Hackster.io

Hackster.io operates as an online community and knowledge-sharing platform meticulously designed for developers, engineers, and hobbyists in the hardware and Internet of Things (IoT) sectors. Founded in 2013 by Adam Benzion and Ben Larralde, the company was established to create a welcoming environment for individuals to learn, design, and create internet-connected hardware. The founders aimed to lower the barrier to entry for hardware development, which can often be intimidating for newcomers.

The platform's core offering is a vast, user-generated library of open-source projects, which numbered over 41,000 as of a 2019 survey. These projects provide detailed instructions, source code, and material lists, enabling users to replicate and build upon existing creations, spanning areas from home automation to industrial IoT. This repository serves a global community of over 2.5 million members across 150 countries. The business model centers on fostering a collaborative ecosystem between its community and technology partners. Hackster.io generates revenue by partnering with corporations like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google to host design challenges and contests. These sponsored events allow companies to engage directly with the developer community, promote their products, and crowdsource new applications for their technology. The platform also offers marketing and advertising solutions to its partners, leveraging its significant reach, which includes over 550,000 monthly readers of its news section.

A significant milestone in the company's history was its acquisition by Avnet, a global electronic components distributor. The acquisition occurred in two stages, beginning in November 2016 and concluding in January 2017. This move was part of Avnet's strategy to expand its influence in the idea generation phase of product development, connecting the community's creators with the resources needed to bring their products to market. Prior to the acquisition, Hackster.io was a venture-capital-backed startup, with investors including Geekdom SF and SOSV. The company continues to operate as a subsidiary of Avnet, with its headquarters in San Francisco, California.

Keywords: hardware development community, open-source electronics, IoT projects, developer platform, electronics design, hardware engineering, Avnet, Adam Benzion, Ben Larralde, design challenges, embedded systems, Raspberry Pi projects, Arduino projects, connected hardware, hardware learning, tech community, electronics hobbyists, prototyping, maker community, single-board computers, microcontroller projects