We develop hardware PoC setups for startups and product teams: focused engineering tests that prove whether a mechanism, sensor method, material behavior, power concept, control logic, or connectivity approach can work in practice.
You may know what the product should do, but not whether the key mechanism, sensor, material, or control logic will work. A hardware proof of concept helps validate the riskiest assumption before you invest in a full prototype.
Different technologies can solve the same problem in different ways. We build focused PoC setups to compare options and understand which approach is more realistic in terms of accuracy, reliability, complexity, cost, or future scalability.
A PoC gives you more than a theoretical answer. It provides a physical test, measurement, or working principle that helps decide whether the product should move to the next development stage.
EnCata supports products from Feasibility Study through Low Volume Manufacturing.
A structured research phase that turns an initial idea into a clear product direction. We define the problem, target users, business goals, key requirements, risks, constraints, and development priorities before moving into technical validation.
A technical and business validation phase that determines whether the proposed product can be realistically built, scaled, and produced within target cost, performance, and manufacturing constraints. We compare possible architectures, identify risks, estimate key costs, and recommend the most viable development path.
A focused physical setup that tests whether the core technical principle can work in practice. At this stage, we isolate the critical assumption, use only the components and engineering effort needed for validation, and collect measurable evidence before moving to prototype development.
A functional product version used to test how all key units, components, and systems work together in conditions close to real use. At this stage, the product includes core features, a more detailed design and components than a PoC, while the enclosure and final production setup may still be refined.
A functional engineering device that integrates the core electronics, firmware, enclosure, and mechanical elements into a demonstrable product. At this stage, the team moves beyond isolated prototypes and prepares the solution for investor presentations, early user validation, field or laboratory testing, and pilot discussions.
A limited production run that checks whether the MVP can be manufactured consistently across multiple units. At this stage, we validate the assembly process, tooling, testing, quality control, yield, packaging, and readiness for the next manufacturing stage.
Our team is eager to discuss how we can assist you and answer any questions you may have. Don't hesitate to reach out!
The most common PoC mistake is testing too much at once, making failure hard to trace. Our approach is to isolate: identify the single critical question, strip away everything non-essential, and design the test to answer only that.
We start by defining what must be proven: sensing accuracy, motion principle, material behavior, data transfer, energy consumption, thermal response, or another technical assumption. The PoC is built around this question.
Ignore mechanical mounting in a sensor PoC, and you'll get clean data on a breadboard but noisy data in the enclosure. So we bring mechanical, electronics, and firmware engineers together before building anything.
A PoC that runs only happy-path tests produces only happy-path data. If a sensor must reliably detect an event, we test it under the hardest conditions, not the easiest.
Before running a test, we define what "it works" means: a signal-to-noise threshold, a force range, a response time, a temperature window. "It seems to work" is not an engineering conclusion.
A PoC doesn't need a production-grade enclosure, a certified power supply, or a defined form factor. We use only the level of engineering needed to prove feasibility and avoid spending budget on features that are not required yet.
Many hardware risks appear between disciplines. Our mechanical, electronics, firmware, and prototyping engineers work together so the test setup reflects the real technical challenge.
We work with startups and product teams worldwide and deliver hardware internationally.
NDA by default. Full IP transfer
A hardware PoC may look simple from the outside.
It can be a board on the table, wires, a 3D-printed part, a cardboard fixture, a temporary mechanism, or an off-the-shelf module connected to a sensor.
That is expected.
But simple does not mean random.
A useful PoC isn’t just cheap parts thrown together. It requires the right conditions, isolation of the critical function, and measurement that guides the next decision.
If the setup does not reproduce the real technical challenge, the result may look positive but lead to the wrong development decision.
For testing a specific mechanism, sensor principle, material behavior, power concept, or control logic.
The outcome shows what was proven, what remains uncertain, and what to change before prototyping.
Work that highlights the incredible technologies, solutions, and products EnCata developed
We helped an electric mobility startup turn a raw prototype into a smart, IoT-connected skateboard for city commuting. The device is a reliable, eco-friendly, convenient, and intelligent type of urban transport with the possibility of integration into urban infrastructure.
filed as a result of our R&D efforts
final weight (2–3× lighter than typical alternatives)
EnCata engineered a wearable medical smartwatch with HR, HRV, and SpO₂ monitoring plus GPS, Wi-Fi connectivity. The system tracks vital signs and alerts doctors if health declines. The project spanned electronics, mechanical design and firmware development, leading to 10 MVPs.
with software for alpha and beta testing
for HR, HRV, and SpO₂ data processing
.png)
EnCata engineered an IoT rodent detection system with movement sensors and NB-IoT data transfer. The system detects rodent activity and sends data to the cloud. The project spanned from electronics design and 3D modeling to prototype development and a 10-unit pilot batch in 6 months.
standby current of the first prototype
time to manufacture 10 prototypes
Our team is eager to discuss how we can assist you and answer any questions you may have. Don't hesitate to reach out!
Over years of hardware development, we’ve learned which steps make a proof of concept useful instead of just rough.
A good PoC is simple on the outside, but disciplined inside: the right question, the right test setup, the right components, and a clear engineering conclusion.
We create a focused physical setup using the fastest suitable combination of components, fixtures, sensors, mechanisms, temporary materials, firmware, or lab equipment.
We test the critical function under relevant conditions and document results, limitations, failure modes, and factors that may future prototypes.
You receive a clear technical conclusion: what was proven, what remains uncertain, and what should happen next.
We define the exact technical question that must be answered and separate it from secondary product features, appearance, or future production requirements.
We combine multiple engineering disciplines to develop MVP devices suitable for demonstrations, early validation, and pilot discussions.
Basic firmware, control scripts, actuator control, sensor polling, data logging, and simple interface logic for PoC testing.
Sensor selection, signal reading, basic circuit setup, data collection, connectivity checks, and off-the-shelf module testing.
Kinematics, motion principle, load behavior, friction, simple mechanisms, material response, and temporary test fixtures.
3D-printed parts, simple rigs, temporary assemblies, breadboards, hand-built setups, and lab configurations for fast validation.
We serve as your all-in-one team, eliminating the need to coordinate with various freelancers or companies.
Deep domain understanding increases the success rate of your product.
Each PoC project is unique; however, our experience shows that most engineering PoC developments fit within this timeframe.
Fill out the contact form to streamline your idea with us.
