Kicad Services Corporation

What Kicad Services Corporation does

KiCad Services Corporation is a California public benefit corporation, founded in 2019 and headquartered in Long Beach, CA, that provides commercial software support, training, and custom development services exclusively for the KiCad open source electronic design automation (EDA) suite. The company's core technology foundation is KiCad itself — a GNU AGPL v3 licensed EDA platform for schematic capture and PCB layout supporting Windows, Linux, and macOS — augmented by KiCad Services' own proprietary modifications maintained on its GitHub repository, including custom builds with rapid bug fixes, private issue reporting under NDA, ECAD/MCAD integration tooling (FreeCAD bridges, simulation interfaces), corporate component libraries, and design automation utilities. The firm is led by KiCad's core developers Seth Hillbrand (Founder & Lead Developer, IPC CID certified) and Wayne Stambaugh (KiCad Project Lead, 33+ years in electronics design), plus developer Damjan Prerad with embedded and edge-AI expertise, giving it structural influence over the upstream KiCad roadmap.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining recurring subscriptions and professional services. Annual subscription support is sold in two self-serve tiers — Basic at $500/year with 24-hour email response and Advanced at $750/year with 4-hour priority response and video/screen-share sessions — accessible via an automated billing portal. Training is delivered through public instructor-led courses (KiCad Fundamentals at $800/person, Advanced PCB Design at $1,200/person) and custom team engagements, with optional industry-recognized certifications (Certified KiCad Designer, Advanced PCB Specialist). Custom development — the highest-value engagement layer — covers plugins, BOM and DFM automation, Git/PLM/CI/CD workflow integration, ECAD/MCAD bridges, and legacy EDA migration for automotive and aerospace clients (AS9100 compliance). Distribution is mixed: self-serve subscriptions target individuals and small teams globally, while enterprise and custom engagements are closed via direct sales and quote-based contracts.

The customer base spans marquee technology, science, and government organizations — Google, Apple, CERN, NASA, ESA, OpenAI, UXV Technologies, and Zapata are cited — alongside 50+ enterprise clients and 500+ projects across 10+ countries. GTM is sales-led with an inside-sales layer, leveraging KiCad's open source community presence, the founders' upstream developer status, and customer referrals as primary demand-generation channels. Pricing is denominated in both USD and EUR, with flexible terms and seat discounts for larger organizations.

Name

Kicad Services Corporation

Legal name

KiCad Services Corporation

Website

https://kipro-pcb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

KiCad Services Corporation provides subscription support, training, and custom development services exclusively for the KiCad open source EDA platform, serving professional engineering teams and enterprises globally from Long Beach, CA, with operations led by KiCad's core developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Design Automation Services

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Other Computer Related Services (541519), Computer Training (61142), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

System-Level, Multi-Physics & Package/PCB Co-Design (EDA) (HDAHAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching) (BPAEANAN)

Keywords

• EDA software support
• PCB design services
• Electronic design automation
• KiCad training
• Custom PCB development

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Support Subscriptions: Annual subscription-based support contracts offering different tiers of technical support, bug fixes, and access to KiCad developers. Basic tier includes email support with 24-hour response time; Advanced tier includes priority 4-hour response and video/screen-share support sessions.
2. Professional Training: Instructor-led training programs for individuals and teams covering KiCad fundamentals, advanced PCB design, and custom team curricula. Offered at per-person pricing for public courses with custom pricing for team sessions.
3. Custom Development: Contracted development services for custom plugins, workflow integrations, ECAD/MCAD bridges, design automation tools, and process consulting. Projects include BOM tools, DFM checks, Git/PLM/CI integrations, and component library migrations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KiCad Services Corporation provides expert technical support, training, and custom development for the open-source KiCad electronic design automation (EDA) platform. Its offerings include tiered annual support subscriptions (Basic at $500/year and Advanced at $750/year with NDA-protected private issue reporting), instructor-led training programs for individuals and engineering teams covering PCB design fundamentals through advanced techniques, and contracted custom development for plugins, component libraries, ECAD/MCAD integrations, and workflow automation. The company is led by KiCad's core developers and provides both self-serve and enterprise-grade service options to professional engineering teams globally.

Product overview

KiCad Services Corporation offers a unified service platform focused exclusively on KiCad electronic design automation (EDA) support, training, and custom development. The portfolio centers on three core offerings: Support Services (providing expert technical assistance and bug fixes with tiered subscription plans), Training Programs (structured courses from beginner fundamentals to advanced PCB design with professional certifications), and Custom Development (tailored solutions including custom plugins, component libraries, workflow integrations with Git/PLM/CI/CD, ECAD integration with FreeCAD/simulators, and design automation). The company sells support subscriptions at two tiers (Basic at $500/year and Advanced at $750/year) and training courses at per-person pricing ($800-$1,200) plus custom team engagements. KiCad Services is led by KiCad's core developers and provides both public and private support channels with direct access to developers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KiCad Basic Support Entry-level annual support subscription offering private email support with 24-hour response time, helpdesk tickets, and NDA options for KiCad 9.0 and higher. Priced at $500/yearly (USD) or €450/yearly (EUR). Designed for professional KiCad users and small teams requiring reliable support channels beyond public forums.
• KiCad Advanced Support Premium annual support subscription with priority email support (4-hour response time), video/screen-share support sessions, and team onboarding sessions for 5+ seats. Priced at $750/yearly (USD) or €700/yearly (EUR). Designed for enterprise engineering teams needing rapid response and direct developer access.
• KiCad Fundamentals Training Beginner-level 2-day instructor-led training course covering KiCad installation, schematic editor basics, symbol creation, PCB layout fundamentals, and design rule checks. Priced at $800 per person. Designed for engineers new to KiCad or transitioning from other EDA tools.
• Advanced PCB Design Training Intermediate-level 3-day instructor-led training course covering multi-layer board design, high-speed design basics, EMC considerations, advanced routing, and manufacturing optimization. Priced at $1,200 per person. Designed for experienced PCB designers seeking to deepen KiCad proficiency.
• KiCad for Teams Training Customized training program for entire engineering teams covering team workflow optimization, library management, version control integration, collaboration best practices, and custom curriculum development. On-site delivery preferred. Custom pricing based on team size and requirements with multi-year contract options.
• Certified KiCad Designer Industry-recognized professional certification demonstrating proficiency in KiCad fundamentals, valid for engineers transitioning to KiCad, delivered with a digital LinkedIn badge for professional credentialing.
• Advanced PCB Specialist Certification Master-level professional certification covering multi-layer and high-speed design, EMC compliance, and manufacturing optimization. Requires Certified KiCad Designer prerequisite. Designed for senior PCB designers and engineering leads.
• Custom Plugin Development Contracted custom KiCad plugin development to automate workflows including BOM tools, DFM checks, and exporters. Delivered as tailored solutions for enterprise engineering teams with specific workflow requirements.
• Component Library Services Professional component library services including creation of corporate symbol and footprint libraries, vendor parts integration, and legacy EDA component conversion. Designed for enterprises needing robust library management systems.
• Design Automation Services Contracted automation services for PCB design checks, placement, and routing including automated design rule checking (DRC), placement optimization, and design review automation. Designed for enterprises seeking to scale PCB design throughput.
• Process Consulting PCB workflow and engineering team optimization consulting services including best practices development, design audits, and team training. Designed for organizations seeking to optimize their end-to-end PCB design processes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ projects completed for 50+ enterprise clients
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• KiCad ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKiCad Services Corporation is operated by KiCad's lead developers (Seth Hillbrand and Wayne Stambaugh). The company provides commercial support services while maintaining deep integration with the open source KiCad project. Custom modifications are committed to KiCad Services GitHub repository while majority of code goes directly to the main KiCad repository. The company brings additional developer resources to the KiCad project, driven by features requested by the subscriber base.
• CERNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCERN is both a major customer and strategic partner. The CERN Foundation supports the KiCad project as a not-for-profit entity. KiCad Services serves CERN's professional EDA needs while CERN's support contributes to KiCad's continued development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Altium (now part of Renesas Electronics): Altium is the dominant commercial PCB design EDA vendor and the principal closed-source competitor to KiCad. KiCad Services competes for the same engineering teams that Altium targets with its Altium Designer and Altium 365 platforms.
• Synopsys: Synopsys is a major EDA incumbent primarily known for IC design but increasingly competing across the full electronic systems design stack, including PCB and package co-design — a category that overlaps with KiCad Services' EDA integration offerings.
• Siemens EDA (formerly Mentor Graphics): Siemens EDA offers the Xpedition and PADS PCB design suites and competes for the same aerospace, defense, and large-enterprise PCB customers that KiCad Services targets, including the automotive and industrial verticals.
• Cadence Design Systems: Cadence's Allegro and OrCAD product lines compete with KiCad in the PCB EDA category. Cadence has aggressively expanded into system-level and AI-assisted design, pressuring open-source alternatives in enterprise accounts.

Direct peers

• EMA Design Automation: EMA Design Automation is an EDA-focused reseller and consulting firm that sells, supports, and trains on third-party EDA tools. Its business model — commercial services wrapped around an underlying EDA product — closely mirrors KiCad Services' subscription-plus-training-plus-custom-dev approach.
• Autodesk Fusion Electronics (formerly EAGLE): Autodesk's EAGLE-derived PCB design tools compete directly with KiCad for the hobbyist-through-mid-market engineering segment. Autodesk's bundling of EAGLE inside Fusion 360 is a meaningful threat to KiCad's SMB and prosumer adoption.
• Zuken: Zuken's CR-8000 and CADSTAR PCB design tools are a direct closed-source competitor to KiCad, particularly in automotive, aerospace, and industrial electronics — the same enterprise verticals KiCad Services courts with its custom development work.

Emerging players

• Flux: Flux is an AI-assisted PCB design platform targeting the same professional engineering teams KiCad Services serves. It represents the next-generation, cloud-native competition that could pull enterprises away from KiCad-based workflows.
• EasyEDA (JLCPCB): EasyEDA is a free, browser-based PCB design tool tightly integrated with JLCPCB's fabrication services. It competes with KiCad for entry-level and SMB users and, like KiCad, leverages an open ecosystem to grow adoption.

Others

• SnapEDA: SnapEDA provides component libraries and CAD models used alongside PCB EDA tools, including KiCad. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant that competes in the same component-library service line that KiCad Services offers as part of its custom development portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Kicad Services Corporation