There are many great product ideas out there that may never get the chance to get off the computer screen, into production, and ultimately into the hands of an adoring public. Why not? Even the most enthusiastic person who has put endless work into a topnotch idea may fall short in bringing their product to life if they don’t have the resources and funds to make that happen. That’s where the Proto Labs Cool Idea! Award program comes in.
Proto Labs is the world’s fastest custom manufacturer of prototype and low-volume parts. Our Firstcut® CNC machining and Protomold® injection molding services provide real parts from a 3D CAD model in as fast as one business day.
The Cool Idea! Award program was first introduced in the US in 2011, and expanded to include the EU in 2012. Since its launch, the award has helped bring to life everything from a device connecting a smartphone to a microscope that hopes to transform global healthcare, to an object tracking system capable of capturing video from up to 2000 feet away, to a self-pour beer system. Check out the full list of past recipients on our “Previous Award Recipients” page. Once again, in 2013, the Cool Idea! Award program will award a total of up to $250,000 in services to those with a fresh and innovative product idea just waiting to emerge. Winners can use their fully functional Firstcut and Protomold parts for prototyping, design iterations, testing, or even an initial production run—in short, helping move a project from pie-in-the-sky to product on the shelf.