创新的“星星之火”，藏在嘉立创财报里

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the transformative role of 嘉立创 in the PCB industry, highlighting its innovative approach to rapid prototyping and small-batch manufacturing, which supports the fast-paced development of robotics and AI technologies [1][2]. Group 1: Company Overview - 嘉立创 focuses on PCB prototyping and small-batch manufacturing, significantly reducing costs from thousands to tens of yuan and delivery times from weeks to 12 hours [1][11]. - The company has achieved nearly 8 billion yuan in revenue and 998 million yuan in net profit for 2024, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 18.55% and 35.19% respectively [2]. - 嘉立创 serves over 710,000 engineers globally, processing more than 17.8 million PCB prototyping orders in 2024, with a 22.79% increase in order volume [11]. Group 2: Market Position and Strategy - The global PCB market is dominated by large-scale production, with small-batch and prototyping segments accounting for only 10%-15% and 5% respectively, indicating a niche market for 嘉立创 [5]. - 嘉立创's unique position in the PCB industry allows it to cater to the high flexibility and rapid response demands of emerging tech sectors, particularly in robotics and AI [6][8]. - The company has established a digital and intelligent production system that allows users to place orders via mobile or computer, enhancing efficiency and reducing design and production risks [6][19]. Group 3: Technological Innovation - 嘉立创 has invested heavily in self-developed industrial software, with a research team of over 1,100 people and a compound annual growth rate of 17.38% in R&D spending from 2022 to 2024 [19]. - The company offers a free EDA software that has become the largest domestic platform for PCB design, supporting millions of hardware project designs [21]. - 嘉立创 has expanded its capabilities to include high-layer PCBs, achieving mass production of 64-layer boards, which meet complex requirements in various industries [15][17]. Group 4: Industry Impact and Future Outlook - The rapid iteration of robotics and AI technologies is driving demand for flexible supply chains, with 嘉立创 positioned as a key enabler for these innovations [10][12]. - The company is actively supporting the growth of the robotics sector, with predictions of significant increases in annual shipments of humanoid robots in the coming years [10]. - 嘉立创's model of providing free prototyping services to engineers and students is fostering innovation and reducing barriers to entry for new startups [22].