diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e414b10..de04d40 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -47,6 +47,17 @@ python tools/generate_font.py /path/to/Montserrat-SemiBold.otf font_data.py
 
 The generated font data is distributed under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 in `FONT_LICENSE.txt`.
 
+## Startup splash
+
+At startup, the timer displays the supplied Caterham artwork on a black background sized for the 240x240 round display. The image is stored as a native `startup_splash.rgb565` framebuffer and loaded directly into the LCD's existing buffer, avoiding a second full-screen allocation on the RP2040. If the asset is absent or has the wrong size, the original text splash is shown instead.
+
+The original artwork and a device-layout preview are kept under `assets/`. To regenerate the runtime asset after changing the source image, install Pillow and run:
+
+```sh
+python tools/convert_splash.py assets/startup_splash.gif startup_splash.rgb565 \
+  --preview assets/startup_splash_preview.png
+```
+
 ## Supported hardware
 
 Version 3.3 supports the integrated [Waveshare RP2040-Touch-LCD-1.28](https://www.waveshare.com/product/rp2040-touch-lcd-1.28.htm). This board combines the RP2040, GC9A01A 240x240 LCD, CST816S touchscreen, and QMI8658 IMU used by the firmware. The standalone 1.28-inch Touch LCD connected to a separate Raspberry Pi Pico uses a different pin map and is not currently supported.
@@ -96,7 +107,7 @@ The second command should identify an RP2040 MicroPython board.
 Run these commands from the repository root. Supporting files and font assets are copied first; `main.py` is installed last as the automatic entry point.
 
 ```sh
-mpremote connect auto fs cp configuration.py font_data.py font_renderer.py launch.py lcd_1inch28.py params.json qmi8658.py settings.py timing.py touch_drive.py font_data*.bin :
+mpremote connect auto fs cp configuration.py font_data.py font_renderer.py launch.py lcd_1inch28.py params.json qmi8658.py settings.py splash.py timing.py touch_drive.py font_data*.bin startup_splash.rgb565 :
 mpremote connect auto fs cp main.py :
 mpremote connect auto reset
 ```
@@ -111,11 +122,12 @@ When upgrading an existing device, omit that command so its saved track duration
 
 ### 4. Verify first boot
 
-The display should show the v3.3 splash and then the green **Ready** screen. The serial console should report the loaded user parameters, `Success:Detected CST816T.`, and the touchscreen revision without a traceback.
+The display should show the Caterham v3.3 splash and then the green **Ready** screen. The serial console should report the loaded user parameters, `Success:Detected CST816T.`, and the touchscreen revision without a traceback.
 
 If first boot fails:
 
 * `OSError: Font bitmap is missing or truncated` means one or more `font_data*.bin` files were not copied.
+* The original text-only splash means `startup_splash.rgb565` is missing or has the wrong size; repeat the application upload command.
 * An import error generally means a `.py` support module was omitted; repeat the upload command and keep `main.py` last.
 * No serial device after flashing usually indicates a charge-only USB cable, an incorrect UF2, or a board still in BOOT mode.
 * A missing touchscreen or IMU error indicates unsupported hardware or a board-level connection problem.
diff --git a/assets/README.md b/assets/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4bd0b5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Startup splash source
+
+`startup_splash.gif` is the user-supplied source artwork from:
+
+https://static.wixstatic.com/media/467f72_bdf20d6c823c42a18bc41c04e17e7345~mv2.gif
+
+The runtime asset and preview are regenerated with:
+
+```sh
+python tools/convert_splash.py assets/startup_splash.gif startup_splash.rgb565 \
+  --preview assets/startup_splash_preview.png
+```
diff --git a/assets/startup_splash.gif b/assets/startup_splash.gif
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7292688
Binary files /dev/null and b/assets/startup_splash.gif differ
diff --git a/assets/startup_splash_preview.png b/assets/startup_splash_preview.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..90a2af2
Binary files /dev/null and b/assets/startup_splash_preview.png differ
diff --git a/splash.py b/splash.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f0421e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/splash.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+"""Memory-efficient loading of the startup splash framebuffer."""
+
+
+SPLASH_FILE = "startup_splash.rgb565"
+READ_CHUNK_BYTES = 2048
+
+
+def load_splash(surface, path=SPLASH_FILE):
+    """Load an RGB565 image into an existing framebuffer without duplicating it."""
+    buffer = surface.buffer
+    expected_size = len(buffer)
+
+    try:
+        with open(path, "rb") as splash_file:
+            splash_file.seek(0, 2)
+            if splash_file.tell() != expected_size:
+                return False
+            splash_file.seek(0)
+
+            target = memoryview(buffer)
+            offset = 0
+            while offset < expected_size:
+                end = min(offset + READ_CHUNK_BYTES, expected_size)
+                bytes_read = splash_file.readinto(target[offset:end])
+                if not bytes_read:
+                    return False
+                offset += bytes_read
+    except OSError:
+        return False
+
+    return True
diff --git a/startup_splash.rgb565 b/startup_splash.rgb565
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d1b7bc6
Binary files /dev/null and b/startup_splash.rgb565 differ
diff --git a/tests/test_splash.py b/tests/test_splash.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c2bb82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_splash.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from splash import load_splash
+from tools.convert_splash import to_framebuffer_bytes
+
+
+class FakeSurface:
+    def __init__(self, size=32, value=0):
+        self.buffer = bytearray([value] * size)
+
+
+class FakeImage:
+    width = 3
+    height = 1
+
+    def getdata(self):
+        return [(255, 0, 0), (0, 255, 0), (0, 0, 255)]
+
+
+class SplashTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_converter_uses_gc9a01_rgb565_byte_order(self):
+        self.assertEqual(
+            bytes((0xF8, 0x00, 0x07, 0xE0, 0x00, 0x1F)),
+            to_framebuffer_bytes(FakeImage()),
+        )
+
+    def test_loads_exact_asset_into_existing_buffer(self):
+        expected = bytes(range(32))
+        surface = FakeSurface()
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
+            path = Path(directory) / "splash.rgb565"
+            path.write_bytes(expected)
+
+            self.assertTrue(load_splash(surface, str(path)))
+
+        self.assertEqual(expected, surface.buffer)
+
+    def test_missing_asset_returns_false_without_changing_buffer(self):
+        surface = FakeSurface(value=7)
+
+        self.assertFalse(load_splash(surface, "/missing/splash.rgb565"))
+
+        self.assertEqual(bytes([7] * 32), surface.buffer)
+
+    def test_wrong_sized_asset_returns_false_without_changing_buffer(self):
+        surface = FakeSurface(value=9)
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
+            path = Path(directory) / "splash.rgb565"
+            path.write_bytes(bytes(range(31)))
+
+            self.assertFalse(load_splash(surface, str(path)))
+
+        self.assertEqual(bytes([9] * 32), surface.buffer)
+
+    def test_generated_device_asset_matches_framebuffer_size(self):
+        asset = Path(__file__).parents[1] / "startup_splash.rgb565"
+
+        self.assertEqual(240 * 240 * 2, asset.stat().st_size)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/tools/convert_splash.py b/tools/convert_splash.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..57ee59d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/convert_splash.py
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Convert the supplied transparent artwork into the device splash format."""
+
+import argparse
+from pathlib import Path
+
+DISPLAY_SIZE = 240
+ARTWORK_MAX_WIDTH = 224
+ARTWORK_MAX_HEIGHT = 150
+ARTWORK_CENTER_Y = 115
+BACKGROUND = (0, 0, 0, 255)
+
+
+def compose_splash(source):
+    """Center the source artwork inside the round display's safe area."""
+    from PIL import Image
+
+    artwork = source.convert("RGBA")
+    scale = min(
+        ARTWORK_MAX_WIDTH / artwork.width,
+        ARTWORK_MAX_HEIGHT / artwork.height,
+    )
+    dimensions = (
+        max(1, round(artwork.width * scale)),
+        max(1, round(artwork.height * scale)),
+    )
+    artwork = artwork.resize(dimensions, Image.Resampling.LANCZOS)
+
+    canvas = Image.new("RGBA", (DISPLAY_SIZE, DISPLAY_SIZE), BACKGROUND)
+    position = (
+        (DISPLAY_SIZE - artwork.width) // 2,
+        ARTWORK_CENTER_Y - (artwork.height // 2),
+    )
+    canvas.alpha_composite(artwork, position)
+    return canvas.convert("RGB")
+
+
+def to_framebuffer_bytes(image):
+    """Encode the big-endian RGB565 byte stream expected by the GC9A01."""
+    output = bytearray(image.width * image.height * 2)
+    offset = 0
+    for red, green, blue in image.getdata():
+        value = ((red & 0xF8) << 8) | ((green & 0xFC) << 3) | (blue >> 3)
+        # FrameBuffer stores 16-bit values little-endian, while show() sends
+        # the bytes directly over SPI. Writing the high byte first therefore
+        # matches the byte-swapped values used by MicroPython's RGB565 API.
+        output[offset] = value >> 8
+        output[offset + 1] = value & 0xFF
+        offset += 2
+    return output
+
+
+def main():
+    from PIL import Image
+
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_argument("source", type=Path, help="source GIF, PNG, or JPEG")
+    parser.add_argument("output", type=Path, help="output RGB565 framebuffer file")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--preview",
+        type=Path,
+        help="optional PNG preview of the composed 240x240 splash",
+    )
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    with Image.open(args.source) as source:
+        splash = compose_splash(source)
+
+    args.output.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    args.output.write_bytes(to_framebuffer_bytes(splash))
+    if args.preview:
+        args.preview.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        splash.save(args.preview)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/touch_drive.py b/touch_drive.py
index 6d0a4a7..fdd83bd 100644
--- a/touch_drive.py
+++ b/touch_drive.py
@@ -109,12 +109,26 @@ def Timer_callback(self,t):
     def BootScreen(self, LCD, sleep=4, version_number="0.0"):
         self.mode = 0
         self.Set_Mode(self.Mode)
-        LCD.fill(LCD.red)
-        LCD.write_centered('Track',55,3,LCD.green)
-        LCD.write_centered('Session',90,3,LCD.green)
-        LCD.write_centered('Timer',125,3,LCD.green)
-        LCD.write_centered(('Version ' + version_number),195,1,LCD.green)
+
+        splash_loaded = False
+        try:
+            # Import after LCD construction so the 115,200-byte framebuffer is
+            # allocated before this optional startup feature uses any heap.
+            from splash import load_splash
+            splash_loaded = load_splash(LCD)
+        except (ImportError, OSError):
+            pass
+
+        if splash_loaded:
+            LCD.write_centered(('Version ' + version_number),205,1,LCD.white)
+        else:
+            LCD.fill(LCD.red)
+            LCD.write_centered('Track',55,3,LCD.green)
+            LCD.write_centered('Session',90,3,LCD.green)
+            LCD.write_centered('Timer',125,3,LCD.green)
+            LCD.write_centered(('Version ' + version_number),195,1,LCD.green)
         LCD.show()
+        return splash_loaded
         
     def SetBackColour(self, LCD, backColour):
         if backColour == 'green':