diff --git a/frontend/src/__tests__/new-project-starter-sections.test.ts b/frontend/src/__tests__/new-project-starter-sections.test.ts
index ae2345fb..ddd0568b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/__tests__/new-project-starter-sections.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/__tests__/new-project-starter-sections.test.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
  * NewProjectDialog starter sections — display order and overlay cards.
  *
  * The dialog hardcodes its sections; overlay-registered kinds (M5Stack,
- * XIAO C6, XIAO RP2040) surface only when the private overlay registered
- * them. Guards the operator's requested order: M5Stack (Cardputer ADV, then
- * Core) sits ahead of STM32, and an OSS build shows no empty M5Stack block.
+ * the partner sections, XIAO C6, XIAO RP2040) surface only when the private
+ * overlay registered them. Guards the operator's requested order: the
+ * partner sections (M5Stack, Seeed Studio, DFRobot, Pimoroni, Espressif)
+ * sit between ESP32 and STM32, and an OSS build shows none of them empty.
  */
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
 import { buildStarterSections } from '../components/editor/NewProjectDialog';
@@ -45,6 +46,45 @@ describe('NewProjectDialog starter sections', () => {
     expect(m5.entries[0].blurb).toBe('ESP32-S3 card computer');
   });
 
+  it('full partner overlay: sections sit between M5Stack and STM32, catalog order', () => {
+    const defs = [
+      def('cardputer-adv', 'M5 Cardputer ADV', 'x'),
+      def('m5stack-core', 'M5Stack Core', 'x'),
+      def('xiao-esp32s3-sense', 'XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense', 'x'),
+      def('unihiker-m10', 'UNIHIKER M10', 'x'),
+      def('pimoroni-pico-plus-2w', 'Pico Plus 2 W', 'x'),
+      def('badger-2350', 'Badger 2350', 'x'),
+      def('stellar-unicorn', 'Stellar Unicorn', 'x'),
+      def('esp32-c3-lcdkit', 'ESP32-C3-LCDkit', 'x'),
+    ];
+    expect(titles(defs)).toEqual([
+      'Arduino',
+      'ESP32',
+      'M5Stack',
+      'Seeed Studio',
+      'DFRobot',
+      'Pimoroni',
+      'Espressif',
+      'STM32',
+      'Raspberry Pi',
+    ]);
+    const pim = buildStarterSections(defs).find((s) => s.title === 'Pimoroni')!;
+    expect(pim.entries.map((e) => e.kind)).toEqual([
+      'pimoroni-pico-plus-2w',
+      'badger-2350',
+      'stellar-unicorn',
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('embargoed partner boards (not registered) leave their section unrendered', () => {
+    // Pimoroni launched, Espressif still under embargo: no Espressif block.
+    const defs = [
+      def('pimoroni-pico-plus-2w', 'Pico Plus 2 W', 'x'),
+      def('badger-2350', 'Badger 2350', 'x'),
+    ];
+    expect(titles(defs)).toEqual(['Arduino', 'ESP32', 'Pimoroni', 'STM32', 'Raspberry Pi']);
+  });
+
   it('a partial overlay (only one M5 kind) still renders the section with that card', () => {
     const m5 = buildStarterSections([def('m5stack-core', 'M5Stack Core', 'x')]).find(
       (s) => s.title === 'M5Stack',
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/editor/NewProjectDialog.tsx b/frontend/src/components/editor/NewProjectDialog.tsx
index 17df9405..98289a30 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/editor/NewProjectDialog.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/editor/NewProjectDialog.tsx
@@ -156,6 +156,21 @@ const PREFERRED_BLINK_EXAMPLE: Record<string, string> = {
   // is the first run. Both ids carry a captured gallery thumb.
   'cardputer-adv': 'cardputer-adv-hello',
   'm5stack-core': 'm5stack-core-m5-helloworld',
+  // Partner boards (overlay kinds), one representative first-run each. The
+  // Stellar/Badger entries are REQUIRED, not just preferred: their gallery
+  // examples use `boards[]` + boardFilter, which the generic single-board
+  // search above never matches.
+  'xiao-esp32s3-sense': 'xiao-esp32s3-sense-hello',
+  'unihiker-m10': 'unihiker-blink-p2',
+  'pimoroni-pico-plus-2w': 'pimoroni-pico-plus-2w-blink',
+  'badger-2350': 'badger-2350-badgeos',
+  'stellar-unicorn': 'stellar-unicorn-rainbow',
+  // Espressif devkits — launch-embargoed; cards appear when the boards do.
+  'esp32-c3-lcdkit': 'esp32-c3-lcdkit-knob-dial',
+  'esp32-s3-eye': 'esp32-s3-eye-camera-lcd',
+  'esp-vocat': 'esp-vocat-face',
+  'esp-sensairshuttle': 'esp-sensair-lcd-dash',
+  'esp32-p4': 'esp32-p4-blink',
 };
 
 /** Dynamic import keeps the (large) gallery data out of the editor bundle
@@ -255,6 +270,31 @@ export function buildStarterSections(defs: ProBoardDef[]): StarterSection[] {
     // they run on Free and are a friendlier first pick than the Pro-gated
     // STM32 family. Cardputer first, then the Core.
     { title: 'M5Stack', entries: [...pro('cardputer-adv'), ...pro('m5stack-core')] },
+    // Hardware partners (overlay kinds, same shape as M5Stack): each section
+    // lists only the boards the overlay actually registered, so an OSS build
+    // and launch-embargoed items (e.g. the Espressif devkits pre-launch)
+    // simply render nothing. The XIAO S3/C3/C6 and XIAO RP2040 stay in the
+    // chip-family sections above as the generation representatives.
+    { title: 'Seeed Studio', entries: [...pro('xiao-esp32s3-sense')] },
+    { title: 'DFRobot', entries: [...pro('unihiker-m10')] },
+    {
+      title: 'Pimoroni',
+      entries: [
+        ...pro('pimoroni-pico-plus-2w'),
+        ...pro('badger-2350'),
+        ...pro('stellar-unicorn'),
+      ],
+    },
+    {
+      title: 'Espressif',
+      entries: [
+        ...pro('esp32-c3-lcdkit'),
+        ...pro('esp32-s3-eye'),
+        ...pro('esp-vocat'),
+        ...pro('esp32-p4'),
+        ...pro('esp-sensairshuttle'),
+      ],
+    },
     { title: 'STM32', entries: STM32_BOARDS.map(oss) },
     {
       title: 'Raspberry Pi',