AllSpice: The GitHub for Electrical Engineering Collaboration

There is no lack of collaborative workflow tools available—like Slack and Google Docs, as well as specialized options such as GitHub—for software developers. A startup called AllSpice.io has recognized the need for a dedicated collaboration platform specifically for electrical hardware engineering teams.

AllSpice’s platform is crafted to complement existing workflow software. It allows hardware teams to collaborate on essential documents—like PCB files and electronic CAD files crucial for circuit board design—that are often poorly suited for Slack or email.

Engineers can use AllSpice to annotate and comment on specific design features within these documents, similar to how software developers provide comments on individual lines of code in GitHub.

Kyle Dumont, co-founder and CTO of AllSpice, explained to TechCrunch that the startup’s success is attributed to addressing the gaps in software solutions already utilized by hardware teams instead of devising a completely new collaboration platform from scratch.

“The teams we spoke to had essential tools integrated into their workflows,” Dumont remarked. “They were already using electrical CAD tools, product lifecycle management tools, and established workflows, which influenced the product we designed to operate seamlessly within those structures.”

This understanding emerged from extensive research performed by the founding team before launching their product, ensuring they developed a tool that would truly benefit teams. Valentina Ratner, co-founder and CEO, noted that during initial testing, AllSpice made it a priority to incorporate user feedback—both commendations and critiques—as well as aspects that were typically overlooked.

“Some of our most valuable insights came from recognizing features that users didn’t need or show interest in,” Ratner stated. “This allowed us to define a product that is genuinely beneficial and a vital component of the workflow. Our goal was to build not just another standalone solution, but a centralized platform that serves as the hub for electronics teams.”

Both Ratner and Dumont have firsthand experience with the issues AllSpice aims to solve, having worked as engineers at Amazon and iRobot, respectively. Ratner shared that hardware design often struggles to be communicated effectively through email chains and PDFs; by the end of her time at Amazon, she had allocated most of her efforts to creating an internal collaboration tool to address this challenge.

The two co-founders met in graduate school and launched the first version of AllSpice in 2022, targeting small businesses and startups. As enterprise demand grew, the company shifted focus and secured clients such as Blue Origin, Bose, and Sam Altman’s Tools for Humanity, among others.

Recently, the startup raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Rethink Impact, with contributions from L’attitude Ventures, Gingerbread Capital, and DNX Ventures, along with previous investors. The funds will be used for hiring and further developing their product offerings.

AllSpice is also poised to launch a new AI agent tool designed to validate engineers’ designs and pinpoint errors.

“We’ve seen great demand for how our hardware and AI tools can improve team efficiency and identify design flaws, which this product aims to address,” Dumont remarked.

The company is currently rolling out this new AI agent in a closed beta phase, focusing on collaboration with existing partners, as Ratner indicated. They want to ensure complete accuracy before expanding product access.

“The implications of a hardware mistake are significantly greater than those of a software error,” Ratner highlighted. “We must structure it to align with our industry, considering the substantial differences between launching software and hardware products.”