Pilot Production
Your prototype works. Now build the first 100.
Grade bridges the gap between prototype and scaled manufacturing by building low-volume production runs and creating the systems required to make them repeatably.
Core offer
Pilot Production Launch
For physical products that have passed prototype stage but aren’t ready for a traditional contract manufacturer.
Ideal quantities
- 10–500 units, as a guide rather than an absolute rule.
Pricing
NPI / production-engineering engagements typically begin at $20k, plus materials and production costs.
Materials prepaid.
How it works
You provide
- Working prototype
- CAD / BOM
- Requirements
- Target quantity
Grade handles
- DFM
- BOM cleanup
- Sourcing
- Supplier management
- Assembly process
- Fixtures and tooling
- Work instructions
- Inspection
- Testing
- Quality controls
- Pilot production
- Scale-up handoff
Built by operators, not career consultants.
Grade was founded by Matt Hroma, a mechanical engineer and technology executive whose experience includes SpaceX, Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper), Astra, and leadership roles building manufacturing systems, factories, products, and software.
- Ran launch vehicle assembly at SpaceX
- Built Astra’s first engine lines and a 100,000 sq ft rocket facility
- Authored the capital case for Amazon Leo’s $200M satellite factory and delivered it in under 18 months, scaling integration 30×
- CTO at Grounded through a 4× revenue turnaround, with work spanning mechanical engineering, automation, software, and operations
Matt Hroma · Founder · Detroit, MI
Pilot Production
Plan a Pilot Build
Tell us about the product and the run you need. We’ll come back with how we’d plan the build.