SpaceRyde founder’s startup offers CAD copilot

SAN FRANCISCO – Hestus, a startup co-founded by former SpaceRyde CEO Sohrab Haghighat, has raised $1.5 million to develop an AI copilot for computer-aided design (CAD) software.“We have already seen how AI copilots help programmers develop bug-free code faster and more efficiently,” Hestus CEO Haghighat told SpaceNews. “The same benefits are going to translate to hardware development.”That’s particularly important for the space sector where hardware development “is expensive already without making mistakes,” Haghighat said. “When you make mistakes, that makes it even more expensive.”Hestus’ aims to help mechanical engineers reduce time spent redesigning components with an AI copilot that offers design and manufacturability suggestions. If an engineer is redesigning a robotic arm to accommodate higher loads, for example, the Hestus platform would suggest stronger bolts and ensure mating holes for the bolts line up.“Our platform empowers engineers to automate repetitive tasks and rapidly adjust to design changes,” Haghighat said in a statement. “By focusing on the small but essential details, we’re helping teams build better products faster without sacrificing quality.”Seed FundingHaghighat, former Cruise planning and controls senior engineering manager, established Hestus in 2024 with Kevin Chu, former Cruise director of autonomous engineering. When Chu proposed an AI copilot for CAD, Haghighat quickly realized the technology would have helped SpaceRyde, a Canadian launch startup that filed for bankruptcy in 2023. Liquid2 and Rock Yard Ventures led Hestus’ seed round. Additional funding was provided by Y Combinator, Cruise and Twitch co-founder Kyle Vogt, Pebble Technology Corp. founder Eric Migicovsky and Benjamin Bryant, Pebble special products head.While many companies are working to improve CAD, Rock Yard Ventures is betting on Hestus because it’s “the first team with the background, understanding and ability to create something that can truly 100x the output capabilities for engineers everywhere,” Rock Yard Ventures general partner Daniel Dart said in a statement.Hestus’ released its first product in September, Sketch Helper for Fusion 360. In April, Hestus plans to hold a hackathon “with mechanical engineers under one roof, testing the software and competing to see how they can work faster with AI alongside,” Haghighat said.