About Us

Who We Are

ProtoStax was born out of a passion for tinkering, making and bringing ideas to life.

Platforms like Arduino have made it easier than ever for non-engineers, designers, students, and makers to get started with electronics. But getting your electronics working is just one part of the journey. Turning that working prototype into something you can use, demonstrate, and continue building on can present an entirely different set of challenges.

Once you get your microcontrollers, sensors, and other components working together, you face another challenge: packaging your project. You may need to learn CAD, 3D printing, laser cutting, woodworking, or even metalworking. For many makers, this can become a frustrating detour between getting a prototype working and having something they can actually use.

At ProtoStax, we want to help remove that barrier. Our goal is to get you from a jumble-of-wires prototype to a functional, presentable project sooner—so you can iterate, test your ideas, and evolve your design before investing time in more complex CAD, 3D printing, or other fabrication.

The Problem That Started It All

ProtoStax began with a simple frustration:

“Why is it easier to build the electronics than it is to package them?”

Our founder and fellow maker, Sridhar Rajagopal, kept running into the same problems in his own maker journey: enclosures that fit one board too tightly, project boxes that required cutting and drilling, and designs that became obsolete as projects evolved. He also found himself spending hours on CAD design and 3D printing, going through iteration after iteration as requirements changed or mistakes surfaced.

How ProtoStax Came to Be

An engineer and computer scientist by profession, Sridhar has over 25 years of experience in engineering complex software systems. He's also a lifelong music enthusiast, with interests ranging from Carnatic music to guitar, piano, and drums, (though in his own words "an advanced beginner"!)

In 2011, his first visit to Maker Faire Bay Area introduced him to Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and the wonderful world of the Maker Movement. He was hooked! Drawing on his engineering background, he started building electronics projects, including Dr. Wattson. Along the way, he encountered the challenge that would eventually lead to ProtoStax.

More than 20 design iterations, conversations with fellow makers, and countless refinements later, ProtoStax evolved into a modular platform designed to support the entire prototyping journey—not just the final step.

The People Behind ProtoStax

Along the way, Sridhar has had his partner-in-crime, Archana, by his side. With her keen design sensibilities and gift for the written word, she's helped shape ProtoStax from the early days—serving as the first beta tester, providing invaluable feedback, and even joining him at Maker Faires.

What Drives Us

We're makers ourselves, and we understand that every project has its own needs. That's why we pay close attention to the details, use quality materials, and strive to make our products as flexible and customizable as possible.

We also listen to our customers. Many ideas and refinements come from conversations with fellow makers, and we're always interested in hearing how we can make your projects easier.

At ProtoStax, we believe that making should be about bringing ideas to life—not getting held back by the obstacles along the way.

That's the philosophy that drives us: creating products and solutions that adapt to the way makers work, remove unnecessary barriers, and help turn ideas into reality.

Whether you’re a first-time DIY tinkerer or a seasoned pro looking to organize your masterpieces, we're excited to be part of your journey!

Happy Making!

The ProtoStax Team

Part of the Upbeat Labs Family

ProtoStax is part of Upbeat Labs, where we build innovative products and solutions for musicians and makers. Whether it's making music or creating something new, we're passionate about supporting creativity and helping people overcome the challenges that stand in their way.