In the computer-aided design (CAD) field that is rapidly transforming, efficiency and precision are all the more necessary. Hestus, one of the future-thinking startups emerging from Y Combinator’s S24 batch, is now taking giant steps toward addressing such needs. 

Company Overview

Founded by industry veterans Sohrab Haghighat and Kevin Chu, Hestus focuses on improving engineers’ productivity through efficient time utilization outside of repetitive design work. Sohrab Haghighat and Kevin Chu, both were the first ten employees at Cruise and had prior experience in managing large engineering teams within industries such as rocket logistics and medical devices. 

This diverse background informs Hestus’s focus on mission-critical system design and its commitment to delivering practical solutions for the engineering community. 

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Funding Details

The seed funding round worth $1.5 million was led by Liquid2 and Rock Yard Ventures, along with Y Combinator, Kyle Vogt (co-founder of Cruise and Twitch), and Eric Migicovsky (founder of Pebble and former Y Combinator partner). This investment demonstrates the confidence that investors have in Hestus’s vision and the potential impact of its AI-driven solutions on the CAD industry.

Addressing Industry Challenges

In mechanical engineering, one of the common problems is that a lot of time is spent on redesigning minor components that are crucial to the overall design. For example, changing mounting holes for a rocket’s fuel tank is a very time-consuming process. Hestus wants to eliminate this bottleneck by automating such repetitive tasks so that engineers can focus on more critical aspects of design and innovation.

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Hestus’s AI-Driven Approach

Unlike some competitors that advocate for fully generative AI models, Hestus emphasizes a collaborative approach where engineers define parameters, and the AI assists by updating interdependent components.

For example, if a modification is made to a rocket’s fuel tank, the AI will automatically adjust related elements, such as mounting holes, but will require explicit user approval before finalizing changes. This method ensures that engineers maintain control over the design process, preventing potential “AI overreach” and ensuring that modifications meet real-world requirements.

Product Highlight: Sketch Helper Plugin

In September 2024, Hestus released the Sketch Helper plugin for Autodesk Fusion 360. It automates some routine tasks-such as interference checks and parametric adjustments-whilst keeping the engineers in the design loop. 

By anticipating future steps and providing suggestions, the plugin prevents costly mistakes and increases the efficiency of the design. The Sketch Helper is available to download on the Autodesk app store, demonstrating Hestus’s emphasis on seamless integration into existing engineering workflows.

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Market Landscape and Future Outlook

The AI-CAD market is in a growth mode, with leaders like Autodesk driving their AI-related capabilities and newer entrants seeking to address multiple aspects of design validation.

In the coming years, analysts forecast that the AI-CAD market will reach above $10 billion, driven primarily by the ever-growing demand for workflow automation tools.

The latest round of funding has left Hestus preparing for an update in Sketch Helper. April 2025 is scheduled for a significant revamp with deep integrations to other design software and sophisticated checks on compatibility. In the other area, Hestus continues to add strength to its personnel, covering many CAD platforms for market capitalization opportunities in what appears to be a fast-expanding market.

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Leadership Insights 

Co-founder and CEO Sohrab Haghighat has articulated a clear vision for Hestus’s role in the engineering community. He emphasizes the importance of meeting engineers where they are and keeping them in the design loop.

By focusing on a bottom-up approach, Hestus ensures that engineers remain in control, with the AI providing anticipatory assistance to enhance efficiency and reduce errors.
This philosophy speaks to Hestus’s commitment to equipping engineers rather than replacing them, and enables a human expert and artificial intelligence to work together hand in glove. 

Investor Perspectives

 Investors have shown robust support for the approach and impact potential of Hestus. Daniel Dart, Rock Yard Ventures, said: “The team is fantastic; Hestus is the first with the background and ability to ‘truly 100x output capabilities’ for engineers around the world.” This is in line with a broader investor sentiment that Hestus has a great strategy for its AI-driven solutions in the CAD industry to transform the landscape.