Hard-Tech Maker Residency
Hard-Tech Maker Residency: Prototype a Physical Product with a Hardware Startup. A 4–8 weeks Intravarsity career experience (30–50 hours) for school and under
You'll be embedded with a hardware startup on Floor 5, using their industrial equipment to take a product idea from sketch to working prototype. Learn design thinking from founders who've shipped physical products, and present your prototype to hardware investors at Demo Day.
Access our San Francisco campus industrial Maker Lab — same CNC machines, laser cutters, and 3D printers used by hardware startups in the building. Design and ship a physical product from concept to prototype.
Who it is for
High school, secondary school students & undergraduates. No experience needed — just an idea you want to make real.
Weekly plan
Week 1: Design Sprint & CAD
- Learn the product design process from a startup founder who's shipped to market
- Sketch and define your product concept through rapid ideation
- Model your product in Fusion 360 with proper engineering tolerances
- Get design review from the startup's mechanical engineer
Week 2: Fabrication & Electronics
- 3D print prototype parts on industrial FDM and SLA machines
- Laser cut enclosures and structural components
- Integrate sensors, LEDs, or motors with Arduino/ESP32
- Solder custom circuit boards with the hardware team
Week 3: Assembly & Testing
- Assemble all components into first complete prototype
- Run user testing with 5+ people and gather structured feedback
- Iterate: redesign and reprint based on real user feedback
- Document assembly process for reproducibility
Week 4: Product Launch Demo
- Create professional product photography and a 2-minute pitch video
- Build a one-page product spec sheet
- Present at our San Francisco campus Maker Demo Day to investors and founders
- Receive recommendation and Proof-of-Work credential
What you produce
- Working hardware prototype
- CAD files and technical drawings
- Product pitch video
- Hardware startup recommendation
- Intravarsity Proof-of-Work credential
Skills
Product Design, CAD (Fusion 360), 3D Printing, Laser Cutting, Arduino/ESP32, Soldering, User Testing, Pitch Presentation
Commitment
~5–8 hours/week for 4–8 weeks (30–50 hours total). In-person in San Francisco with the host company.