THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN, Mar 26, 2025 – DigiKey has announced its continued sponsorship of KiCad, reinforcing a shared commitment to advancing open-source tools for the electrical engineering community.
KiCad is offering a cross-platform application for designing electronics. It provides engineers, students, and professionals with a user-friendly way to create printed circuit boards (PCBs) without the expense of traditional software licenses. For seven years, DigiKey has supported KiCad through fundraising efforts, promotional initiatives, and securing the kicad.org domain. This ongoing partnership helps keep the software accessible to the global engineering community.
“DigiKey is thrilled to once again support KiCad, which provides an essential tool for electronics designers worldwide,” said Cody Walseth, digital product owner at DigiKey. “At DigiKey, we believe that accessible, open-source design tools are vital to fostering creativity, and advancing technology and our sponsorship of KiCad reaffirms our commitment to providing engineers with the best resources to bring their ideas to life.”
Through the fund-drive donation match campaign, DigiKey continues supporting the KiCad platform, helping to increase community-submitted donations to contribute to critical feature enhancements, usability improvements, and long-term sustainability of KiCad version 10.
“KiCad is grateful for our longstanding partnership with DigiKey,” said Wayne Stambaugh, project leader at KiCad. “DigiKey’s continued support has helped the project to grow substantially over the years, and we look forward to many more years of bringing open-source electronic design to engineers around the world.”
As advancements in electronics design continue, KiCad stays committed to providing accessible and reliable design tools. At the same time, DigiKey serves as a trusted source for components, helping engineers streamline their processes and move projects forward without roadblocks.
Source: DigiKey
About KiCad
KiCad is an open-source electronics design automation (EDA) software suite that enables users to create schematics and printed circuit board (PCB) layouts for electronic devices. It serves industries including electronics manufacturing, hardware startups, embedded systems, and education. KiCad is used by professionals and hobbyists alike due to its flexibility, active development community, and cost-free access. Originally developed in 1992 by Jean-Pierre Charras in France, KiCad has continuously developed for over 30 years. The KiCad Development Team currently supports the software and receives contributions from global developers. KiCad is funded through donations, sponsorships, and institutional backing, including support from CERN. KiCad’s headquarters is not centralized, as it is a global, community-driven project, though its development coordination is often associated with CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. Its focus on open collaboration makes it a popular tool in modern electronics design.
About DigiKey
DigiKey, established in 1972 by Ronald Stordahl, is a leading distributor of electronic components based in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The company stocks a vast selection of over 15.9 million products, including items like integrated circuits, connectors, capacitors, resistors, and relays. These products cater to design engineers and manufacturers across automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, and consumer electronics industries. With customers in more than 180 countries, DigiKey provides services like same-day shipping and an intuitive online platform to simplify ordering. As of 2023, the company employs over 5,000 people worldwide and generates annual revenues of roughly $5 billion. Known for its focus on innovation and customer service, DigiKey has earned a strong reputation as a global leader in the distribution of electronic components.