Best known for its open source microcontrollers that have been eagerly embraced by the developer community, Arduino has now set its sights on the corporate world. In particular, the company believes it is well positioned to gain a foothold in Gen Z and millennial engineers in the workforce. Sure, the company’s ubiquity in the maker world over the past decade means almost everyone in the category is at least familiar with the technology.
“Engineers in [Gen Z and millennial] generations have grown up with Arduino boards in STEM programs around the world,” co-founder and CEO Massimo Banzi said in a release “and they have grown accustomed to the accessibility, simplicity and power of the open source hardware, software and cloud services.” from the company. † They now incorporate those requirements into the company as they enter the labor market.”
Propelling this push is $32 million in new Series B funding from Robert Bosch Venture Capital, Renesas, Anzu Partners and Arm. The move into business is a little odd given the company’s existing track record with hobbyists and education, but there’s certainly a lot of money to be made in the entrepreneurial category, and over the years I’ve seen more and more how the company turns out. ready-made signs are being integrated into workplace solutions, so it may not be the most unprecedented avenue for the company to move forward.
“Arduino has a unique opportunity to expand their already robust tech community to encapsulate the enterprise market,” said Renesas SVP Chris Allexandre in the release. “We are excited to support them in their plans to broaden their customer base and become a disruptive business platform.”