Industrial Design for Start-ups – Strategy, Design & Engineering for Market-Ready Products

Good industrial design helps you visualize your idea early on. Instead of abstract concepts, you can present compelling mockups and tangible designs in your pitch deck – convincing investors directly and effectively. A professional look & feel builds trust and shows that you are serious about your product.

Good design doesn’t just look good – it works. To ensure smooth implementation, we consider technical feasibility and manufacturing-oriented design right from the start. Whether it’s a small batch or a scalable solution: we help you choose the right manufacturing process for your product and budget. 3D printing for prototypes? Vacuum casting for small series? Or straight to injection molding?

At Eckstein Design you don’t get pipe dreams but realizable concepts – including housing, interface and mechanics. Everything is created within an aligned workflow. Already in the concept phase, we validate with you whether the design is technically feasible. This avoids unnecessary iterations, saves time and money – and brings a solid, market-ready product to life.

A great product doesn’t appear overnight – it’s created step by step. Our proven development process takes you from the first idea to a production-ready solution in a structured way. We always think design and engineering together – for clear results and fast progress.

1. Analysis & user research – Understanding target groups, use cases & feasibility
2. Concepts & sketches – Early ideas to touch & refine
3. CAD & engineering – Detailed geometry, material selection & technical details
4. Prototyping & testing – 3D printing, usability checks & real feedback
5. DFM & production prep – Everything ready for tooling, assembly & production

We’ve been there ourselves. With the NECCST Hand Grinder we spun out our own hardware start-up – from the first idea through functional prototypes to serial production. That’s why we know exactly how these typical hurdles feel – and how to overcome them.

We understand the challenges of a start-up: lots of energy, limited resources. That’s why we think ahead, design holistically and keep your idea on track. Whether as a sparring partner for your internal team or as an all-in-one solution – you decide how much support you need:

• Visualization & prototyping for your presentations
• Technical implementation & engineering for solid results
• Funding consultation to make sure your budget isn’t the limiting factor

You want professional support but have a limited budget? No problem – there are many funding programs tailored to exactly this situation:

• If you’re supported by EXIST, you can use up to €30,000 in material funding for industrial design, engineering or prototyping. This is ideal to bring in professional partners like Eckstein Design early and strategically prepare your product for market readiness.
• Many federal states in Germany offer innovation vouchers – for example in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, or Niedersachen. These cover up to 50% of external design and development costs.
• The ZIM (Central Innovation Program for SMEs) also allows you to integrate external design partners like Eckstein Design into your technological development projects.

These programs create real opportunities – we’ll help you find the right funding path, use it effectively and get the most out of your budget. With or without funding: take the next step and talk to us – together we’ll bring your product to life. Get in touch now >