AVA Labs helps funded founders, small manufacturers, and technical teams reduce technical risk, prototype physical products, and prepare for manufacturing — without hiring a full engineering department.
AVA Labs is senior-led by Randy Robert and works with clients internationally from Delaware, Ohio.
They fail because teams build before they understand the risks. By the time the wrong thing has been built, the budget that could have clarified the path is already gone.
AVA Labs helps clients slow down just enough to identify the expensive unknowns — then move faster with a clearer technical path.
Each engagement is led directly by Randy. For specialized needs, AVA Labs coordinates outside vendors, manufacturers, and technical partners when appropriate.
Clarify product requirements, technical risks, architecture, development path, and realistic next steps before committing to a build.
CAD, enclosures, mechanisms, materials, prototypes, test fixtures, and design iteration.
PCB design, sensors, microcontrollers, displays, power systems, wireless/IoT integration, firmware, and hardware bring-up.
Functional proof-of-concept builds, subsystem prototypes, integration, testing, and iteration.
BOM review, DFM/DFA, supplier communication, drawings, tolerances, material/process selection, cost reduction, and production planning.
Technical feasibility, SBIR/STTR support, experimental hardware, sensor systems, robotics, medical-adjacent products, AI/ML data capture, and unconventional technical problems.
Every engagement passes through a version of these stages. Some teams start at discovery, some join mid-stream with a working prototype. AVA Labs slots in where the technical risk is highest.
Clarify the goal, constraints, technical unknowns, budget, and product requirements.
Define the system, major components, mechanical/electrical/firmware strategy, prototype scope, and risk-reduction path.
Build the first functional version, subsystem, test fixture, or proof-of-concept needed to answer the most important questions.
Measure what works, find what fails, improve the design, and reduce uncertainty.
Prepare the design for suppliers, production methods, BOM, drawings, DFM/DFA, cost reduction, and next-stage manufacturing.
Support vendor communication, samples, revisions, quality issues, and launch preparation.
AVA Labs is senior-led and selective. For stages that benefit from specialized vendors — injection molders, contract manufacturers, certification labs — Randy coordinates those partners directly.
Five engagement models. Pricing is shown so the right conversations happen sooner.
Teams with an idea, prototype, stalled project, or unclear technical path.
This is the best first step before spending serious money on engineering.
Start the assessmentClients who need hands-on design, prototyping, firmware, CAD, supplier coordination, or technical problem-solving.
Each block includes a prioritized scope of senior engineering work. If new unknowns appear, the work plan is adjusted before additional budget is consumed.
Ask about thisTeams moving from a working prototype toward a manufacturable product.
Scoped per project. Coordinated with outside vendors when appropriate.
Ask about thisSBIR/STTR, technical feasibility, sensors, robotics, IoT, medical-adjacent hardware, experimental prototypes, and complex proof-of-concept work.
Scoped to match award timeline and reporting requirements.
Ask about thisTeams that need senior product development leadership without hiring full-time.
A standing seat at the table, without the cost of a full-time hire.
Ask about thisEach block includes a prioritized scope of senior engineering work. If new unknowns appear, the work plan is adjusted before additional budget is consumed.
Walk through a hardware project the way it actually plays out — doubt, bad advice, prototype chaos, manufacturing surprises, customer feedback, launch. Make decisions, see the consequences, and find out where your real risks are before you spend serious money.
Two guides — Ava and Zach — walk you through each scenario. Make the right calls, avoid expensive traps, and see whether your startup survives.
Practical guides on prototyping, manufacturing readiness, electronics, firmware, DFM, cost & timeline planning, and grant-backed development — plus Founder’s Gauntlet, the interactive product-survival scenario.
Anonymized summaries of recent engagements — the kind of work clients hire AVA Labs to handle.
A clinical-adjacent team had a benchtop concept that needed to become a portable device suitable for an early IRB study.
Architecture, sensor selection, enclosure design, and benchtop-to-portable transition plan.
Mechanical CAD, sensor characterization, low-power firmware path, and a build plan a contract manufacturer could quote against.
A functional v1 unit with documented limitations, a clear list of unresolved questions, and a defensible budget for the next phase.
A small company had two stalled vendor prototypes that did not talk to each other and could not pass basic field tests.
Technical lead reviewing both prototypes, then re-scoping the integration and firmware path.
Wireless integration, power-budget review, sensor calibration, OTA update strategy, and revised BOM.
A working integrated unit and a re-baselined cost model the client could defend to the board.
A pre-production product had thermal and assembly issues only discovered during pilot builds.
Targeted redesign of the enclosure, mounting, and thermal path while preserving the existing PCB.
CAD revisions, material substitution, DFM review with the contract manufacturer, and validation builds.
Pilot yield improved, hand-assembly time reduced, and the same PCB carried into production without respin.
A running record of the founders and small companies AVA Labs has shipped hardware with. New entries land as engagements wrap.
“Above and beyond what I had hoped for. Randy takes a huge amount of pride in his work and has tons of knowledge to execute. I was thankful for his patience with me as I do not have an engineering background. I appreciated his communications and partn…”
“Randy has a lot of experience in new product development and is very easy to work with. The Loom videos he makes with his thoughts are invaluable in helping communicate ideas and thoughts clearly. I would recommend working with Randy for any and all…”
“Randy provided outstanding work ethic and exceptional talent in 3D design. He created a highly effective enclosure for my product prototype, capturing exactly what I needed. We held several video meetings to discuss requirements, and the final soluti…”
“Randy is extremely capable, hard-working, and communicative. I really liked his regular video updates showing me his progress. He consistently went above and beyond to get things done well and fast. He was also very helpful in brainstorming new appro…”
“Randy Robert was an absolute game-changer in bringing my prototype to life. As someone venturing into building a prototype for my business for the first time, I was navigating uncharted territory with plenty of uncertainties. Randy not only met but f…”
“Randy was great to work with. He was prompt, talented and communicated well. He completed the project very quickly to my exact specifications. Thanks!”
“I am greatful for Randy's work. He saved our company money, and his design improved on mine substantially.”
AVA Labs is senior-led by Randy Robert, a cross-disciplinary product developer with experience across mechanical design, electronics, embedded systems, prototyping, and manufacturing. Clients work directly with the person making the technical decisions — not account managers, not junior staff.
For specialized needs, AVA Labs coordinates outside vendors, manufacturers, and technical partners when appropriate. The result is practical execution without large-agency overhead.
Tell Randy what you’re building. If it’s a fit, you’ll get available calendar slots within two business days. If it isn’t, you’ll get an honest note — and where possible, a pointer to someone better suited.
