Avnet Inc. has acquired a majority interest in Hackster Inc. (Hackster.oi), as the first step of a two-part transaction in which Avnet will acquire the remainder of the company in January 2017. Headquartered in San Francisco, Hackster.io is an online community that helps users globally learn how to design, create, and program Internet-connected hardware. Hackster.io engages with about 90 technology partners, and maintains 100 Hackster Live ambassadors that support a network consisting of nearly 200,000 engineers, makers, and hobbyists.
“We are fully committed to helping start-ups bring their ideas to market. The addition of Hackster’s online platform will enable users to accelerate their hardware knowledge and time-to-market,” said Avnet CEO William Amelio, in a company statement.
“The combination of Hackster.io with Avnet’s recently launched MakerSource resource directory and acquisition of Premier Farnell’s element 14 community will allow start-ups to design and create new ideas,” Amelio continued, “then quickly find the resources to support them as they prepare to take their product to market.”
