Humanmade’s Hardware Accelerator Program
Fuelling California Startups
Humanmade is the largest Bay Area hardware accelerator focused on early-stage, hard tech startups, with an emphasis on under-represented founders. Within our 13,000 square foot facility we offer high-end equipment, skilled technical support, sunny coworking space, and a deep community of innovators and mentors. We excel at bringing ideas to life, from sketch to prototype to realized product and as a non-profit, we take no equity.
Our value is built around 3 main pillars:
Technical Training & Tools: hands-on design and prototyping support
Community: networking and co-working
Business Growth: fundamentals from marketing to financing
Throughout the Accelerator program, each company can expect to develop a catalog of assets and skills in each area that will fuel their unique product and team.
We also offer opportunities to stay and grow with Humanmade after completing the Accelerator program as well as connection to the network of California iHubs, and exclusive funding streams. The Accelerator teams are just one aspect of our innovation community, where founders, job seekers, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs contribute to a creative ecosystem.
Technical Training & Tools
Our industrial shops include all the machines, tools and space needed to support hardware development from an idea, through design, prototype, testing and design for manufacturing. Technical training and equipment are the foundation of the Accelerator program, which provides full access to the hardware, software and onsite experts necessary to support your product development. Resources include:
Wood Shop, Metal Shop, Digital Fabrication Shop, Sewing & Textiles, & Electronics
Training courses for every machine
Expert advisory Staff onsite
On-demand contract workforce for hire within the community of trained shop users
Community
Humanmade brings together a variety of programs in the same space, making it a unique and inspiring place to work, where you won’t get lost in a sea of startups all grinding towards a common deadline.
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Our Staff and Workshop Technicians are on hand to advise on all aspects of hardware development. Through meet-ups, virtual town halls and in-person meetings, our mentor network will provide guidance on all aspects of business growth and development.
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Our 12-week workforce development program, Next Generation Manufacturing Training or NGMT, provides skill training for participants to gain employment in the manufacturing industry, specifically in CNC or Digital Fabrication. Graduates are available to work as on-demand fabricators and designers for all businesses within Humanmade.
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Individuals can join the Humanmade community with a monthly membership for access to all equipment, trainings, and general workspace.
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Regional schools take design-and-make sprint courses with Humanmade to bring hands-on skills and learning opportunities to young people throughout the Bay Area.
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Accelerator alumni and fellow businesses at Humanmade all contribute to a robust network of peers that are bringing meaningful technology to market.
Business Growth
Humanmade is partnering with Silicon Valley In Your Pocket to provide a program in business fundamentals tailored specifically to hardware startups. Through the course of 8 guided units, each company will develop the legal documents, marketing strategy, growth strategy, pitch deck, and financial summaries to be investor ready and growth ready. The program will include in-person workshops for peer-to-peer learning, self-guided learning modules, and support from a network of mentors. With SVIYP’s experience supporting over 2500 companies, this partnership will fuel all aspects of business development.
Participant Benefits
Accelerator companies can expect to exit our program with a formally designed and prototyped product, a roadmap to manufacturing and production, and a rock-solid business foundation including legal paperwork, marketing strategy, and financial summaries that make your business investor ready and on track for growth. To get there, the program includes:
Free dedicated desk space in our sunny co-working space
Onsite design and fabrication experts
Workspace and workshop access
Free technical trainings to operate all workshop machines
Free membership to Humanmade
Free step-by-step business fundamentals program
Structured business coaching, goal setting and formal deliverables
Access to exclusive funding streams
Free reciprocal membership to all Studio 45 co-working and machine spaces
Discounted membership to the Informal network of contract engineers, designers, and marketers
Exclusive connection to our network of members, mentors and advisors
Access to on-demand contract workforce of trained shop operators
Presentation and promotion to a public audience at our celebrated Demo Day
Program Cycle
Application: Rolling Admissions Until Program Is Full, With A Cutoff On April 15, 2025
Onboarding: Accelerator Teams Will Co-locate At Humanmade By May 5th, 2025 For Orientation Week
Technical Training Immersive: 3-month Focus On Hardware Design And Development, Machine And Software Training Courses, Product/market Discovery, And Hands-on Advising
Business Growth: 8-unit Structured Course On Business Fundamentals With Our Partner Organization: Silicon Valley In Your Pocket
Demo Day: Public Presentation And Celebration Of All Cohort Companies, October 2025