# Nirav Patel

> Nirav Patel is the founder and CEO of Framework, the San Francisco computer company built around repairable, upgradeable and customizable devices. An electrical and computer engineering graduate of Carnegie Mellon, he worked at Apple, joined the founding team of Oculus in 2012 and led its hardware organization before leaving Facebook in 2019. Framework began in 2020 and has turned Patel's argument for user ownership into a growing ecosystem of laptops, desktops, modules, replacement parts and open technical documentation.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Framework
- **Organizations:** Framework, Oculus VR, Facebook, Apple, One Laptop Per Child
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
- **Known for:** Joined Oculus in 2012 as an early founding-team member and built its hardware organization., Led the architecture of Oculus Quest 2 before leaving Facebook., Founded Framework and shipped its first repairable, upgradeable laptop in 2021.

## Career timeline

- **2008** — Participated in Google Summer of Code with One Laptop Per Child, writing a webcam interface library.
- **2009-2012** — Worked as a software development engineer at Apple.
- **2012** — Joined the founding team of Oculus and started its hardware organization.
- **2012-2019** — Led and contributed to Oculus hardware through its early growth and Facebook ownership; the Quest 2 was the final product whose architecture he led before leaving.
- **2019** — Left Facebook and wrote the initial plan for a company built around long-lived, repairable consumer electronics.
- **2020** — Started Framework in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- **2021** — Framework began shipping the modular Framework Laptop 13.
- **2022** — Framework shipped its first generational mainboard upgrade and announced an $18 million Series A round.
- **2023** — Expanded the lineup with an AMD option for Laptop 13 and the larger Laptop 16 with upgradeable graphics and configurable input modules.
- **2024** — Framework raised a $17 million Series A-1 round and opened a community investment allocation.
- **2025** — Framework marked five years, 32 countries and four continents, then introduced Laptop 12 and Framework Desktop.
- **2026** — Patel used Framework's Next Gen event to argue that personal ownership of computing matters more as cloud and AI infrastructure absorb growing amounts of silicon.

## Achievements

- Joined Oculus in 2012 as an early founding-team member and built its hardware organization.
- Led the architecture of Oculus Quest 2 before leaving Facebook.
- Founded Framework and shipped its first repairable, upgradeable laptop in 2021.
- Established a cross-generation upgrade path for Framework Laptop 13 beginning in 2022.
- Expanded Framework from one 13-inch laptop into 12-inch and 16-inch laptops, a modular desktop, a parts marketplace and an ecosystem of third-party modules.
- Helped make repair documentation, 3D-printable designs, reference designs and firmware available under open licenses through Framework.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Framework updated its build guide to cover a four-laptop lineup including Laptop 12, Laptop 13, Laptop 13 Pro and Laptop 16.
- **2026-04** — At Framework's Next Gen event, Patel framed local computer ownership as a counterweight to an AI economy increasingly metered through cloud services.
- **2026-03** — Patel publicly compared a newly released MacBook's internal repair choices with Framework's modular approach, reiterating that owners should be able to use a computer for as long as they want.
- **2025-08** — Patel reported record Framework manufacturing volume while Laptop 12 and Framework Desktop reached early customers.
- **2025-02** — Framework introduced the colorful, repairable Laptop 12 and the small-form-factor Framework Desktop.

## Links

- Website: https://eclecti.cc
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nrpframework
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/cmonkey
- GitHub: https://github.com/eclecticc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/spongezone

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nirav-patel
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-27