Briana Pace | Southern Indiana Business Report
The American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) will host an all-new, fast-pitched competition for manufacturing startup companies with a $3 million prize total: the Horizon Manufacturing Cup.
The competition will take place at Indiana University Bloomington on October 20 where participants will present their proposals to a panel of judges for a chance to win the $1 million grand prize fund.
Startups, spinouts and emerging technology firms are invited to submit their proposal by 11:59 p.m., September 26 for an opportunity to be selected to present their capabilities at the competition in October.
Applicants will be contacted by October 2 if they are chosen to participate in the Horizon Manufacturing Cup.
The presentations will be rated by a panel of judges based on “technical merit, innovation, prototype readiness, industrial impact, commercialization potential and readiness.”
Winners will be announced on the same day at the competition and will receive funding from ACMI, plus, “additional investment from leading Venture Capital firms,” and access to “advanced manufacturing prototyping equipment, industrial infrastructure, technical resources, supply chains, scaling space and talent networks at ACMI’s National Security Industrial Hub.”
“To secure our nation’s industrial capacity, we must fund innovation and provide the physical infrastructure required to scale production,” said Senator Todd Young in a press release. “ACMI’s Horizon Manufacturing Cup bridges the gap between disruptive technology concepts and real-world industrial output, anchoring critical capabilities right here in Indiana.”
The competition is meant to strengthen the domestic industrial base and accelerate advanced manufacturing technology, bringing companies’ prototypes into production and into the defense manufacturing supply chain.
ACMI is an industrial group focused on the revitalization of the U.S. industrial sector and supports manufacturers, allowing them to focus on building and doing what they do best, while ACMI takes care of the rest. ACMI builds factories, invests in capital, works with the federal government and coordinates technical and strategic resources.