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YBI competition submission deadline extended
By Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
The Youngstown Business Incubator and America Makes extended the deadline to find innovative startup ideas for additive manufacturing.
Applicants can submit their ideas until Sept. 11.
The incubator, America Makes – also referred to as the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute – and the Burton D. Morgan Foundation launched the $100,000 national competition, called AMPED, July 1 with an Aug. 14 deadline for submissions.
There already have been about 20 completed submissions, but because there are some incomplete submissions, and because universities need a chance to compete, the deadline was extended.
Most of the submissions have been geared at additive manufacturing, or the process of joining materials to make objects from 3-D model data.
“During the summer, it was hard to get awareness to the schools,” said Rich Wetzel, YBI additive manufacturing business coordinator.
Most of the applications so far are from Ohio, but there are some from out of state and one from Istanbul.
YBI and America Makes used a variety of channels to get the word out about the competition.
The focus for the competition is on additive manufacturing, but submissions also can be anything that aligns with the Ohio Third Frontier Commission.
Ohio Third Frontier provides funding to Ohio technology-based companies, universities, nonprofit research institutions and other organizations to create new technology-based products, companies, industries and jobs.
After the Sept. 11 submission, no more than seven finalists will come to Youngstown to present their ideas to a panel Nov. 2.
The winners are expected to fully pursue the business and become a part of the incubator. The winner or winners will receive up to $100,000 in investment funding and up to $50,000 in YBI services.
For information, visit ybi.org/amped.