Jiga, a platform connecting engineers directly with manufacturers, has raised $12 million from Aleph and Y Combinator to automate the sourcing and procurement grind that plagues hardware teams. The company is now expanding its engineering and go-to-market teams to scale its AI-driven workflow platform.
The sourcing process for manufacturing physical products is notoriously fragmented. Engineers at companies like NASA, Tesla, and Google typically email multiple suppliers, wait days for quotes, track everything in spreadsheets, and navigate customs, tariffs, and logistics delays. This administrative overhead pulls them away from actual engineering work.
Jiga is building a platform to address this. The company recently closed a $12 million Series A round led by Aleph, with participation from Y Combinator. The funding will be used to expand its engineering and go-to-market teams as it scales its platform, which aims to connect engineers directly with vetted manufacturers and automate the quoting and communication process.
The Problem: Sourcing as a Time Sink
For hardware teams, the path from prototype to mass production is littered with friction. Finding a reliable machine shop or supplier involves a cycle of emails, phone calls, and spreadsheet tracking. Each supplier requires a request for quote (RFQ), which often includes detailed technical drawings, material specifications, and volume requirements. The back-and-forth to clarify questions, negotiate lead times, and confirm capabilities can take weeks.
Once a supplier is selected, the work continues. Managing purchase orders, tracking shipments, handling revisions, and dealing with customs paperwork for international orders adds layers of complexity. This process is not only slow but also expensive, as delays can impact product launch timelines and increase costs.
Jiga's Solution: A Centralized Platform
Jiga's platform aims to streamline this entire workflow. It connects engineers with a network of pre-vetted manufacturers, handling quoting and communication in a single interface. The platform uses AI to automate administrative tasks, such as parsing technical drawings, generating RFQs, and managing correspondence.
A key feature is full visibility into every order, from prototype to mass production. This replaces the need for manual tracking in spreadsheets and provides real-time updates on order status, lead times, and potential delays. The company claims that tasks that used to take weeks can now be completed in hours.
Funding and Traction
The $12 million Series A round is a significant milestone for Jiga. The company is already cashflow positive, with revenue growing 3x year-over-year. This financial health allows it to focus on product development and scaling without the pressure of desperate fundraising or panic pivots.
The lead investor, Aleph, is a venture capital firm known for backing early-stage technology companies. Y Combinator's participation also provides Jiga with access to a network of founders and resources. The funding will be used to hire more engineers and sales professionals to support the company's growth.
Company Culture and Operations
Jiga operates as a remote-first company with an asynchronous work model. The team meets for a weekly all-hands and a team sync, but otherwise, work is done asynchronously to allow for deep focus. The company emphasizes transparency, sharing full financials, valuation, runway, and roadmap with all team members.
Performance is tracked based on output, not hours worked. The company has a "ship now, iterate later" philosophy, prioritizing learning from live production systems over theoretical debates. This approach is reflected in their engineering culture, which values practical solutions and customer feedback.
Open Roles and Expansion
With the new funding, Jiga is expanding its team. Open roles include:
- Engineering: Full Stack Product Engineer (Remote - Europe and US)
- Product: Senior Product Manager (Remote - Anywhere)
- Go to Market: Account Executive (Remote - US), Customer Success Manager (Remote - LATAM)
The company is looking for individuals who are excited about building tools for the manufacturing industry and who thrive in a remote, async environment. Applicants are asked to submit a short blurb about themselves, their LinkedIn profile, what excites them about Jiga, and their favorite ice cream flavor.
Broader Context
Jiga is part of a broader trend of digitizing the manufacturing supply chain. As hardware development becomes more accessible, the need for efficient sourcing and procurement tools grows. Platforms like Jiga aim to reduce the barriers for engineering teams to bring physical products to market.
The company's focus on AI-driven automation is particularly relevant as the industry looks for ways to handle increasing complexity. By centralizing communication and leveraging machine learning to parse technical requirements, Jiga is attempting to create a more seamless experience for engineers.
Looking Ahead
With $12 million in new funding and a growing customer base, Jiga is well-positioned to expand its platform. The company's cashflow-positive status and 3x revenue growth indicate strong market demand for its solution. As it scales, the focus will be on enhancing its AI capabilities, expanding its manufacturer network, and improving the overall user experience.
For engineers and hardware teams, the promise of Jiga is a reduction in the time and effort spent on sourcing, allowing them to focus on innovation and product development. As the platform matures, it could become a critical tool in the modern hardware development stack.
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