Cherry Blossom for hardware startups
An early hardware company needs boards before it has the people to draw all of them. Cherry Blossom drafts prototype boards from a written spec and gives you files you own, in formats a contractor or a later hire can open.
First prototype of our cold-chain sensor tag: an ESP32-S3 module, connectors for two DS18B20 temperature probes, a LiPo charger on USB-C, and a 45 x 30 mm outline to fit our enclosure.
It is for early teams that need prototype boards quickly and do not want to pay per seat for an ECAD. You describe the board, an AI agent designs and checks it, and you export Gerbers or an editable KiCad project. Plans are $20 or $140 a month with the AI included.
It is a weaker fit once several engineers need to edit one design at the same time, or when a customer or investor asks about SSO, SOC 2 or other compliance. Cherry Blossom has no real-time multi-user editing, no team management and makes no enterprise compliance claims.
A common split: use it for the early spins and the boards around the product, and move the board into KiCad when it needs a human's layout.
Where it fits
- Early teams that need prototype boards quickly.
- Companies without a full-time layout engineer yet.
- Teams that want files a contractor or a later hire can open.
- Teams that would rather not pay per seat for an ECAD.
Where it doesn’t
- Teams where several engineers edit one design at the same time.
- Companies asked for SSO, SOC 2 or other compliance.
- High-speed or RF boards that need sign-off.
- Boards that need a human's layout, which belong in KiCad.
How it works
Write the spec once
List the parts you have chosen, the connectors, power and board outline. Attach a block diagram or an enclosure sketch.
Get a first board
An AI agent writes the design as tscircuit code and shows the schematic, PCB layout, 3D view and BOM. Open a second chat on the board to try a variant.
Check it
A verification gate checks every AI edit against manufacturing rules, and a DRC check runs before ordering.
Hand it on
Export Gerbers, a BOM, pick-and-place, STEP and an editable KiCad project, or send the board to PCBWay at PCBWay's own quote.
What does a hardware startup need from a PCB tool?
Prototype boards soon, while the product is still changing every week.
A price that does not grow with every person who wants to look at a board.
Files the company owns, so a contractor, a fab house or a future hire can pick up the design.
A check before ordering, because a respin costs money and lead time.
Where does Cherry Blossom fit a startup, and where does it not?
Prototype boards from a spec
What Cherry Blossom doesDrafts schematic, layout, BOM and fab files
Where to look insteadCovered here
Files you own
What Cherry Blossom doesGerbers, KiCad project, BOM, pick-and-place, 3D, open Circuit JSON
Where to look insteadCovered here
Several people editing one board
What Cherry Blossom doesBoards live in one account; no real-time multi-user editing or team management
Where to look insteadPCB design software for teams
SSO, SOC 2, vendor security reviews
What Cherry Blossom doesNo SSO, and no SOC 2 or other compliance claims
Where to look insteadEnterprise AI PCB design software
High-speed or RF boards
What Cherry Blossom doesNot built for that sign-off
Where to look insteadHigh-speed PCB design software
| What you need | What Cherry Blossom does | Where to look instead |
|---|---|---|
| Prototype boards from a spec | Drafts schematic, layout, BOM and fab files | Covered here |
| Files you own | Gerbers, KiCad project, BOM, pick-and-place, 3D, open Circuit JSON | Covered here |
| Several people editing one board | Boards live in one account; no real-time multi-user editing or team management | PCB design software for teams |
| SSO, SOC 2, vendor security reviews | No SSO, and no SOC 2 or other compliance claims | Enterprise AI PCB design software |
| High-speed or RF boards | Not built for that sign-off | High-speed PCB design software |
What does Cherry Blossom cost a startup?
Pro is $20 a month with 4M AI credits and 600 AI actions a day. Ultra is $140 a month with 32M credits and the frontier models. Usage past the allowance is $5 per 1M credits, only if you turn it on. The AI is included, with no API key and no per-seat licence.
Boards are billed separately and not by us: the PCBWay hand-off opens PCBWay's own cart and quote. Cherry Blossom takes no payment for boards.
The honest limits. Cherry Blossom is an early beta. You change a board by asking the agent, not by dragging traces yourself, so fine manual layout happens after a KiCad export. It is not a circuit simulator, it has no real-time multi-user editing, and it is not built for high-speed or RF sign-off.
Questions
Cherry Blossom is a good fit for a hardware startup that needs prototype boards before it has a full-time layout engineer. You describe a board in plain English, an AI agent writes and builds it, and you review the schematic, PCB layout, 3D view and BOM in the browser. A verification gate checks every AI edit against manufacturing rules, and a DRC check runs before ordering through PCBWay. You own the output: Gerbers, a BOM, pick-and-place, STEP, an editable KiCad project and open Circuit JSON. Plans are $20 or $140 a month with the AI included and no per-seat licence. It is a weaker fit for teams that need several people editing one design live, or that must pass a security review asking for SSO or SOC 2, because Cherry Blossom offers neither.
Not at the same time. Boards live in one account and there is no real-time multi-user editing or team management. To share work, export the KiCad project or the fab files.
No. Cherry Blossom does not offer SSO and makes no SOC 2 or other enterprise compliance claims. If a customer or investor needs those, look at the enterprise tools in our procurement checklist.
You keep them. Every board exports as an editable KiCad project, Gerbers with drill files, a CSV BOM, pick-and-place files, 3D models and open Circuit JSON, so the design opens without Cherry Blossom.
Describe your board. See what comes back.
Schematic, layout and a verification gate, in the browser. Exports to Gerbers and KiCad.
