FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Kim Blomquist
872.222.5279
kim@mhubchicago.com
(CHICAGO February 1, 2024) - Leading innovation center for hardtech and manufacturing mHUB has announced the dates for its highly anticipated 2024 HardTech Summit and 7th Annual Fourth Revolution Awards. This dynamic two-day event is set to unite hardtech entrepreneurs, startups, investors, and industry, fostering a vibrant celebration of the burgeoning Midwest innovation ecosystem.
Kicking off the festivities on the evening of Wednesday, March 13, the Fourth Revolution Awards Reception will honor the outstanding hardtech entrepreneurs, community organizations, corporate champions, and manufacturers who are instrumental in driving innovation across the region.
"We are excited to bring together the best and brightest in the Midwest to celebrate the growing hardtech ecosystem," said Haven Allen, CEO of mHUB. "The HardTech Summit is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs, investors, the public sector, and industry leaders to come together and accelerate innovation in areas critical for future wellbeing, stability, and competitiveness.”
Aligned with the Fourth Industrial Revolution's focus on the convergence of physical product development and digital processes, the mHUB HardTech Summit on Thursday, March 14, will showcase cutting-edge advancements in smart and sustainable manufacturing, healthcare, clean energy solutions, and related industries.
Watch the recap of the 2023 mHUB HardTech Summit & Fourth Revolution Awards.
Eric Lefkofsky, Founder and CEO of Tempus, will open the event with a highly anticipated fireside chat about AI-enabled medicine and his impressive track-record of founding and scaling disruptive and impactful technology solutions.
This panel will explore points of connection across fields of emerging technology such as AI, quantum, energy, and more. What are the opportunities, fears, and needs that need to be address on the road to commercialization? What are shared goals and outcomes? What are points of friction? Learn this and more from a leading panel of experts.
Moderated by Meera Raja, VP of DeepTech at P33 Chicago.
Everyone knows what a startup needs most, so how do you get it? Hear from a panel of startups about their journey to funding. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Moderated by: Joey Mak, CEO, Chicago:Blend
The manufacturing industry is at a unique crossroads as regulations, policy, and investors are demanding more sustainable practices. Achieving this requires advancing technologies to reduce and capture GHGs, advances in material consumption practices, and driving broad adoptions of smart automation, microgrids, battery storage, the internet of things, and more. What risks does this transformation pose for U.S. manufacturing and what are the competitive advantages created or eroded?
Moderated by: Sunny Elebua, SVP, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Exelon
The Fouth Revolution Awards' Rising Star Award recognizes an early-stage startup for its innovation, creativity, and position as the next great hardtech company to emerge in the region. These top five Rising Star Award finalists will take to the stage to pitch before a live panel of judges to compete for first place.
Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet, and Carl Wolf, COO of LanzaTech will close the summit with a thought-provoking discussion on one of the region’s climate tech unicorns and the future of carbon-capture for heavy industries. Moderated by Meghan Busse, Associate Professor of Strategy, Kellog School of Management at Northwestern University
Concurrent to the main stage program, the HardTech Summit will feature 30+ mHUB member companies showcasing their products and solutions in mHUB's prototyping labs, and 30+ founders pitching their smart and sustainable manufacturing, clean energy, or medtech startups.
Visit mHUB's assembly space in its prototyping labs to see the following member companies demoing their products and technology:
Asoncer | Blip Energy | Calabax | Cryocellar | Dawatek Inc | Drift DJ Industries |
EndoShunt Medical Inc. | Fluid Reality | Future Founders | Ganance | HIVE Medical | infiniRel Corporation |
Influent Source Industries Inc. | Karman Innovations | Lemonaide, Co. | MediSensor Technologies | Merked LLC | Metasorbex |
NETenergy | Numurpho Cybernetic Systems | Quasar Design Inc | Rebellion Stephanie Wheat, LLC | Rise Gardens | Sandbox Carbon |
Skate Kastle | Stroma Vision, Inc. | TDNT Enterprise INC. | TegoTech | Twinmo | VRMovX, LLC |
Walela Inc. | Wave Therapeutics | Zenblen, Inc. |
Check out stage two during the event to see founders from the following startups pitching:
HardTech & Smart Manufacturing | 2:30 PM
MedTech | 3:30 PM
Sustainability and Energy Pitches | 4:30 PM
The 2024 HardTech Summit and Fourth Revolution Awards are scheduled for March 13-14 at mHUB's state-of-the-art facility in Chicago, which the innovation center acquired and renovated in 2023.