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February 22, 2017

Futureworks Incubator applications open through April 10!

Over the past few years, we’ve run New York’s Next Top Makers to champion and support the growth of hardware startups here in NYC. We worked with brands like PCB:NG, BotFactory, smart dog house creator DogParker, advocates for and protectors of Industrial Athletes StrongArm Technologies, the wearable tech company Bonbouton and more. Through working with incredible startups (like those mentioned above) we’ve had our finger on the pulse of the city’s advanced manufacturing community and bore witness to New York’s ecosystem growing in every direction.

Today, we launch the application for Futureworks Incubator (formerly known as Next Top Makers), which will help grow hardware and advanced manufacturing startups and entrepreneurs from idea to market to scale stage across all five boroughs. Do you have a hardware product idea? Are you looking to scale production and connect with local NYC supply chains? Are you still figuring out who is your target market? Whether you’re prototyping the next breakthrough innovation or fixing a problem that affects your daily life, preparing for crowdfunding or recently closed a Series A, Futureworks Incubator is for you.

dog-parker-futureworks-nycWe helped Dog Parker, a member of last year’s cohort, break through by establishing a relationship with Queens’ Boyce Technologies. The local manufacturing partnership enabled Dog Parker founders to ease investor concerns and secure significant capital.

We’ll provide entrepreneurs and startups with mentorship, programming alongside a cohort of peers, expert workshops and summits, demo days and access to a variety of showcase opportunities. In addition, participation includes direct access to manufacturers, investors, production facilities and space. We take no equity, and there’s no cost to participate!

Our program convenes startups and entrepreneurs with local resources; more than 45 mentors from manufacturing, design, legal, finance and marketing; access to production hubs across the five boroughs; and the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s Center for Urban Innovation.

bon-bouton-futureworks-nyc
Bonbouton came into the program with a new approach to R&D graphene wearables. They left with a refined pitch and community of support that helped land them a $225,000 National Science Foundation grant.

To accommodate the spectrum of hardware startups in New York City, we designed Futureworks Incubator around three tracks. For each track, we’ve created workshops, curriculum and summits to drive company success here in New York City.

The Design & Prototype track is for entrepreneurs who are just getting started. Futureworks Incubator offers a roadmap to coach you through ideation, formation, legal, financial and storytelling benchmarks. We’ll invite you to visit New York’s advanced manufacturing hubs and warm you up to prototyping.

strongarm-futureworks-nyc
StrongArm Technologies entered last year’s cohort with more than $2.5 million in funding. We focused on helping build the team and story, recruiting senior leadership and establishing a partnership with a top New York City video production studio. 

The Market Validation track is for startups who are already prototyping a product and building a team. Futureworks Incubator will help you understand your market, hammer out a business plan and get ready for raising funds. Whether that’s a Kickstarter campaign, application to NYC-based accelerators or preparing for a seed round, our Incubator will make sure you’re structuring your growing company the right way.

Futureworks Incubator’s Manufacture & Scaling track helps companies break through their most challenging problems. From finding local manufacturing and supply chain partners to mastering logistics, our curriculum and community will help you take that crucial next step.

Futureworks Incubator makes building a hardware company in NYC easier, faster and more friendly. Run by SecondMuse in partnership with Imagination in Space, the Futureworks Incubator is one of four programs under NYCEDC’s broader Futureworks NYC suite of services. As a key component of the Mayor’s Industrial Action Plan, Futureworks NYC is a network of partnerships, services and spaces dedicated to increasing local production and supporting advanced manufacturing in NYC. Become a part of this community of startups, makers, creators and manufacturers by applying here

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