A hardware studio built for AI teams making their first physical product. From sketch to small-batch build in weeks, backed by a vetted Taiwan manufacturing network and tooling terms that keep your IP where it belongs.
AI teams move fast — and most default to open shop networks when they first cross into hardware. HearthFire is built for that moment: a fixed, vetted partner circle in Taiwan, with tooling and NDA terms that are structural, not just contractual.
| Spec | Open shop network | HearthFire Works |
|---|---|---|
| Iteration speed | Fast — dense workshop clusters | Fast — direct Taiwan partner network |
| IP protection | Weak — designs circulate the cluster | Structural — a fixed, vetted partner set, not an open shop network |
| Fabrication partners | Design shared informally across an open cluster of shops | Your design stays inside a small known circle — no open-market sourcing |
| Critical tooling | Molds and fixtures often held by the shop, not you | Tooling ownership terms negotiated upfront, in your name |
| Customer-facing team | Remote broker, language and time-zone gap | Bay Area team who speaks your product's language, natively |
| Trust basis | Transactional | Direct relationship, senior hands on every build |
Your design never touches an open shop, and your tooling never leaves your name — that's not a policy, it's how the network is built.