SparkFun Ends Partnership With Adafruit Over Harassment Claims
▼ Summary
– SparkFun Electronics terminated its business relationship with Adafruit Industries, citing violations of its Code of Conduct during online interactions.
– Adafruit claims the termination was retaliation for reporting online harassment by SparkFun’s founder and a former employee directed at Adafruit’s leadership.
– The dispute centers on Teensy development boards, which Adafruit obtained through SparkFun, with SparkFun ceasing shipments after January 15, 2026.
– Adafruit alleges a long history of grievances, including website interference, unlicensed use of source code, and harassment promoted on company time.
– In response, Adafruit plans to develop an open alternative to Teensy boards and has raised concerns about SparkFun potentially ceasing royalty payments.
The electronics industry is witnessing a significant business rift as SparkFun Electronics has terminated its partnership with Adafruit Industries, citing violations of its corporate Code of Conduct. This decision directly impacts the supply of Teensy development boards, which Adafruit sourced through SparkFun. In a letter dated December 8, 2025, SparkFun CEO Glenn Samala stated the company would fulfill existing orders until January 15, 2026, after which all remaining orders would be canceled.
Adafruit’s leadership presents a starkly different narrative, claiming the termination is retaliation for reporting serious online harassment. Phillip Torrone, Adafruit’s managing director, asserts the action followed his formal complaint about harassing behavior directed at Adafruit founder Limor Fried by SparkFun’s founder, Nate Seidle, and a former employee. Torrone and Fried are married. According to Torrone, instead of addressing the harassment claims, SparkFun chose to “kill the messenger” and sever the business relationship.
In response to the supply cutoff, Adafruit has announced it will focus on developing an open-source alternative to the Teensy boards, potentially named “Freensy.” Torrone has also levied additional accusations against Seidle, including attempts to damage Adafruit through website scraping and potentially withholding owed royalties after years of consistent payments. He expressed concern over whether SparkFun intends to continue honoring a longstanding trademark settlement that provides Adafruit with sales compensation.
Detailing a history of conflict, Torrone explained that Adafruit had reported problematic behavior to SparkFun leadership for years. This allegedly included the creation and promotion of hate sites, photoshopped images, and targeted harassment against Fried, Torrone, and other Adafruit staff, activities said to have occurred on company time. After a reported lull, the harassment resurfaced months later, prompting Adafruit to again demand action, which ultimately resulted in the partnership dissolution.
Torrone further cited past grievances, including an incident where aggressive automated access from SparkFun’s infrastructure allegedly took Adafruit’s website offline, causing measurable revenue loss. He also claimed SparkFun has repeatedly published source code from Fried’s work without proper attribution or licensing, an issue he says persists. When contacted for comment, SparkFun CEO Glenn Samala directed inquiries to the company’s official statement, adding that the decision was made after careful consideration and wishing Adafruit well. Nate Seidle did not respond to requests for comment. Requests for specifics on the alleged Code of Conduct violations or the harassing material itself have not yet been answered.
(Source: The Register)