SOLIDWORKS for Startups — Build Hardware Faster
Eligible hardware startups in India get SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD free for Year 1, 70% off Year 2, and 50% off Year 3. Apply through Cadspro Technologies — your authorized SOLIDWORKS partner in Bangalore.
Year 1
FREE
Year 2
70% OFF
Year 3
50% OFF
Built for Hardware Founders
The SOLIDWORKS for Startups Program helps early-stage hardware companies turn napkin sketches into physical products without burning runway on tooling costs.
Industry-Leading 3D CAD
Access the same SOLIDWORKS suite used by Fortune 500 hardware companies — design, simulation, and data management in one tool.
Free Training & Onboarding
Complimentary training sessions to get your engineering team productive on SOLIDWORKS within days, not months.
Founder Network
Connect with other hardware founders in the SOLIDWORKS ecosystem — share resources, learnings, and supplier connections.
Co-Marketing Support
Get featured in Dassault Systèmes case studies and customer stories as your product hits the market.
Three-Year Stepped Pricing
A graduated cost structure that aligns with how startups grow — free when you're prototyping, discounted as you scale.
Year 1
FREE
Full access to SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD at no cost as you build your first prototype and validate your product.
Year 2
70% OFF
Continue with significantly discounted licensing as you scale production and grow your team.
Year 3
50% OFF
Half-price licensing in your third year, easing the transition to standard commercial pricing.
Eligibility Criteria
The program is for early-stage hardware startups. Make sure your company meets the following criteria before applying.
You qualify if you are:
- Designing and building a physical product with the intent to sell it in the market
- Annual revenue under $1M (≈ ₹8.3 Cr)
- Company is less than 5 years old
- Founder-led, hardware-focused startup
Not eligible:
- Existing SOLIDWORKS customers
- Engineering or design service firms
- Consultants and contract manufacturers
- Software-only companies (no hardware product)
Scale-Up exception: Companies with revenue or funding between $1M and $5M may qualify for a 70% Scale-Up discount on software.
Hardware Startups We Work With
Indian founders across these sectors have built their first products on SOLIDWORKS through this program.
Drone & Robotics
EV & Automotive
MedTech & Wearables
Consumer Electronics
Aerospace & Space-Tech
Renewable Energy
IoT Hardware
Industrial Automation
What Founders Are Saying
Real founders. Real products. Real results from the SOLIDWORKS for Startups Program.
“The SOLIDWORKS for Startups Program let us prototype our drone platform in months instead of years. Free Year 1 access removed the biggest blocker for an early-stage hardware founder — software cost.”
Arjun Mehta
Founder & CEO, SkyForge Robotics
“Cadspro's local team was instrumental — they walked us through licensing, set up our environment, and trained our engineers. It felt less like buying software and more like getting an engineering partner.”
Priya Sharma
CTO & Co-founder, Vital MedTech
“We went from sketches to a working EV battery pack design in under 4 months. SOLIDWORKS simulation caught issues that would have cost lakhs in physical prototypes. Game-changing for a bootstrapped startup.”
Rahul Krishnan
Founder, VoltCircuit Mobility
Trusted Across India's Startup Ecosystem
Startups affiliated with these accelerators and incubators receive preferential consideration in the program.
T-Hub
Hyderabad
NSRCEL
IIM Bangalore
IITM Incubation Cell
IIT Madras
SINE
IIT Bombay
CIE
IIIT Hyderabad
NASSCOM 10K
Startup Initiative
How to Apply
A simple three-step process — most approved startups get licenses provisioned within a week.
Submit Application
Complete the SOLIDWORKS for Startups application form with your company details, product concept, and stage.
Review & Approval
The Dassault Systèmes team reviews your application within a few business days based on the eligibility criteria.
License Access via Cadspro
Once approved, our team in Bangalore provisions your licenses, walks you through installation, and onboards your engineers.
From Concept to Shipping Product in 9 Months
A Bangalore-based agritech startup designed an autonomous crop-monitoring drone using SOLIDWORKS through the Startups Program. With free Year-1 licensing and on-site training from Cadspro, they went from CAD model to certified hardware ready for field trials — all within nine months of joining the program.
9
Months to Launch
₹0
Software Cost (Yr 1)
12+
Iterations Saved
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Year 1 is fully free for eligible hardware startups. The program is funded directly by Dassault Systèmes (the maker of SOLIDWORKS) to support early-stage hardware innovation. Years 2 and 3 follow a stepped discount structure (70% and 50% off) to ease the transition to standard commercial licensing.
Your company must (1) be designing or building a physical product with intent to sell, (2) have annual revenue under $1M, and (3) be less than 5 years old. Your funding status, business nature, and product type are also evaluated. Service firms, consultants, and contract manufacturers are not eligible. Startups with revenue between $1M-$5M may qualify for a 70% Scale-Up discount.
Cadspro Technologies is the authorized SOLIDWORKS reseller for India. Once your application is approved by Dassault Systèmes, our Bangalore-based team handles license provisioning, installation, training, and ongoing technical support. You get the global program benefits with local-language support and on-the-ground assistance.
After three years in the program, you transition to standard SOLIDWORKS commercial pricing. By then, most startups have raised funding rounds and have the engineering revenue to support full licensing. We help you plan the transition with multi-year commitment options.
The base program includes SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD. Simulation Multiphysics (FEA, thermal, CFD) is offered as a separate startup-friendly add-on. Talk to our team — we can structure a package combining 3D CAD and simulation tools that fits your product validation roadmap.
Yes. SOLIDWORKS partners with leading accelerators and incubators globally. If your startup is part of a sponsored program, your application gets preferential consideration. Reach out to us — we work with several incubators in Bangalore and across India.
Ready to Build Your Dream Product?
Join hardware startups across India already using SOLIDWORKS to bring physical products to market faster. Cadspro Technologies handles your application, provisioning, and ongoing support.