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Highway1
Highway1 was PCH International's hardware accelerator, bridging Shenzhen manufacturing with Silicon Valley venture capital from 2013 to 2019.
Highway1
Highway1 was founded in 2013 as a division of PCH International, the Irish-born, Shenzhen-based supply-chain management and manufacturing firm led by CEO Liam Casey. Unlike software-only accelerators, Highway1 selected hardware startups for a four-month program split between San Francisco prototyping labs and a two-week immersion at PCH's engineering and manufacturing centers in Shenzhen, China. The wealth origin traces to Casey's operational success: PCH grew from a sourcing intermediary in the late 1990s into a full-stack partner for consumer electronics brands. The accelerator targeted early-stage hardware startups, from consumer devices to industrial automation and health-tech equipment. Portfolio companies included Ringly, the smart jewelry maker that raised over $5 million in venture funding; Podo Labs, a camera accessories startup acquired by Zagg in 2014; and Cue, a consumer health device developer. Investment checks ranged from $50,000 to $100,000 for approximately 5% equity, with companies receiving in-kind engineering support, supply chain management, and rapid prototyping services from PCH's facilities. The geographic focus was global but centered on US-based teams willing to relocate to San Francisco during the program. Highway1 ran four cohorts annually and graduated over 100 companies across its active years. At its peak, the San Francisco workspace hosted 10 to 12 teams per cohort. The accelerator was an operating unit of PCH International, which itself raised $30 million in a single funding round from investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners and JPMorgan (per TechCrunch, 2015). By 2019, PCH wound down the Highway1 program to focus on its core custom-manufacturing and direct-to-consumer business, with Highway1's final demo day occurring that year. No follow-on fund or branded venture vehicle emerged from the program. Highway1's structural differentiator was operational — not financial. It didn't just invest; it solved the hard, physical problems that kill hardware startups: injection molding tooling, RF certification, packaging design, and factory audits. This embedded access to PCH's 2,800-person Shenzhen team effectively compressed the path from prototype to mass production, a bottleneck that distinguishes it from the capital-only accelerators that dominated the same era.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
2013
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Francisco
Corporate office
San Francisco, CA, United States
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What happened to Highway1?
Highway1 ceased active operations in 2019 as its parent company, PCH International, refocused on custom manufacturing and its direct-to-consumer fulfillment business. The accelerator's final demo day occurred that year, and no successor program or standalone venture fund was established. Portfolio companies continued to operate independently under their own management teams and investor syndicates.
How did Highway1 differentiate from other accelerators?
Highway1 provided portfolio companies with direct access to PCH International's engineering and supply-chain infrastructure in Shenzhen, China. Unlike Y Combinator or Techstars, which focused on software scalability, Highway1 tackled physical production: injection molding, RF certification, packaging, and factory audits. The two-week Shenzhen immersion was a required component, giving founders hands-on manufacturing exposure that software accelerators could not replicate.
Who ran investment decisions at Highway1?
Brady Forrest served as Vice President of Highway1 and was the accelerator's most visible investment lead during its active years. He reported to PCH founder and CEO Liam Casey, who held ultimate authority over the program's strategic direction and resources. The selection committee also included PCH engineering leads who assessed the manufacturability of each applicant's product.
What investment stages did Highway1 target?
Highway1 targeted pre-seed and seed-stage hardware startups. Companies typically had a functional prototype but lacked manufacturing readiness. The accelerator provided $50,000 to $100,000 in seed funding for approximately 5% equity, with significant in-kind services including engineering support, prototyping lab access, and supply-chain management.
Is Highway1 still accepting applications?
No. Highway1 discontinued its accelerator program in 2019 and no longer accepts applications or invests in startups. The highway1.io domain remains active as a historical reference, but the program's physical space in San Francisco has closed, and its investment activities have ceased.
What is the relationship between Highway1 and PCH International?
Highway1 was a wholly owned operating division of PCH International, the supply-chain management and manufacturing firm founded by Liam Casey. PCH provided the funding, Shenzhen facilities, and engineering talent that defined Highway1's value proposition. The accelerator served as a customer-acquisition and innovation-scouting channel for PCH's core manufacturing business, which remains operational and headquartered in Cork, Ireland, with major operations in Shenzhen.
Does Highway1 have any notable alumni companies?
Yes. Notable graduates include Ringly, a smart jewelry startup that raised over $5 million from investors including Andreessen Horowitz; Podo Labs, acquired by Zagg in 2014 for its bluetooth camera technology; and Cue, a consumer health diagnostics device developer. Over 100 companies completed the program across its six-year run, though no unicorns emerged from the portfolio.
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