A growing number of makers, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs are paving the way by producing lower-cost, higher-quality, easier-to-use hardware tools. But many inventors find it difficult to turn their prototypes into effective and useful tools that can be sustainably produced at scale.
The Tool Foundry accelerator is a four-month program emphasizing education and collaboration to help inventor teams strengthen their tools and build a foundation for sustainable growth. Every team has different needs — from business planning to user testing. The accelerator experience includes customized support and curated resources to help teams rapidly address barriers, fill gaps, and develop sustainable business models.
As part of the accelerator, cohort members have access to the following:
Non-dilutive funding to offset expenses associated with participation in the accelerator.
Virtual learning modules from experts on topics including user-centered design, sustainable business modeling, and supply chain optimization.
Expert guidance, exercises, and resources to iterate and develop tools and put learnings into practice.
Connection to industry leaders for expert advice, on-demand problem- solving, and relationship building.
Partnerships with community organizations to put tools in the hands of potential users for testing, feedback, and community building.
Virtual and in-person opportunities to collaborate, share expertise, and learn from fellow cohort members.
We received 71 applications from inventor teams working on a wide variety of tools from across the country, representing universities, startups, makerspaces, and hardware organizations.
The Tool Foundry review panel conducted the first round of application review, narrowing the field to 12 cohort candidates. The cohort candidates presented to the selection committee and answered questions about the potential impact of their tools and how they plan to scale.
Based on the selection criteria — including team ability, growth potential, and vision — Tool Foundry invited five teams to join the accelerator cohort. These cohort teams are working on accessible tools in application areas including biomedical imaging, health and environmental monitoring, and digital fabrication.
Feles One Desktop Biolab, Feles
An all-in-one desktop biolab that integrates multiple scientific instruments, including a thermo-cycler, spectrometer, and centrifuge, to complete most molecular biology and synthetic biology experiments. Feles enables anyone to discover and invent with biotechnology.
MakeItSo, University of Washington
An end-to-end, open-source solution for scripted, machine-driven processes that require the precision and accuracy of computer control. MakeItSo is a flexible platform for scientists to design and execute custom experiments with multiple tools.
Octopi, Prakash Lab
A open-access, modular, and high-throughput microscope that can be rapidly configured for specific applications in disease diagnosis, environmental monitoring, and research.
On-Target Cards, Access Sensor Technologies
A credit card-sized sampling tool that enables anyone to perform fast, quantitative testing of multiple elements found in water and soil. The cards can be used to monitor any source of water, including streams, rivers, and lakes.
Spectra, Mindseye Biomedical
A portable, open-source, biomedical imaging system that uses the same method as a CAT scan for real-time, inexpensive image reconstructions. Spectra enables anyone to explore medical physics from their own home, without expensive hospital equipment.
The selection committee — distinguished leaders in entrepreneurship, science innovation, social impact investment, design and engineering, and science and technology equity — evaluated teams and tools to identify those who have the greatest potential for success.
The Tool Foundry accelerator supports high-potential teams with prototypes for low-cost, high-quality, and easy-to-use tools for scientific discovery. “Low-cost” may mean free, $5, or $50 — most importantly, teams must demonstrate how their tool provides a significant decrease in cost or increase in performance that expands access.
We are committed to promoting equity in all aspects of the Tool Foundry initiative. Teams with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, including those from historically marginalized groups were encouraged to apply.
The selection committee used the following criteria to evaluate teams and their tools:
Tool Foundry is proud to be part of an inspiring community expanding access to science. Help us advance powerful scientific discovery tools anyone can use.
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Alex Healey is a senior associate at Acumen, a nonprofit organization that seeks to mobilize entrepreneurship as a means for tackling poverty. As a member of Acumen’s impact investment team, he focuses on developing market venture investments and funding product development. Prior to Acumen, Alex was an investment banker at J.P. Morgan in New York. Alex holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Amherst College.
Alexis Lewis is a social innovation entrepreneur and teen inventor who advocates for InventEd and the democratization of invention. She holds a patent; is a nationally recognized speaker with engagements at the White House, TEDx, and SXSW EDU; and has been featured in short documentaries by Smithsonian Magazine and “The STEM10.” Alexis is currently a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Bilal is a Partner at Lux Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in emerging technologies in the physical and life sciences. He is attracted to startups that solve real, practical problems with technically ambitious solutions. Prior to joining Lux, Bilal was an investor at General Catalyst Partners, and co-founded GEO2 Technologies, an advanced materials company. Bilal currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Lemelson Foundation for invention and entrepreneurship. He earned a PhD from MIT, and holds 30+ patents and patent applications.
Christofer Nelson is the chief operating officer of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), an international organization of science centers, museums, and related institutions dedicated to furthering public engagement with science among increasingly diverse audiences. Previously, he was Program Director of Georgetown University’s Program on Science in the Public Interest, Director of Content for the USA Science & Engineering Festival, and Assistant Director for Open Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Denice Ross is a fellow in residence at Georgetown’s Beeck Center, where she supports the Schmidt Futures data collaboratives portfolio around issues such as disasters, Census 2020, and climate change. Previously, she worked on data and innovation initiatives at New America, within the Obama administration (where she founded the White House Police Data Initiative), the City of New Orleans, and Data Center. Denice holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, where she was a Goldwater Scholar.
Keith Kirkland is the co-founder of WearWorks, a company building products and experiences that communicate information through touch, including WAYBAND™, a haptic navigation device for the blind and visually impaired. As a mechanical engineer and industrial designer, he has developed innovation-based concepts and experiences for the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, Discovery Channel, Dropbox, the Yokohama Government, and the National Science Foundation.
Robbie Barbero is the chief business officer at Ceres Nanosciences, a venture-backed biotechnology company. Prior to Ceres, he was the Assistant Director of Biological Innovation at the White House and worked at various biotechnology startups. Robbie received his Ph.D. in biological engineering from MIT, where he was an MIT Presidential Fellow and a Siebel Scholar, and his A.B. and B.E. degrees in engineering sciences from Dartmouth College.
Ruthe Farmer is a U.S.-based activist and advocate for diversity and inclusion in technology, and currently the chief evangelist at CSforALL. Previously, she served as senior policy advisor for tech inclusion at the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, and led strategy and K-12 programs at the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). She holds a master’s degree in social entrepreneurship from the University of Oxford.