QTex AI
AI conversational search for electronic components
Website: https://qtex.ai
Cover Block
| Name | QTex AI |
| Tagline | AI conversational search for electronic components |
| Headquarters | Boise, Idaho, United States |
| Founded | 2024 |
| Stage | Pre-Seed |
| Business Model | SaaS |
| Industry | Deeptech |
| Technology | AI / Machine Learning |
| Geography | North America |
| Growth Profile | Venture Scale |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (2) |
Links
- Website: https://qtex.ai
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/qtex-ai
Summary and Signal
QTex AI is a pre-seed startup building a conversational AI tool for electrical engineers. Founded in 2024 by Boise State engineering graduates Chris Dagher and Oliver MacDonald, the company's PartWise platform aims to function like a ChatGPT for electronic component selection, promising to reduce sourcing tasks from hours to minutes [BoiseDev, Oct 2025]. The founders bring a combined decade of research and development experience from their academic work [Trailhead].
The company operates a SaaS business model targeting the electronics design vertical. To date, QTex AI has not publicly disclosed any institutional venture funding; its capitalization appears to be bootstrapped through local competition winnings, including a $50,000 prize from the Boise Entrepreneur Week championship [BoiseDev, Oct 2025] and support from the Venture College accelerator program [Boise State News, July 2025].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product claims and team background are sourced from company materials and local news; funding status and commercial metrics are not publicly disclosed.
Taxonomy Snapshot
| Axis | Value |
|---|---|
| Stage | Pre-Seed |
| Business Model | SaaS |
| Industry / Vertical | Deeptech |
| Technology Type | AI / Machine Learning |
| Geography | North America |
| Growth Profile | Venture Scale |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (2) |
Company Overview
QTex AI was founded in 2024 by Chris Dagher and Oliver MacDonald, two recent engineering graduates from Boise State University [Boise State News, June 2025]. The company is headquartered in Boise, Idaho, and operates as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) business targeting the electronics design industry [QTex AI website].
The company's early development has been closely tied to the Boise entrepreneurial ecosystem. It participated in Venture College, an accelerator program at Boise State [Boise State News, July 2025]. In 2024, QTex AI won the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge [Boise State News, Sep 2025]. In October 2025, the company won the championship at Boise Entrepreneur Week, securing a $50,000 prize [BoiseDev, Oct 2025]. This was followed by an advancement to the Startup World Cup Regional Qualifiers [Boise State News, July 2025].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Key milestones are confirmed by multiple local news outlets, but corporate details like legal structure and full funding history are not publicly documented.
The Product and the Stack
The core product is PartWise, a conversational AI assistant designed to help electrical engineers navigate the process of sourcing and selecting electronic components. The platform is described as functioning "like ChatGPT, but for choosing computer chips," aiming to reduce tasks that traditionally took hours or days down to minutes [BoiseDev, Oct 2025].
- Primary interface. A conversational chat interface, positioned as a productivity tool for R&D workflows [BoiseDev, Oct 2025].
- Data scope. The platform aggregates component data from distributor and manufacturer datasheets.
- Commercial model. Operates as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product claims are from local press and the company website; technical capabilities and stack are inferred from founder backgrounds.
The Market They Are Entering
The global EDA market size was valued at $12.8 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.5% from 2024 to 2030 [Grand View Research, 2023].
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Global EDA Software Market (2023) | 12.8 $B |
| Projected CAGR (2024-2030) | 9.5 % |
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing is inferred from an analogous sector report; company-specific TAM is not publicly available.
The Competitive Field
QTex AI's PartWise platform enters a competitive map defined by established component databases and legacy enterprise tools.
| Company | Positioning | Stage / Funding | Notable Differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|
| QTex AI | AI conversational search for electronic components. | Pre-Seed; Venture College alumni; prize funding. | Natural language interface. |
| Octopart | Search engine for electronic parts, owned by Altium. | Acquired by Altium (2015). | Comprehensive database; integrated into Altium. |
| Findchips | Electronic component search and inventory tool. | Acquired by Supplyframe (2013). | Real-time inventory and pricing. |
| SnapEDA | Platform for finding CAD models and symbols. | Venture-backed; $6.6M total funding. | Focus on downloadable design files. |
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor profiles and funding stages are confirmed via Crunchbase, but QTex AI's specific competitive advantages are based on company claims [BoiseDev, Oct 2025].
Opportunity
If QTex AI can translate its early technical promise into a widely adopted workflow standard, the prize is a foundational layer in the global electronics design and manufacturing value chain.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Opportunity analysis is based on company mission statements and local press coverage; market size and comparable valuations are cited from external sources.
Sources
- [BoiseDev, Oct 2025] Boise tech startup wins Boise Entrepreneur Week championship | https://boisedev.com/news/2025/10/15/parts-sourcing-tech-startup-wins-boise-entrepreneur-week-championship/
- [Trailhead] QTex AI: Accelerating the Future of Electronics Design | https://trailheadboise.org/qtexai/
- [Boise State News, June 2025] Alums' startup transforming engineering efficiency with artificial intelligence | https://www.boisestate.edu/news/2025/06/06/alums-startup-transforming-engineering-efficiency-with-artificial-intelligence/
- [Boise State News, July 2025] Venture College alumni advance to Startup World Cup Regional Qualifiers | https://www.boisestate.edu/news/2025/07/07/venture-college-alumni-advance-to-startup-world-cup-regional-qualifiers/
- [Boise State News, Sep 2025] Get that pitch ready: Bronco Entrepreneur Challenge launches | https://www.boisestate.edu/news/2025/09/25/get-that-pitch-ready-bronco-entrepreneur-challenge-launches/
- [QTex AI website] About | QTex AI | https://qtex.ai/about
- [Grand View Research, 2023] Electronic Design Automation Market Size Report, 2024-2030 | https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/electronic-design-automation-eda-market
- [Congress.gov, 2022] CHIPS and Science Act | https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4346/text
- [Crunchbase] Octopart | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/octopart
- [Crunchbase] Findchips | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/findchips
- [Crunchbase] SnapEDA | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/snapeda
- [Reuters, Feb 2025] Altium agrees to $9.1 bln takeover by Renesas | https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/renesas-buy-australias-altium-91-bln-2025-02-15/
Articles about QTex AI
- QTex AI's $50,000 Prize Lands on the Electronics Engineer's Component Search — A Boise startup's conversational AI tool for chip sourcing, built by recent engineering graduates, is winning local pitch competitions before any venture check.