The Prototype Lab at Groundswell Startups has officially been open for 3 months! 95 projects, and over 1500 parts printed, we've begun to see the quantifiable impact having a state-of-the-art additive manufacturing lab as a cornerstone of our ecosystem.
The Prototype Lab came to be in true startup-fashion - we had a problem that we needed to solve.
Over two years ago now, we had a company that had a part come in wrong, and without financial means, or time, to retool that part, we knew we had to find a way to get them over this obstacle. So we purchased a number of inexpensive resin prints, hired an intern from the Florida Institute of Technology and got to work. We failed, a lot. But through lots of trials, and a ton of error, we produced over 800 parts, assembled the product right at Groundswell, and got that company out of back order and into production and shipping. It opened our eyes to what was possible, and we thought, how else can we help?
So we purchased a bunch of mini FDM printers from PrusaLab and got to work. And we saw how much we could do some of the most basic, and inexpensive printers we could find at the time. We started to have conversations about what would be possible with industrial grade printers, access to more capabilities and resources, but at that point, it was still a far away dream - the need was there, the possibilities were endless, but the funding was an obstacle.
It was then that a county commissioner, Kristine Zonka, saw what we were doing, came for a tour of our space, and in an instant, she got it. She saw what we were trying to do, and how much more we could with a capital investment in our ecosystem. That tour and conversations resulted in a $500k one-time grant to build out the lab, an investment in our infrastructure. It was the largest fund-source I had secured in my career.
From there, we followed the startup path - we did our customer discovery. We brought together Jaycon Systems, Anderson Connectivity, and our founders and said what do you need, how we can we help, what machines could you put to use tomorrow? The Lab also presented a opportunity to partner with Catania Product Development, a long-standing partner of our ecosystem - they needed more space, we needed expertise - as with startups, timing is everything, and this is another example of that.
The Lab is now home to a whole series of industrial grade printers, powerful scopes and soldering stations, a laser cutter, tools and resources to make molds. We are about to bring in our last wave of equipment - that will specifically speak to the needs we've discovered over the past three months.
The Lab is one of the most collaborative spaces you will come across. Daily, Kenan, Raymond, our interns, and I work together to maximize resources, make sure everyone's deadlines are met, and most importantly, that startups are getting the very best product development support. We are fast, 24-48 turnaround times whenever possible. We are accessible - we meet founders and inventors where they are at, and work to use our resources to breakdown barriers to bringing new technologies to market.
The Lab is a game-changer - I see it everyday. I am incredibly proud of the resources and community we've built around this effort. That Groundswell Startups took the risk to take this on - that sponsors stepped up to support it. That we, luckily, had a building to move into and build out the space (Thanks, Bud).
If you are a founder who is looking to create a product, build out hardware, are looking for small-batch manufacturing, to get connected to an ecosystem with deep-roots in product development and design, we are ready to help. Our lab is open to you. Come see us on Irwin Street!
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