Great! Send us an email at info@thisishardware.org and we'll send you digital materials you can share. Please feel free to share the ISHOW website and call for applications at https://thisishardware.org/.
For 2022, ISHOW will be held virtually, but we hope to get back to in-person ISHOWs in 2023 and beyond. We encourage anyone to apply to the showcase that's located closest to their own country. If selected as a finalist, you would receive a travel grant to get you to the showcase.
We max the travel grants provided to two people per team. Any teammates beyond the two who receive a travel grant will need to sort their own accommodations to attend the showcase. For virtual ISHOWs, all teammates are welcome to join.
The application process is pretty simple and shouldn't take more than an hour. All of the questions are information you will probably already have. If you can’t answer certain questions on the application, that’s okay!
For 2022, the deadline for applications March 29 for India, April 26 for Kenya, and May 31 for USA. .
ISHOW is focused on hardware that will have a positive social, economic, and environmental impact.
Yes one business can apply with two products. In order to do this you would need to create two separate profiles with different email accounts, as each application can only have one product.
No, you don't. You're welcome to apply. If you’re interested in becoming an ASME member, please visit www.asme.org.
Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications we are unable to offer individual feedback. Generally, the reasons for not selecting an application as a finalist are:
Yes. In fact we encourage it. We are keen to see the progress you have made since your last application.
We provide a travel grant towards travel expenses if you are invited to attend the ISHOW Final. Hotel accommodations are included for up to two teammates as well.
Social innovation has many definitions (depending on who you ask)! We are using a broad definition and are interested in any hardware innovation that has the intent to solve a social or environmental problem. We also expect innovators to be committed to having a framework in place to measure the social impact their initiative will have. We have provided areas of social innovation that we are interested in including; water & sanitation, energy, safety, environment, food and agriculture, economic development & community empowerment and education. For examples of what we consider as hardware led social innovation please see our past winners and the case studies in DEMAND.
Yes. We are only interested in innovations that are taking a physical product to market. We are focused on physical products because this is an area that we think is under supported. We also feel that ASME has competence in design and engineering and so hardware is an area we should focus on.
You should plan to take your solution to market in a financially sustainable way and have a business model that puts your user/ customer at the center of your venture. We expect that most entries will be “for profit” ventures, but they can also be non-profit in nature or hybrid.
Your IP is very important to us. The intellectual property of your innovation is your responsibility at all times throughout the ISHOW process and your IP remains yours. Your ISHOW application will be shared with reviewers as part of our finalist selection process. It will also be shared with ISHOW judges and experts, which will help inform meaningful feedback/guidance they provide to help scale your venture to market. ISHOW promotes the free expression of ideas but encourages applicants/finalists to only share what they are comfortable sharing. The pitch to judges is a public forum, so please don’t include any sensitive IP materials. The round robin discussions with judges after the pitch are private, but not disclosing sensitive IP information will be your responsibility.
Only the judges and ASME technical reviewers will see your full application and it will never be shared outside this group without your consent.
In order to win applicants must be available to pitch in person at the showcase event.
Applicants will participate in the showcase that is closest to the residency of the applicant or operations of the business.
No, anyone that has a prototype of a hardware led social innovation can apply.
You can contact us at info@thisishardware.org.