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The Operating System for Hardware Companies

Plan. Engineer. Source. Manufacture. All in one workspace.

Be the first founding member

We build atoms at the speed of bits.

Imagine describing your product and receiving a complete engineering package — 3D CAD files, engineering drawings, material specs, and matched suppliers — in hours, not months.

Stop stitching together 7 tools. ForgeOS combines project management, AI engineering, team coordination, and supplier matching — so you can ship hardware at software speed.

How It Works

Three Steps to Manufactured Parts.

1

Describe Your Product

Tell us what you want to build. Upload CAD files, sketches, or just describe your idea in plain English.

2

Get Your Engineering Package

Receive STEP files, 7 engineering drawings, material specs, a bill of materials, DFM analysis, and cost estimates — grounded in 220+ ISO/DIN/BS standards and real supplier data.

3

Match With Manufacturers

Our 6-factor matching algorithm scores UK suppliers on capability, process, material, quality, and relevance — then generates RFQ packs ready to send.

See ForgeOS

Everything you need to build,
in one place.

app.fractionalforge.com/the-forge/design
ForgeOS The Forge interface
7 modules auto-generated
Isometric CAD illustrations

From idea to engineering package

Describe your product. Get module decomposition, isometric illustrations, detailed specs, and a full bill of materials in minutes.

From discussion to action

Meetings that produce real deliverables.

No more meeting notes that nobody reads. Every huddle ends with objectives, tasks, and owners — ready to track.

01

Run the meeting

app.fractionalforge.com/specialists
Run the meeting

Your specialist team debates the issue, pulls live data, and presents their analysis. You steer the conversation.

02

We extract the output

app.fractionalforge.com/specialists
We extract the output

Transcript analysed. Key decisions identified. Objectives and tasks built automatically.

03

Ready to execute

app.fractionalforge.com/specialists
Ready to execute

Objectives with owners, deadlines, and linked tasks — created from the meeting, not after it.

The Cloud Factory Ecosystem

You Wouldn't Build Server Racks to Launch an App. So Why Build a Factory?

Modern software companies use AWS instead of buying servers. Fractional Forge gives hardware companies the same model — expert teams, AI-enabled execution, and manufacturing capacity, all on demand.

Experienced engineering executive
Fractional Experts

Senior Expertise, On Demand

Don't burn seed capital on a standing army. Launch with a fractional team — seasoned engineers, marketers, and operators with decades of experience. No full-time hires, no six-figure salaries before your first prototype.

  • Manufacturing, design, supply chain, and commercial specialists
  • Downloadable engineering reports in PPTX, Word, and PDF
  • Cost estimation with parts-level breakdown and buy/make classification
Young engineers working with AI tools
AI-Enabled Execution

AI Speed. Human Judgement.

Ambitious apprentices — digital natives fresh from university — execute tasks using AI tools at remarkable speed. Senior experts review and verify every output. You aren't hiring juniors. You're deploying Founders-in-Training.

  • 13 specialists with engineering calculation tools
  • 4-stage design review: manufacturability, engineering, integration, supply chain
  • Every output grounded in 220+ design standards and real supplier data
Factory floor with manufacturing equipment
Cloud Manufacturing

Factories Without the Factory

Across the UK, factories have spare capacity waiting to be filled. We identify the right facilities, generate automated RFQ packs, and get your products built — without you leasing a single square metre.

  • 9,900+ UK manufacturers and suppliers on the marketplace
  • Automated RFQ packs with engineering specs, materials, and tolerances
  • 6-factor supplier matching: capability, process, material, quality, and more
Powered by ForgeOS

One Operating System. Everything Coordinated.

Objectives & Tasks

Everyone knows what they're doing and where the blockages are

Guided Manufacturing

Understand the systems required to make your product before you commit

Automated RFQs

Full request-for-quote packs sent to factories that match your needs

Why Now

Factories already have the capacity. They just need the work. We connect companies who need manufacturing with suppliers who have machines sitting idle.

72%

Average UK manufacturing capacity utilisation

ONS, 2024

140,000+

SME manufacturers in the UK alone

Make UK

28%

Of UK factory capacity sits idle on average

ONS capacity utilisation survey

The Old Way

This Is What We're Replacing.

Hardware companies have always had to lease premises, buy equipment, and hire full teams before building the first prototype. By the time your physical infrastructure catches up, your ideas have moved on.

12–18 months

To first prototype

Leases, equipment, hiring — all before a single part is made

£50–100k

Monthly burn rate

Salaries for staff you hired in advance, waiting for work

30–40%

Equity given away

Raising millions just to fund infrastructure, not innovation

The Fractional Forge Way

Move as Fast as Your Ideas.

Lease a factory, buy equipment

Use cloud factories with spare capacity

Hire full-time teams in advance

Fractional experts on demand

18-month timelines

Start building from day one

Raise millions before building

Start lean. Keep your equity.

Find Your Role

What Do You Need?

Startups needing manufacturing. Factories with spare capacity. Experts wanting to help. Each side of the marketplace makes the other stronger.

I need to get a product manufactured

Startups & product companies

Go from CAD to manufactured product without leasing a factory or hiring a full engineering team. AI handles the engineering package; vetted suppliers handle production.

Start Building

I have spare factory capacity

Manufacturers & job shops

List your available capacity on the marketplace. We send you qualified RFQs from startups ready to manufacture — with complete engineering packages and material specs.

List Your Capacity

I have engineering expertise to offer

Fractional executives & specialists

Join as a fractional expert to accelerate deep-tech startups. Share your manufacturing, design, or supply chain knowledge — on your schedule.

Join as Expert

I invest in hardware startups

VCs & accelerators

Compressed validation cycles mean portfolio companies can validate cheaper, kill failures faster, and get to market with less capital.

Partner With Us

I want to learn hardware

Apprentices & graduates

Pair with a seasoned executive, learn modern engineering workflows, and build real products — not just prototypes.

Start Apprenticeship

I want to commercialise research

Universities & research labs

Turn IP-rich research into venture-backed products. Your researchers get access to manufacturing infrastructure without leaving the lab.

Partner
Protection & Trust

How We Protect You

Your IP Stays Yours

Every design, prototype, and product you create belongs entirely to you. Contractually guaranteed.

Learn more

Confidentiality Built In

Designs visible only to team members you choose. Factory partners see only what’s needed to quote and manufacture. All parties sign confidentiality agreements.

Clear Risk Allocation

Manufacturing defects are the factory’s responsibility. Design intent is yours. Written terms for every engagement.

Learn more

Move as Fast as Your Ideas.

Stop burning cash on infrastructure you don't need. Join the founders, experts, and factories building hardware at software speed.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions