INDEPENDENT INVENTORS AND STARTUPS

Sketch to first production run. Same engineering the Tier 1 programs get.

NDA first. The tools, the process, and the shop discipline that ship Tier 1 automotive and defense programs, applied to your product.

Send Us Your Sketch All Services

ISO9001:2015 certified/CMMC LEVEL 2Compliant environment/ITARControlled programs supported/CAGE5LA13/UEILY7KDRALJX98/FOUNDED1998/CUSTOMERS200+ programs since 1998/LOCATIONSMichigan + New Jersey/ISO9001:2015 certified/CMMC LEVEL 2Compliant environment/ITARControlled programs supported/CAGE5LA13/UEILY7KDRALJX98/FOUNDED1998/CUSTOMERS200+ programs since 1998/LOCATIONSMichigan + New Jersey/

WHY BRING A PROGRAM HERE

Three things a solo inventor rarely gets from an inventor-services firm.

Most inventor-services firms are built for the beginning of the journey. They prototype. They package. They hand off. ADAPT is an engineering firm that also serves inventors. That changes the deliverable.

MANUFACTURABILITY

Designed to build at scale from day one.

The engineers on your program design production parts for the Tier 1 automotive, aerospace, and defense customers on this credentials strip. Your design comes out of the shop with the same DFM discipline. Nothing gets thrown away when you find a manufacturer.

Read: Manufacturability

IP OWNERSHIP

NDA first. You keep every deliverable.

We sign an NDA before you share a drawing. You own all CAD files, simulation results, drawings, and design documentation. ADAPT retains only internal tooling, templates, and methodology that are not unique to your product. Standard, not something to negotiate.

Read: IP Ownership

PATH TO PRODUCTION

Prototype through low-volume in one shop.

Functional prototypes on our floor in additive, urethane, or CNC. Low-volume production runs from our shop or vetted supply chain partners. Handoff package your production supplier can build from without a phone call.

Read: Path to Production

HOW A FIRST-TIME INVENTOR PROGRAM RUNS

Concept to first production run.

Same phases the OEM programs run. Sized for a solo inventor or an early-stage startup.

Scope

NDA first. Feasibility review before any CAD is drawn. Program plan and rough order of magnitude.

Design

SolidWorks, NX, Creo, or CATIA. DFM review from the first sketch. GD&T on release drawings.

Prototype

Working prototypes in additive, urethane casting, or CNC. Iterate against the requirement, not against opinions.

Produce

Low-volume production runs on our floor or through vetted partners. Documentation package your supplier can build from.

HOW WE WORK WITH EARLY-STAGE TEAMS

Engineering firm that also serves inventors. That order matters.

The engineers on your program design production parts for Nissan, LEAR, Magna, Oshkosh Defense, and 3M. The tools, the process, the review discipline, and the shop equipment are the same when the customer is a solo inventor.

That is the difference. Most inventor-services firms are built to help solo inventors. They know how to prototype and how to file drawings, and they charge for that as a package. What comes out is a prototype for the inventor. What comes out of ADAPT is a design ready to manufacture.

Engagement structure is fixed-fee where scope is clear, time and materials where the work is exploratory, or a hybrid where the first phase is scoped and later phases are billed as they go. First conversation is free. Patent counsel stays with you.

Brian Smith, Director of Engineering

First stepNDA

IPYou own it

ScopeMechanical only

First conversationNo charge

ISO9001:2015

CMMC L2Compliant

CAGE5LA13

UEILY7KDRALJX98

FOUNDEDMay 1998

TALK TO AN ENGINEER

Tell us what you are building.

Send the program brief. An engineer on our team will read it and respond within one business day. Not a sales coordinator. Not a routing form.

Open the program brief form (248) 844-0900

Response

One business day. Senior engineer, not a sales coordinator.

Michigan HQ

2901 Auburn Road, Suite 100
Auburn Hills, MI 48326

New Jersey

196 Princeton-Hightstown Road, Suite 15
West Windsor, NJ 08550

Common questions from inventors and startups

I have a sketch on a napkin. Can ADAPT help me get this to a working product?

Yes. That is one of the most common calls we get, and we take it seriously. Here is what the engagement typically looks like. We start with an NDA and a brief discovery call to understand what the product needs to do and what constraints matter most: budget, timeline, regulatory environment, manufacturing method. From there we move into concept development, which usually means two or three CAD concepts with enough detail to evaluate form, fit, and function. We pick the strongest concept together and move into full 3D CAD. If the part carries structural load or has a failure mode worth understanding, we run FEA before cutting anything. When the CAD is solid we build a prototype, either additive, machined, or a combination depending on the part. The first working prototype is usually four to twelve weeks from kickoff depending on complexity. At the end you have a physical artifact, a CAD package you own, and a set of release drawings. That is the foundation for a patent application, a manufacturing quote, or a pitch to investors. Our turnkey product development service covers the full path from idea to manufacturable hardware.

I'm an early-stage startup. Do you work with us at this stage?

Yes. Independent inventors and early-stage startups are a regular part of our customer mix. We size the engagement to the stage. At pre-seed you might need one engineer for six weeks to validate a concept and produce investor-ready CAD. At seed you might need a full concept-to-prototype program with FEA and a working unit for demo day. We have done both. The NDA comes first. The scope comes second. We do not require a minimum engagement size.

Will you sign an NDA before I share my idea?

Yes, every time. Mutual NDA is the first document on any new inventor engagement. We also work under customer-paper NDAs when that is the preferred form. The only thing we need to get an NDA signed is your name and contact information.

Who owns the IP on the work?

The customer owns all deliverables. That means the CAD files, simulation results, drawings, and any designs developed specifically for the engagement. ADAPT retains rights only to internal tooling, templates, and methodology that we built before the program started and that are not unique to your product. This is standard in every engagement, not something you need to negotiate for.

How much does a typical inventor engagement cost?

We do not publish fixed prices because scope varies too much to make a number useful without context. What we can say: a concept-to-working-prototype engagement for a mechanical consumer product at low complexity typically runs in the range of a few thousand dollars for a focused sprint to the low five figures for a full concept-through-prototype program with simulation and release drawings. Complex geometry, tight tolerances, regulated industries, and expedited timelines all push cost up. The most useful thing to do is call us. In a twenty-minute conversation we can tell you whether your idea fits our typical scope range and give you a rough order-of-magnitude before you commit to anything.