SparkFun and Adafruit Business Relationship Ends
SparkFun Electronics announced in December 2025 its decision to cease business operations with Adafruit Industries, effective January 15, 2026. SparkFun CEO Glenn Samala cited violations of SparkFun's Code of Conduct as the reason for the termination. Outstanding orders were scheduled to be shipped until the January 15, 2026, deadline, after which any unfulfilled orders would be canceled.
Adafruit's Claims of Harassment
Phillip Torrone, Managing Director of Adafruit, stated that the termination occurred after he reported alleged harassing actions by SparkFun's founder, Nate Seidle, and a former employee. Torrone stated that the reported actions included the creation and promotion of "hate sites," photoshopped images, and harassment targeting Adafruit founder Limor Fried and himself. He reported that these behaviors were documented and ignored by SparkFun leadership since July 2025, and escalated again months later by a specific individual associated with SparkFun.
Impact on Product Supply and Adafruit's Response
The dispute directly impacts the supply of Teensy development boards, which Adafruit obtained through SparkFun. In response to the termination, Adafruit announced plans to develop an open alternative to the Teensy boards, tentatively named "Freensy."
Additional Allegations by Adafruit
Torrone also leveled further accusations against Seidle and SparkFun. He claimed that Seidle attempted to damage Adafruit through website scraping, which Torrone stated caused measurable revenue loss and required Adafruit to block SparkFun's IP range. Torrone also alleged that SparkFun had published source code from Fried's work without proper attribution or license details on multiple occasions. Furthermore, Torrone mentioned a prior resolution regarding SparkFun's use of an Adafruit-trademarked name, for which Adafruit currently receives compensation. He expressed uncertainty about whether SparkFun would continue to honor this royalty arrangement. Torrone also reported a conflict of interest related to Seidle's wife running The Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA), which he stated was not publicly disclosed.
SparkFun's Official Stance
In response to inquiries, SparkFun CEO Glenn Samala referred to SparkFun's official statement, reiterating that the decision was made "after much consideration." Seidle declined to comment on Torrone's characterization of events or the alleged harassing material.