FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Press Contact:
Kim Blomquist 
872.222.5279 
kim@mhubchicago.com 

mHUB Announces 2024 HardTech Summit and Fourth Revolution Awards to Celebrate Midwest Innovation Ecosystem

(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.

Meet the 2024 Fourth Revolution Award Finalists

"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.

The mHUB HardTech Summit Event Program

Opening Fireside: Eric Lefkofsky, Founder & CEO of Tempus | 1:15 PM

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.

Immersion into Emerging Tech: AI, Quantum, Energy, & More | 2:15 PM

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.

• Kristian Hammond, Professor of Computer Science at Northwestern University
• Manish Kumar Singh, Co-founder and CEO of memQ
• Kate Waimey Timmerman, CEO of the Chicago Quantum Exchange
• Colleen Wright, VP of Corporate Strategy at Constellation

Moderated by Meera Raja, VP of DeepTech at P33 Chicago.

The Road Well Traveled: Finding Success in Funding as an Early-Stage Startup | 3:05 PM

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.

• Paul Couston, Co-founder and CEO, Ascent Integrated Tech
• Kristi Dula, Deputy Director, Office of Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Technology, Illinois Department of Commerce
• Coco Meers, CEO & Co-Founder, Equilibria
• Anna Lisa Somera, CEO, Rhaeos

Moderated by: Joey Mak, CEO, Chicago:Blend

Manufacturing Crossroads – Managing a Drive Towards Sustainability in Manufacturing | 3:55 PM

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?

• Mark Denzler, President and CEO, Illinois Manufacturers'​ Association
• Ryan Hackler, CEO and Co-founder, Aeternal Upcycling
• Jenna Kunde, Global Sustainability Director, Johnson Controls
• Petros Sofronis, Director, International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research

Moderated by: Sunny Elebua, SVP, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Exelon

Rising Star Pitch Competition | 4:45 PM

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. 

• Ascent Integrated Tech
• Fillow
• Intuitap
• Mycocycle
• Sabanto

Closing Fireside: Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet & Carl Wolf, COO of LanzaTech | 5:35 PM

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

Product Showcase & Startup Pitches

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.

Product Showcase

Visit mHUB's assembly space in its prototyping labs to see the following member companies demoing their products and technology:

Startup Pitches

Check out stage two during the event to see founders from the following startups pitching:

HardTech & Smart Manufacturing | 2:30 PM

• Asoncer
• Framewrks
• Ganance
• Maison DIA
• Plateful
• Stroma Vision, Inc.
• Twinmo
• Zenblen, Inc.

MedTech | 3:30 PM

• AyrFlo Innovation Labs, Inc.
• Cast21
• Curiva
• Dawatek Inc
• EndoShunt Medical Inc.
• Lemonaide,Co
• Madison Scientific 
• Walela Inc.
• Wave Therapeutics

• Arke Inc.
• Blip Energy 
• Carbon SeaQuest, Inc.
• GarboCarbo Inc.
• infiniRel Corporation
• Kazadi Enterprises Ltd.
• Metasorbex
• NETenergy
• Tikal Industries

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.