2017 National Hardware Cup - Washington DC Pitch Competition

Join us Thursday March 9 at TechShop in Arlington for the East Coast Regional of the 2017 National Hardware Cup! This is the third year of the National Hardware Cup and the last two years' events were a lot of fun.

The AlphaLab Gear National Hardware Cup is a pitch competition for early-stage hardware startups. They're touring 7 cities around the US (one of which is Washington DC) to find and highlight the most promising physical product startups in the nation. They provide a travel stipend to companies chosen as semi-finalists that aren't located in one of the 7 event sites. Winners in each city will receive $3k cash, a free one-year SOLIDWORKS license, and other prizes, as well as a chance to win a $50,000 convertible-debt investment from Startbot VC at the National Finals in May and an exhibit booth at the world's leading ICT/IoT trade show and global startup platform, "InnoVEX" at COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2017! Airfare to Taiwan and 5 nights of accommodations are included.

Do you have an early-stage hardware or physical product startup and want to be considered to pitch at the March 9 event? Apply here to be considered. (https://www.f6s.com/thenationalhardwarecup) The application deadline is February 23, 2017 for the March 9 event. Don't let the term "hardware" scare you off. Any company with a physical product component is eligible to apply. (Manufactured Products, Internet of Things/Connected Devices, Health/Medical, Consumer Products & Consumer Electronics, Food, Fashion, Robotics, etc.)

The event will kick off with a Panel on "How to Build a Successful Hardware Startup." Panelists will be local VCs, investors and entrepreneurs.

Underground parking is available nearby TechShop and it's located a couple of blocks from the Crystal City metro.