Equity for cash Hardware & Manufacturing accelerators
These hardware and manufacturing accelerators put money into companies for equity, which suits founders who need capital to build physical products, not just mentorship. AlphaLab Gear in Pittsburgh invests up to $100,000 for a low-equity stake, mHUB in Chicago runs sector tracks with investment, and HAX backs deep-tech hardware companies. Hardware timelines and costs run higher than software, so the record for each program spells out the check size and, where the program publishes it, the equity taken.
Showing 4 of 4 programs
| Check size | Equity | Terms | Format | Next window | Signal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlphaLab Gear Trackhardware / physical products | up to $100,000 | 3% | Equity for cash | PA | In person | None confirmed | Oct 1, 2026 | Verified |
| HAXhard tech (energy, advanced compute, transportation, health tech, manufacturing, physical AI) | $550,000 initial investment | Not publishedSOSV's pre-seed hard-tech development program: $550K initial investment per startup, hands-on engineering support at 35,000 sq ft Newark HQ (plus HAX Plasma Forge facility in Princeton). Equity percentage not published on hax.co, so null. Applications via sosv.com/apply/hax/ on a rolling basis, with no fixed cohort deadlines published. The program is a six-month residency. | Equity for cash | NJ | In person | None confirmed | Oct 1, 2026 | Verified |
| Luminate NYoptics, photonics, imaging and lasers | Up to $100,000 convertible note at acceptance; finalists compete for part of $2 million in follow-on funding | Not publishedHybrid accelerator and investment fund in Rochester, New York, administered by NextCorps and funded by Empire State Development's Finger Lakes Forward Initiative, for startups built on optics, photonics, imaging or lasers. Each accepted company receives up to $100,000 in a convertible note at program acceptance and can compete at Luminate Finals for part of $2 million in follow-on funding, including $1 million to the Company of the Year; companies that accept follow-on funding must remain in Rochester. Applicants must be incorporated, have proven the technology at least at lab scale, and have at least two full-time team members; cohort members spend about one week a month in person, mostly in Rochester. Teams from outside the U.S. are accepted. The apply page describes six months of programming and the FAQ a 7-month program, so program length is left null. Cohort 10 applications close January 11, 2027. | Equity for cash | NY | Hybrid | Jan 11, 2027 | Oct 1, 2026 | Verified |
| mHUB Accelerator (Energy Tech / MedTech / Sustainable Manufacturing tracks)hardtech and advanced manufacturing | $200,000 initial investment for 6.5% equity (cash plus in-kind services; breakdown varies by mHUB page) | 6.5% | Equity for cash | IL | In person | None confirmed | Oct 1, 2026 | Verified |
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