F4

What do they actually do

F4 reads engineering drawings and checks them against GD&T/drawing standards. It highlights violations, suggests corrections, and—when a drawing passes—generates plain‑English symbol/datums definitions, an inspection plan (what to measure and where), and guidance to set up tolerance/stack‑up analysis f4.dev; Y Combinator.

Today, it supports DXF uploads and ASME Y14.5 (1994, 2009, 2018). PDF support is listed as “coming soon.” F4 positions itself as a tool that consumes CAD/2D/3D files rather than a CAD/PLM system, and the site emphasizes demos/pilots over broad self‑serve access, indicating an early rollout stage f4.dev. They also state they are working toward SOC 2 (Type I/II) and ITAR readiness to serve regulated and defense customers f4.dev.

Who are their target customer(s)

• Design/hardware engineers creating drawings: They sometimes release drawings that violate GD&T/drawing standards, creating rework and back‑and‑forth with manufacturing. They need fast, standards‑based checks and clear fixes before release f4.dev; YC.
• Quality/inspection engineers: They spend time interpreting symbols and building measurement plans from inconsistent drawings, which causes inspection errors and delays. They want auto‑generated, unambiguous inspection plans and plain‑English definitions f4.dev.
• Suppliers and contract manufacturers: They receive ambiguous or noncompliant drawings, leading to clarifying questions, scrap, and rework. Automated compliance checks and inspection guidance help them hit first‑article targets f4.dev.
• PLM/release owners (release or manufacturing engineers): Inconsistent drawings block PLM/ECO processes and trigger repeated change requests. A pre‑release checker reduces late changes and supplier surprises f4.dev; YC.
• Procurement/compliance teams in regulated firms: They can’t onboard tools or share drawings without required security/export controls. F4’s stated work toward SOC 2 and ITAR matters for vendor approval f4.dev.

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Run tightly scoped pilots with founders’ network and YC contacts, using real DXF drawings to prove compliance fixes and generate inspection plans, capturing before/after examples f4.dev; YC.
• First 50: Target nearby contract manufacturers and OEM suppliers with in‑person demos that turn problematic drawings into inspection‑ready outputs, then convert via low‑risk pilots with explicit success criteria f4.dev.
• First 100: Add channel partners (PLM/CAD resellers, inspection‑equipment vendors, large suppliers) and finish SOC 2/ITAR to unlock regulated buyers; provide lightweight self‑serve onboarding for smaller teams f4.dev.

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

F4 operates within the CAD, PLM, quality management software, and metrology/inspection stack—roughly $52–53B in combined 2024 spend: CAD (~$11.7B), PLM (~$26B), QMS (~$11B), and CMM/inspection (~$3–4B) Fortune Business Insights; Grand View Research; PLM reports (PLM) (QMS) (CMM).

Bottom-up calculation:

Because drawing compliance and GD&T automation are a narrow function, a 5–10% slice of that stack is a practical near‑term SAM: about $2.6B–$5.2B [sources above].

Assumptions:

• Only a subset of CAD/PLM/QMS spend directly involves drawing compliance, supplier handoffs, and inspection planning.
• Specialist tools capture a single‑digit share alongside incumbent suites and manual processes.
• Adoption concentrates in tight‑tolerance verticals (auto, aerospace, medical, defense, precision industrial).

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Sigmetrix (CETOL): Tolerance‑analysis and GD&T tools focused on stack‑up simulation and complex assemblies; overlaps on GD&T/tolerance issues but is simulation‑first vs. quick drawing‑compliance checks with plain‑English outputs Sigmetrix.
• Verisurf: Metrology software that turns model‑based GD&T into inspection plans and CMM programs; oriented to shop‑floor measurement execution vs. early drawing compliance and correction suggestions Verisurf.
• High QA: Quality management platform with automatic 2D/3D ballooning, GD&T/PMI extraction, and FAI/supplier collaboration; broader QMS scope rather than a focused pre‑release drawing checker High QA.
• ZEISS (industrial metrology software): Major metrology vendor offering CAD‑based inspection planning; built for metrology systems and inspection execution rather than fast standards‑compliance validation for release ZEISS.
• Autodesk (and other major CAD vendors): CAD vendors provide MBD/PMI and some GD&T checks inside design tools; they are CAD‑embedded rather than a dedicated, standards‑first 2D drawing compliance checker with human‑readable inspection outputs Autodesk.