Built in Boise: Transforming the future of electronics manufacturing

Just a few years ago, Chris Dagher (BS engineering, 2023) and Oliver MacDonald (BS engineering, 2024) were part of Boise State's autonomous robotics systems project team, where students work in a "product development cell" to design a robot for the NASA Lunabotics Competition.

While designing its power supply, Dagher, originally from White Plains, New York, hit a familiar frustration: He couldn't find the part he needed despite combing through thousands of pages of technical documentation. He remembered, he said, typing in frustration, "Why can't I describe what I want and have a system find it?" into a note on his phone.

Meanwhile, tasked with helping students complete their robots with limited time, MacDonald, a Boise native, was interested in creating efficiencies across the board. Dagher posed the question to MacDonald, and after a marathon whiteboard session, QTex AI was born to help electronics engineers design and source products faster.

QTex AI addresses the growing gap between rising electronics design complexity and a shrinking engineering workforce. Their AI-powered tools help reduce time spent on repetitive, manual tasks, allowing engineers to focus on a more efficient and enjoyable development process.

But developing new technology and building a business, especially as students, requires grit and a willingness to continuously recommit to the venture when inevitable setbacks arise.

"We had a unique advantage early on. It made industry connections more accessible and opened doors to conversations that might have been harder to initiate otherwise," MacDonald said. "Through Boise State's Venture College, we gained access to mentorship, structured startup support and a network that helped us think bigger and move faster."

In fall 2024, Dagher and MacDonald joined the Venture College Incubator, a 10-week course designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs test their concept, gather real-world feedback and launch their ventures. The following spring, they won a series of pitch competitions, providing them with seed funding and the community validation needed to accelerate their business. Through the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge, a statewide competition presented by Venture College, they advanced to the finals of Boise Entrepreneur Week's Main Pitch competition and won the $50,000 grand prize.

"QTex AI's willingness to seek and act on feedback, combined with their commitment to constant iteration and learning, have been key to their success," said Cara Van Sant, Venture College director. "Equally impressive is their dedication to giving back as mentors to the next generation of entrepreneurs."

The team recently moved into its first office space in downtown Boise and has grown to include Caleb Pollock (BS computer science, 2025) and Katie McInally McCall (MPA, 2024). QTex AI is preparing its next funding round while expanding its team and strengthening its design review and generation capabilities. Coming full circle, MacDonald now serves as a coach for the autonomous robotics systems project, where he is helping cultivate a pipeline of talent for hardware-focused founders.
"As more hardware startups emerge from campus, we want QTex to be part of the support system that helps them move faster and design better," MacDonald said. "As we grow, we're excited to continue building in Boise, hire locally and support the next generation of hardware founders emerging from this community while developing the next generation of hardware design tools."

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