Startup Quilter has completed a $10 million Series A. It will use the funds to develop its idea of automating the PCB manufacturing process.

The Los Angeles-based company has created a software tool that uses a combination of machine learning and high-performance computing to reduce the circuit board design process from months to weeks or days. The firm claims it costs between $10 to $40 to complete a single design.

Quilter says its process employs reinforcement learning, similar to the tech used by Google DeepMind to make complex games. It is applying this to advanced PCBs that power electronics in rockets, computers, smartphones and other devices.

Quilter is entering a huge potential market. The value of the BCB design space is estimated to be as much as USD 50 billion and looks set for more growth in the years to come. Automation is a tantalising prospect for assemblers, but existing automation tools, such as auto routers, are proving unreliable.

Quilter's series A was led by one of Silicon Valley’s leading venture capital firms, Benchmark. It made early bets on eBay, Uber, Snap and Meta Platforms’ Instagram.

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