Innovation Works

Manufacturing from day one.

Every year, we help hundreds of entrepreneurs and small manufacturers to create new markets and change the world with their ideas and innovations.

No matter what your product is, we have the expertise to help you grow. With successful hardware companies like RE2 Robotics, EKTO VR, and Module in our portfolio, IW has a track record of getting products ready for market.

Are you a hardware entrepreneur?

Apply to IW

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Seed Fund

Innovation Works is one of the largest, and most established, seed funds in the Greater Pittsburgh region. We are dedicated to helping hardware companies with a physical product component, manufactured product, IoT/connected devices,consumer products &  consumer electronics, fashion, and robotics go from prototype to finished product.

Since its launch in 1999, IW has invested over $117 million in 729 companies. Those companies have gone on to raise over $3.3 billion of follow-on investment from several hundred investors.

Alphalab Gear

AlphaLab Gear is one of the longest programs around because we know what it takes to get a hardware startup off the ground.We get hardware.

And whether you come to us with an idea or a prototype, we’re thinking about what it takes to build it reliably, at scale and at a price your customers are willing to pay. The AlphaLab Gear hardware accelerator provides investment and guides you through a 30-week program and an optional eight-week manufacturing-focused module. Access an instant network of on-site technical experts, investors and customers and grow your startup in Pittsburgh, the center of hardware and robotics.

There are two points in time when hardware companies are best equipped to fundraise and scale successfully:

When they have identified their first target market and proven that customers will pay to use their product, and when they’re ready to manufacture at scale.

The AlphaLab Gear 30-week program helps companies reach these points faster. Our model works. Over 85% of our alumni raise follow-on funding within six months of Demo Day. And as a program of Innovation Works, the 8th most active seed-stage investor in the country, there are opportunities for seed and follow-on funding, support from our Executives in Residence, and connections to a huge network of investors and corporate partners. We’re located in Pittsburgh, the center of hardware and robotics. Uber, Google, Ford, and others have all found a home here. Whether you want to manufacture locally, regionally or globally we’ve got the connections and expertise to get you there.

Want to learn more about AlphaLab Gear? Check them out at alphalabgear.org.

Scalable

Scalable connects hardware entrepreneurs with forward-thinking manufacturers in Southwestern Pennsylvania to create long-lasting relationships that fuel innovation in our local economy.

We provide hardware entrepreneurs with support in design for manufacturability, finding the right manufacturer, growing your supply chain, and scaling products while cutting costs.

Funding to work with local, forward-thinking, manufacturers

The Scalable Innovation Grant is designed to encourage hardware entrepreneurs to form strong relationships with local manufacturers; no more long-distance partnerships or precarious supply chains. Our model empowers entrepreneurs to advance from the prototyping stage into production by providing startups with up to $15,000 as an incentive to build lasting relationships with local manufacturers.

Learn more about Scalable!