Waterloo-based startup Voltera, the inventors of a circuit board prototyping machine, reached their goal of $70,000 only 35 minutes after launching a Kickstarter campaign earlier Tuesday morning.

The Voltera V-One, which has already raised more than $127,000 by midday on Tuesday, has the ability to rapidly advance the hardware development process.



The tool allows users to quickly create circuit boards to test ideas and build prototypes, significantly reducing processing time and cost for early-stage hardware development, explains co-founder Alroy Almeida

“We would design circuit boards, we’d send them off to China, spend hundreds of dollars, wait for weeks to get the board back only to realize we made a mistake, or the product definition changed, and what we had paid for and waited for is basically obsolete,” said Mr. Almeida, adding that this was a common problem faced by his co-founders and fellow University of Waterloo Mechatronics graduates Jesus Zozaya, James Pickard and Katarina Ilic.

“The pace of innovation is accelerating so fast now, you don’t have time to wait like that any more.”

Users can quickly turn design files into circuit boards by placing a blank template into the machine, uploading designs and pressing print. Users can also create two layer circuits by replacing the conductive ink with insulating material. The entire process is typically complete in 15 to 20 minutes, plus an additional 30 minutes of drying time.



Mr. Almeida explains that this allows engineers to quickly discover problems and make changes, bypassing what was once a lengthy and costly process.

“The pace of innovation is accelerating so fast now, you don’t have time like that any more." Alroy Almeida, Voltera co-founder

Voltera co-founders pictured from left to right: Katarina Ilic, Jesus Zozaya, Alroy Almeida and James Pickard

The crowdfunding campaign will continue to run for another 30 days, allowing customers to purchase the V-One for $1,499, which will begin shipping in September. According to Mr. Almeida, the success of the campaign will allow the company to hire and speed up the production process.

“The better funded at the end of the campaign, the more ability we have to really expedite things,” he said. “We’re looking to make some key hires in the next few months, and having a successful campaign will not only attract the talent we’re looking for, but it will also help us fund it.”