{"id":167,"date":"2026-04-16T18:00:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T18:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bkbc.net\/index.php\/2026\/04\/16\/ieee-entrepreneurship-hardware-startups-investors\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T18:00:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T18:00:01","slug":"ieee-entrepreneurship-hardware-startups-investors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bkbc.net\/index.php\/2026\/04\/16\/ieee-entrepreneurship-hardware-startups-investors\/","title":{"rendered":"IEEE Entrepreneurship Connects Hardware Startups With Investors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Roughly 90 percent of hard tech<\/a> startups fail due to funding constraints, longer R&D timelines for developing hardware, and the complexity of manufacturing their products, according to a number of studies.<\/p>\n

Generally, these startups require up to 50 percent more investor financing than software ones, according to a Medium<\/em><\/em> article<\/a>. Typically, they need at least US $30 million, according to a Lucid<\/em><\/em> article<\/a>. That\u2019s double the funding needed by software companies on average.<\/p>\n

To help them connect with investors, IEEE Entrepreneurship<\/a> in 2024 launched its Hard Tech Venture Summits<\/a>. The two-day events connect founders with potential investors and other entrepreneurs<\/a>. Attendees include manufacturers, design engineers, and intellectual property lawyers.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though there are a lot of startup investor conferences, it\u2019s hard to find those focused on hard tech,\u201d says Joanne Wong<\/a>, who helped initiate the program and is now the chair. She is a general partner at Redds Capital<\/a>, a California-based venture capital firm that invests in global early-stage IT startups.<\/p>\n

The IEEE member is also an entrepreneur. She founded SciosHub<\/a> in 2020. The company\u2019s software-as-a-service and informatics platform automates the data-management process for biomedical research labs.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany investors are focused on AI software\u2014which is good,\u201d she says. \u201cBut for hard tech companies, it is still hard to find support.\u201d<\/p>\n

The summit also includes a workshop to help founders navigate manufacturing processes and regulatory compliance. The event is open to IEEE members and others.<\/p>\n

IEEE is a natural fit for the program, Wong says, because hard tech is synonymous with electrical engineering.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the domains we\u2019re covering are robotics<\/a>, semiconductors<\/a>, and aerospace technology<\/a>. IEEE has societies for all these fields,\u201d she says. \u201cBecause of that, there are many resources within the organizations for startups, whether it be mentors or guides on how to commercialize products.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are several venture summits planned for this year. Two are scheduled in collaboration with the IEEE Systems Council<\/a>: this month in Menlo Park, Calif.<\/a>, and in October in Toronto<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On 10 and 11 June, a third summit<\/a> is scheduled to take place in Boston at the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society<\/a>\u2019s International Microwave Symposium<\/a>.<\/p>\n

More events are being planned for next year in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America.<\/p>\n

Networking and a pitch competition<\/h2>\n

Each summit includes keynote speakers, followed by networking roundtables. Each table is composed of people from three to five startups, one or two investors, and a service provider.<\/p>\n

That arrangement helps founders build relationships, which is the summit organizers\u2019 priority, Wong says. Investors at past events have included i3 Ventures<\/a>, Monozukuri Ventures<\/a>, and TSV Capital<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe connection with the community was fantastic, especially investors and founders in robotics.\u201d \u2014Mark Boysen, founder of Naware<\/strong><\/p>\n

Startups present their pitch, which a number of investors evaluate before ranking the business plan and product. The top 10 startups pitch their business to all the investors.<\/p>\n

On the second day, the startup founders participate in a half-day engineering design\u2013to\u2013manufacturing workshop, at which manufacturing engineers teach them how to navigate the process and meet regulations.<\/p>\n

In an exhibition area, participants can see demonstrations from the startups and connect with service providers.<\/p>\n

\"AThe 2025 event\u2019s half-day engineering design\u2013to\u2013manufacturing workshop was led by Liz Taylor, president of DOER Marine. The company manufactures marine equipment.<\/small>Larissa Abi Nakhle\/IEEE<\/small><\/p>\n

Positive feedback from attendees<\/h2>\n

In a survey of past summit attendees, startup founders said the event connected them not only with investors but also with other entrepreneurs having similar struggles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe connection with the community was fantastic, especially investors and founders in robotics,\u201d said Mark Boysen<\/a>, who founded Naware<\/a>. The company, based in Edina, Minn., developed a robot that uses AI to detect and remove weeds from golf courses, parks, and lawns.<\/p>\n

\u201cI loved getting the investors\u2019 perspectives and understanding what they\u2019re looking for,\u201d Boysen said.<\/p>\n

Jeffrey Cook<\/a>, who attended a summit in 2024, said he met \u201ca lot of great contacts and saw what the hard tech venture climate is like.\u201d<\/p>\n