October gave us plenty of reminders of what makes the FORGE community work: founders meeting manufacturers, experts sharing what they’ve learned, partners opening doors, and new funding helping promising technologies move forward.

From our Fall Startup Showcase to new grants, manufacturing connections, and stories from inside the FORGE team, this month’s newsletter is full of examples of those relationships at work.

From getting personalized advice from industry experts to exploring innovative manufacturing facilities, November offers plenty of opportunities to connect, learn, and move your business forward.

2:00–4:00 PM | The District, New Haven, CT

Building a physical product company comes with challenges first-time founders do not always see coming. Join FORGE Connecticut and wiggin(x) for a practical conversation with experienced practitioners covering legal and IP considerations, investment, manufacturing readiness, supply chains, and moving from prototype toward commercialization.

Attendees can also explore a mobile manufacturing demonstration truck and see modern manufacturing capabilities firsthand.

2:00–4:00 PM | CoCreate, Stamford, CT



Have a manufacturing challenge or need help finding the right supplier? Drop in for free, one-on-one conversations with FORGE experts in manufacturing, engineering, and supply chain development. Then go behind the scenes at CoCreate, GE Appliances' innovation hub, for a tour of the FirstBuild makerspace and CoFab microfactory. No appointment necessary!

11:00 AM–1:00 PM | Greentown Labs, Somerville, MA or Virtual

Designing a complex electronic product? The right interconnect solution can make all the difference in performance, reliability, and manufacturability. Meet one-on-one with technical experts from FORGE partner Samtec to discuss your connector and interconnect needs and explore solutions for your product. Four free, 30-minute appointments are available, in person or virtually.

11:00 AM–1:00 PM | Greentown Labs, Somerville, MA or Virtual

Are your startup's finances ready for the next stage of growth? Experts from FORGE Iron Partner CLA will offer personalized guidance on outsourced accounting, monthly financial reporting, grant reporting, and tax strategies that could uncover savings opportunities. Four free, 30-minute appointments are available, in person or virtually. Lunch will be provided for in-person participants beginning at 11:00 AM.

What a great evening for hardtech innovation! More than 150 startup founders, manufacturers, investors, and ecosystem partners gathered at Dassault Systèmes' Waltham headquarters for the 2026 FORGE Fall Startup Showcase.

The evening featured live demonstrations from 11 innovative startups, a lively panel discussion on putting AI to work for business growth, and the announcement of this year’s FORGE Product Development Grant recipients, supported by the Eastern Bank Foundation.

Missed the event, or want another look? Our full recap features startup highlights, insights from the AI panel, grant award details, and plenty of photos from the evening.

Explore the Fall Showcase Recap

Sometimes, the biggest step forward for a hardtech startup starts with finding the right manufacturing partner.

In 2025, FORGE made 363 curated connections between innovative companies and regional manufacturers and suppliers, helping bring great ideas closer to becoming real products.

These aren't just introductions. We take the time to listen, understand the challenges, and draw on our experience and relationships to connect companies with the right expertise and resources. In a world increasingly driven by AI, we believe there's still no substitute for human knowledge, experience, and the conversations that lead to real solutions.

For startups, the right connection can open the door to the next stage of development. For manufacturers, it can mean new customers, new markets, and exciting projects they might never have encountered otherwise.

That's what FORGE is all about: bringing innovators and manufacturers together to make things happen.

Explore the FORGE 2025 Impact Report

4:00–6:00 PM | Connecticut Science Center, Hartford, CT

Connecticut makes some incredible things! Join CONNSTEP and the CBIA Manufacturing Coalition for the unveiling of the new Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut exhibit.

Celebrate the state's manufacturing talent, explore innovative products, and connect with industry peers during an evening at the Connecticut Science Center.

Learn More & Register

Turning a promising prototype into a manufacturable product takes more than a great idea. It takes resources, expertise, and the right support.

Thanks to the generous support of the Eastern Bank Foundation, three innovative startups received a combined $75,000 in FORGE Product Development Grants, helping them tackle critical development challenges and move closer to commercialization.

HerZeta Tech | $49,489

Led by Yuzhen Zhang, HerZeta Tech is developing BactiSee, a smartphone-based system designed to detect bacterial contamination in minutes. Its grant will help transform a laboratory prototype into a manufacturable, pilot-ready product.

LiPhera | $18,926

Led by Jocelyn Foulke, LiPhera is developing innovative membrane technology to make lithium extraction and recovery more efficient. Its grant will support an integrated, bench-scale processing system, an important step toward scaling the technology.

Dialysis-X | $6,585

Led by Oluwagbebemi D. ('Niyi) Oyeniyi, Dialysis-X is developing a needle-free dialysis access system designed to improve treatment for patients. Its grant will support further product development and help advance the technology toward FDA readiness.

Each company is tackling a different challenge, but all three share a common goal: transforming promising technology into products that make a meaningful difference.

Congratulations to all three recipients, and thank you to the Eastern Bank for helping hardtech entrepreneurs take the next steps toward commercialization.

Mark Michalski - Manufacturing Expert in Residence

Taking a cooking class in Mexico

1. What brought you to FORGE?

After more than 40 years in manufacturing and operations, I had retired and wasn't really planning on going back to work. But FORGE offered something that was hard to pass up: a chance to put all those years of experience to good use helping entrepreneurs turn great ideas into real products. I liked the mission, the people, and the opportunity to stay involved in an industry that's been such a big part of my life.

2. What's your favorite part of working at FORGE?

I love the incredible variety of technologies I get to work with. In the same day, I might be helping a medtech startup solve a manufacturing challenge, talking through a new climate tech innovation, and then working with someone developing a clever consumer product that makes me wonder, "Why didn't I think of that?" Every day is different, and I get to work with some incredibly creative and passionate people along the way.

3. What's a project or moment at FORGE that you're especially proud of?

What I enjoy most about being a Manufacturing Expert in Residence is getting to work closely with startups over time and being part of their growth. I've been fortunate to work with Sunny for several years, helping the team navigate manufacturing challenges and watching them grow along the way. I never imagined that a menstrual care product would become one of the projects I feel most connected to, but the Sunny team is incredibly inspiring, and being part of their journey has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've had at FORGE.

4. What's something people might be surprised to learn about you?

Outside of manufacturing, I'm a pretty serious home cook. I love experimenting with recipes, learning new techniques, and trying to recreate dishes you'd find in a great restaurant. I'm also learning Spanish and have managed to keep a 1,083-day streak going on Duolingo. You'd think after nearly three years I'd be pretty fluent, but put me in an actual conversation and I still lock up!

Manufacturing Success Starts with the Right Network

Supply chain pressures continue to reshape how physical products move from concept to market. FORGE works with manufacturers of all sizes to support product innovation and connect companies with the right regional suppliers at the right moment in their growth. The result is stronger partnerships, more efficient development, and a clearer path to production.

Learn how FORGE can help strengthen your supply chain

Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS, a FORGE Steel Partner, helps engineers, designers, and manufacturers turn ideas into real products.

Its design, simulation, and product development tools are widely used across the manufacturing ecosystem, helping startups and established companies develop, test, refine, and prepare products for production.

For hardtech founders, access to the right digital tools early can make a real difference as they move from concept to prototype and ultimately toward manufacturing at scale.

We’re especially grateful to the Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS team for hosting our 2026 Fall Startup Showcase and helping us bring the FORGE community together for an evening of startups, manufacturing, and connection.

Thank you for your continued support of the innovators and manufacturers in our ecosystem.

Thank you to all of our partners!

We turn bright ideas into real, working things. Sometimes with sparks, always with passion. Help us keep the hardtech magic alive by supporting FORGE’s mission to connect innovators with the people and resources that make it all happen.

Every bit helps build the future (literally).

Keep up with the latest FORGE news