosting and developer collaboration platform where an increasing share of hardware projects (schematics, firmware, 3D models) are also published. Comparable as a broader incumbent that absorbs hardware project-sharing activity at scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hacksterio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/hacksterio
• Facebookfacebook.com/hacksterio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hacksterio
• Instagraminstagram.com/hacksterio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hackster.io