# Episode 2 - The Hardware Story of Ethereal Machines w/ Kaushik Mudda | Building a Deep tech Mfg company

- Show: [The Hardware Story](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-story)
- Published: 2024-10-02
- Length: 1h 12m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-story/2024-10-02-episode-2-the-hardware-story-of-ethereal-machines-w-kaushik-mudda-building-a-dee
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehardwarestory/episodes/Episode-2---The-Hardware-Story-of-Ethereal-Machines-w-Kaushik-Mudda--Building-a-Deep-tech-Mfg-company-e2p50e7

## Summary

Kaushik Mudda, Co-Founder and CEO of Ethereal Machines, explains how he and co-founder Navin Jain built India’s first 5-axis CNC machines after struggling to find affordable precision manufacturing in college. He details the company’s pivot from selling hardware to providing high-precision machining services for aerospace, defense, and healthcare sectors, citing a 75% reduction in production time for complex components. Mudda discusses the challenges of bootstrapping with only $100,000 in seed funding from Bluepoint, the strategic use of government patent schemes, and the critical importance of running parallel R&D experiments to accelerate deep-tech development.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-story/2024-10-02-episode-2-the-hardware-story-of-ethereal-machines-w-kaushik-mudda-building-a-dee#t=0) Introduction and Origin Story

## Topics

- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Ethereal Machines (company)
- Bluepoint (company)
- DMG Mori (company)
- Haas (company)
- Bharat Forge (company)
- Ultrahuman (company)
- CNC Machine (product)
- 5-Axis CNC (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#037 - Disrupting with digital manufacturing, with Nick Pinkston of Plethora, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-09-13-037-disrupting-with-digital-manufacturing-with-nick-pinkston-of-plethora-usa) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [S2E37 Defied the odds:  A Physical Product Development Firm That Focuses on Startups & Small Businesses, Mako Design + Invent –Kevin Mako](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-23-s2e37-defied-the-odds-a-physical-product-development-firm-that-focuses-on-startu) (Being an Engineer)
- [Ep. 4 - Launching the Longmill - ft. Chris from Sienci Labs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-09-14-ep-4-launching-the-longmill-ft-chris-from-sienci-labs) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [#027 - Rapid prototyping - a platform and its essential tools, with Finbarr Watterson of Fictiv, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-24-027-rapid-prototyping-a-platform-and-its-essential-tools-with-finbarr-watterson) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [T-25-008 : Justin McAfee - Mechanical Engineer to Hardware as a Service CEO](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2025-06-20-t-25-008-justin-mcafee-mechanical-engineer-to-hardware-as-a-service-ceo) (TRADEOFFS)

## Citing this page

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