Hestus, a Y Combinator S24 startup, has raised $1.5 million in seed funding, led by Liquid2 and Rock Yard Ventures, with additional backing from Y Combinator, Kyle Vogt (Cruise, Twitch), and Eric Migicovsky (Pebble, YC). The company is developing AI-powered automation tools to eliminate repetitive CAD tasks and increase efficiency for engineers.
Founded by Sohrab Haghighat and Kevin Chu, both early employees at Cruise with experience in rocket logistics and medical device engineering, Hestus focuses on accelerating mechanical design workflows. Instead of fully generative AI, its platform predicts design dependencies and automates updates — such as adjusting mounting holes when a fuel tank is modified — while ensuring engineers maintain control over final decisions.
The Hestus Sketch Helper plugin for Autodesk Fusion 360, launched in September 2024, automates interference checks, parametric adjustments, and error prevention while integrating seamlessly into engineers’ existing workflows. A major update is planned for April 2025, introducing enhanced compatibility checks and broader design tool integrations.
With AI-driven CAD automation gaining momentum, Hestus aims to position itself as a key player in a market projected to exceed $10 billion, offering solutions that streamline documentation and allow engineers to focus on creativity rather than repetitive tasks.
