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2024 Fourth Revolution Award Winners Announced at mHUB Hosted Award Ceremony Recognizing Pioneers of HardTech & Manufacturing Innovation
(CHICAGO March 13, 2024) — Winners of the 7th Annual Fourth Revolution Awards were announced during an Awards Reception hosted on March 13, 2024 at the mHUB innovation center. The awards ceremony recognized the outstanding contributions of individuals and organizations shaping the future of industry in the region.
The Fourth Revolution Awards highlight the achievements of leading startups, community advocates, and hardtech entrepreneurs, underscoring their role in driving forward manufacturing innovation. Following a rigorous nomination and evaluation process, winners were selected for their exemplary leadership and groundbreaking innovations in the era of technological advancement for the physical world.
"As we celebrate the remarkable achievements of our Fourth Revolution Award winners, we're not just honoring innovation; we're propelling the future of industry forward,” said Haven Allen, mHUB Co-founder and CEO. “These pioneers embody the spirit of ingenuity and collaboration that defines the heart of mHUB and the Midwest's manufacturing ecosystem. Together, we are shaping a future where technology and humanity intersect to create a better world for all."
The ceremony unveiled winners across categories including Community Empowerment, Excellence in Engineering, Innovation of the Year, and Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturer of the Year. Additionally, Lion Electric and the Illinois Manufacturer’s Association received honorary industry awards for their exceptional contributions to the sector.
“We are honored to be named mHUB Chicago’s Manufacturer of the Year during the 2024 Fourth Revolution Award reception and congratulate all of our fellow recipients for the distinction,” said Nicolas Brunet, President of Lion Electric. “As a leader and visionary in the clean transportation industry, we are committed to expanding the adoption of electric school buses and zero-emission trucks, strengthening the manufacturing economy, and addressing environmental sustainability in both Illinois and the nation.”
At the core of the fourth industrial revolution lie transformative advancements encompassing automation, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and more. This ongoing evolution signifies a paradigm shift in manufacturing and hardware technology characterized by unprecedented efficiency, inclusivity, and innovation.
“Manufacturing makes the world a better place to live every single day and the promise of manufacturing is alive and well in Illinois. You can see it every day in the eyes of the creators and makers inhabiting mHUB,” said Mark Denzler, President & CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “We are deeply humbled to receive this prestigious award from our wonderful partners at mHUB which is changing the landscape for HardTech development in the region. Together, we are building an amazing collaborative manufacturing ecosystem that will solve future challenges facing the world.”
Congratulations to the 2024 Fourth Revolution Awards Winners:
Winner of the 2024 Community Empowerment Award: The Manufacturing, Technology and Engineering Center (MTEC) at Daley College.
The Community Empowerment Award recognizes an organization that has showcased exemplary leadership in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion within innovative technology and manufacturing innovation spaces.
The Manufacturing, Technology and Engineering Center (MTEC) at Daley College
The Manufacturing, Technology and Engineering Center (MTEC) at Daley College operates under the college mission statement which is to empower a diverse community to achieve their goals through innovative education and programing in a supportive, inclusive, and equitable environment for life-long learning. As the Center of Excellence for the College and the 65,000 college district students of which 70% are of color, MTEC and its advanced manufacturing curriculum, programs and industry certifications is a strong contributor to the advanced manufacturing workforce eco system in the Chicagoland arena. In essence, MTEC provides the resources for a diverse community of students to invest in education as MTEC assists the next generation of the advanced manufacturing workforce.
Winner of the 2024 Excellence in Engineering Award: Dr. Adam Jakus
The Excellence in Engineering Award recognizes an individual engineer’s visionary thinking, technical prowess, and unwavering commitment to driving innovation and transformative ideas.
Dr. Adam Jakus is an engineering entrepreneur who co-founded and served as CTO of a Chicago-based company, Dimension Inx Corp. For seven years, he and his team developed advanced biomaterial and 3D-printing technologies and products. In January 2024, he left Dimension Inx to find and run BioThera3 Advising & Consulting, LLC and focus on building up the emerging bio fabrication and tissue therapeutics industry.
Winner of the 2024 Innovation of the Year Award: NanoGraf
The Innovation of the Year Award recognizes groundbreaking technology that has caused significant disruption within its industry.
NanoGraf is an advanced battery material company whose patented silicon anode technology enables longer-lasting, higher-energy, and higher-power lithium-ion batteries. The company developed the world’s most energy-dense lithium-ion 18650 cells. Batteries using this material can run for nearly 30% longer than comparable batteries. NanoGraf works with the U.S. Department of Defense and some of the world’s leading electric mobility, consumer electronics, household appliance, and power tool brands.
Winner of the 2024 Small & Medium-Sized Manufacturer of the Year: Ludlow Manufacturing Inc.
This award recognizes a corporation or business that has made an impact on manufacturing through community focused efforts and significant financial investment throughout the region.
Ludlow Manufacturing Inc. (LMI) is a family-owned metal fabrication business, distinguished by its leadership under a female President. Founded in January 2005 within a two-and-a-half-car garage, the LMI has expanded operations to a 120,000-square-foot manufacturing space, equipped with cutting-edge technologies including laser cutting, forming, welding, and machining. With a dedicated workforce of approximately 80 employees, LMI continues to thrive, embodying a steadfast commitment to quality, innovation, and industry leadership.
Rising Star Award: Winner to be announced at the mHUB HardTech Summit on March 14, 2024
This pitch competition recognizes early-stage startups for their innovation, creativity, and position as the next great hardtech company to emerge in the region.
Rising Star Award Finalists Ascent Integrated Tech, Fillow, Intuitap Medical , Mycocycle, and Sabanto, will take to the stage on March 14, 2024, at 4:45 PM during the mHUB HardTech Summit for the Rising Star Pitch Competition. After pitching before a live panel of judges, the winner will be announced before the program’s close. Follow #mHUBHardTechSummit on social channels to see the winner announced.
The 2025 Fourth Revolution Awards
In 2025, the Fourth Revolution Awards will return. Subscribe to mHUB’s mailing list for the latest event updates.
Thanks to mHUB's Event Sponsors:
About mHUB
mHUB is a leading independent hardtech and manufauring innovation center that exists to convene the entrepreneurial ecosystem around physical product innovation to ensure that the manufacturing industry continues to accelerate, grow and thrive. The mHUB community includes over 500 active and alumni startups and small businesses supported by a deep talent pool of product designers and developers, entrepreneurs, engineers and manufacturers, corporate leaders, industry experts, mentors and investors. mHUB provides a hyper-resourced environment to entrepreneurs with the goal of commercializing new hardtech innovation that will lead to new businesses, intellectual property, investment, revenue, and job creation. Since launching in 2017, the mHUB community has generated more than $1.57B in revenue, launched more than 1,610 products, hired more than 5,540 employees, and raised over $1.89B in capital. The mHUB Product Impact Fund is a $15M venture fund that invests in seed and early-stage physical product companies from around the world who participate in mHUB’s 6-month long, hands-on accelerator programs. To date, mHUB has invested in 46+ startups across sustainable manufacturing, climate and energytech and medtech.
