PackCAD Receives $1.25M NSF Grant to Advance Origami-Inspired CAD
We’re excited to share that PackCAD has received a $1.25M Phase II grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, also known as America’s Seed Fund.
This new award builds on a $275,000 NSF SBIR Phase I grant that supported the foundational research and development behind PackCAD, conducted in collaboration with MIT — including core origami design and simulation methods, curved-crease design, and an initial CAD software prototype (still in beta).
Phase II will support the next stage of our work: building accessible, parametric CAD tools for designing folded structures. Our goal is to make working with folded geometry more intuitive, so that designers and engineers can rapidly explore ideas while PackCAD manages the geometric constraints required for successful folding. Over the next two years, we’ll advance PackCAD’s parametric design system, develop new tools for straight and curved folding, and make the software more robust through user studies and beta testing.
Packaging is the starting point, but our longer-term vision for PackCAD is to support applications of folding across product design, architecture, sheet metal fabrication, aerospace, and other fields where flat materials become functional 3D forms.
We’re grateful to America’s Seed Fund for supporting this work, and to everyone who has tested PackCAD beta, shared feedback, and helped shape the product so far. We’re looking forward to showing you what comes next!