Additive Manufacturing Accelerator

City Hall

144 Tichenor Ave, Suite 2

Caitlin Myers

Entrepreneurial & Technology Programs Manager

The Additive Manufacturing Accelerator (AMA) aids manufacturers and entrepreneurs in the creation and development of new manufactured products through the use of advanced additive manufacturing methods in metals and polymers. Manufacturers will develop new products and discover additive solutions to production processes. Entrepreneurs will receive expert business and engineering guidance for their startups and product ideas.

From the program, manufacturing and entrepreneurial participants can expect:

Intense entrepreneurial training / Business coaching
Engineering consulting
The use of a robust set of metal and polymer additive machines for prototyping
Assessment report
A product prototype

Manufacturers

In the accelerator, manufacturers and existing industries may develop new products that they have been considering or discover additive solutions to production processes. This accelerator provides an opportunity for companies to receive up to 6 hours of expert business coaching tailored to their industry and their product's potential markets. In addition, they will benefit from 15 hours of engineering consultation and 20 hours of additive machine use and operation for product prototyping. These industries will exit with an assessment report and a prototype of their product.

Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are accepted into the program to develop a prototype of their new manufactured product idea. They will receive up to 8 hours of intensive entrepreneurship training to refine their business concepts, prepare detailed business plans and perfect their pitches. In the 10 hours of engineering consultation, products will advance from concept to prototyping to test production runs. Entrepreneurs will be given 40 machine hours with operators. Upon conclusion, entrepreneurs will have a tested prototype, an assessment report and a refined business plan to present in their pitches to potential investors. This level of preparedness may better position the startups to increase likelihood of funding.

Machines & Materials

The AMA program offers prototype production on cutting-edge equipment:

Polymer additive manufacturing machines
Metal additive manufacturing machines
Multi-axis CNC machines

Machine hours and professional machine operators will be provided to the participants in the amount of hours specified. Entrepreneurs will be awarded up to $3,000 in materials. Manufacturers will need to acquire their own materials.