Unleash Your Startup’s Potential with SOLIDWORKS at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2025 in Houston
The recent 3DEXPERIENCE® World 2024 in Dallas, Texas, brought together a vast community of engineers, entrepreneurs, startups, manufacturers, industry leaders, and vendors to learn, establish new friendships, share knowledge, and facilitate innovation faster with SOLIDWORKS® and 3DEXPERIENCE Works. 3DEXPERIENCE World is always a fun and engaging venue for forging productive business relationships while discovering more about the power of integrated and cloud-based product development tools.
SOLIDWORKS cares deeply about supporting entrepreneurship and early-stage hardware startups with its startup program called SOLIDWORKS for Startups. Being part of the program provides countless possibilities to shine at 3DEXPERIENCE World: Main stage presentations, panel discussions, innovation awards, and connecting and networking with the SOLIDWORKS worldwide community of users. If you’re working on bringing a new hardware product to market, start planning now for 3DEXPERIENCE World 2025 in Houston, Texas, already a hotbed of entrepreneurship and startup activity.
You will get the opportunity to share best practices for startup pitches, strategies to gain funding, and much more by rubbing elbows with other startups just like you who are working hard to get their product to market.
Is SOLIDWORKS for Startups Program right for you?
SOLIDWORKS for Startups helps early-stage tech and hardware startups by providing a range of free resources, including SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD software, training, and co-marketing opportunities. The program is designed to assist startups in bringing products to market faster and more efficiently by leveraging the power of SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD and the cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE platform for design, simulation, and data management.
The typical startup package includes a host of tools for product designers including a set number of SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD and 3DEXPERIENCE platform licenses, along with access to the SOLIDWORKS community and numerous training resources. It is an excellent way for your tech startup to access high-end design software at a reduced cost.
To qualify for free SOLIDWORKS CAD software, a startup needs to be designing and building a physical product with an aim to sell it in the market. The eligibility criteria also include the age and revenue of the startup. Visit our SOLIDWORKS for Startups application page to learn more.
SOLIDWORKS aims to foster innovation by making it easier for startups to affordably access SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD and 3DEXPERIENCE Works top-tier product design and engineering tools.
Why is SOLIDWORKS Passionate about Supporting Startups?
In the 1990s, the mechanical CAD software industry began to transition from purely 2D to incorporating 3D capabilities. SOLIDWORKS, “the little tech startup that could,” arrived on the scene in 1995 at a significantly lower price than other CAD systems and ran on the well-known, less expensive, and easy-to-use Windows® operating system. The bigger, more established CAD companies laughed and believed the young upstart would soon be filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
The laughing eventually stopped as SOLIDWORKS grew to over 6 million users worldwide.
“The SOLIDWORKS for Startups Program does a couple of truly remarkable things to support the rapid growth of emerging firms,” observes Abhishek Bali, the Director of the SOLIDWORKS for Startups Program. “Firstly, the program eliminates hurdles by offering access to top-notch product design and collaboration software that easily scales up as startups grow. Secondly, it creates opportunities for networking and exchanging resources with fellow entrepreneurs who grasp the distinctive challenges of bringing hardware products to market.”
Our passion is helping you overcome typical startup struggles in a way that fits your budget by providing affordable access to industry-leading product design and development software and helping you get connected to a larger community of designers, engineers, and manufacturers.
3DEXPERIENCE World 2024 Startup Spotlight
We had several opportunities for startups to get involved at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2024, including two startups that spoke on the main stage.
GlüxKind
Kevin Huang, the co-founder and CEO of GlüxKind, introduced a tech-infused, AI stroller named “Ella,” designed to enhance the safety and comfort of parents and their children during outdoor explorations. The inspiration for Ella came from Huang’s personal experiences and challenges faced in parenting, leading to product design experimentation that combined a regular stroller with an electric skateboard to achieve effortless mobility. This concept evolved into the Ella Stroller, which features hands-free operation, the ability to rock the baby while on the move, push and brake assist, alongside automatic functions aimed at simplifying parenting tasks.
GlüxKind utilized SOLIDWORKS for the stroller’s design and simulation, while the 3DEXPERIENCE platform facilitated collaboration among their geographically dispersed team. This approach enabled the swift development of the Ella Stroller—from idea to production—within three years. Simulation and real-world testing were crucial in achieving these innovations, demonstrating how SOLIDWORKS combined with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform were pivotal in GlüxKind’s successful product development.
DBOX
Linas Gelazankas is the entrepreneur behind DBOX, a pioneering solution in the realm of autonomous drones that leverages integrated AI-powered software. DBOX, short for Drone in a Box, revolutionizes the way drones are managed and deployed, offering a system where a fleet of drones can operate autonomously to perform various tasks, including supporting first responders in emergencies.
Gelazankas, serving as CEO and Co-Founder of DBOX, highlighted the company’s achievements and the crucial role of SOLIDWORKS in their development process during his presentation on the main stage at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2024. The success of DBOX underscores the value of the SOLIDWORKS for Startups Program in accelerating the product design, development, and deployment of hardware innovations.
How to Get Started in the Program
First, apply online for the SOLIDWORKS for Startups Program. Then, be sure to join us at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2025 in Houston! Message our team if you are interested in pitching or being featured at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2025.
SOLIDWORKS provides industry-leading software without dumbing it down. SOLIDWORKS is the software you can’t outgrow, ensuring that your startup will have the cutting-edge product design tools needed to succeed from the very beginning. The program also offers marketing support, including content creation and promotion, to help startup entrepreneurs gain visibility and traction.
You will also become an important part of a community that provides a comprehensive support ecosystem beyond just software, including webinars, case studies, and access to a network of accelerators and other resources.
The SOLIDWORKS for Startups program has provided thousands of entrepreneurs and startups access to the industry-leading SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD solution and the cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE platform. If you want more information about the SOLIDWORKS for Startups program, visit www.solidworks.com/startups and apply to see if you qualify.
