The American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation has launched the Horizon Manufacturing Cup, a fast-pitch competition offering a total of $3 million in funding to five manufacturing and hardware startups, including a $1 million grand prize.
The competition will take place on October 20, 2026, at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
Horizon Manufacturing Cup is designed to identify and accelerate companies developing critical hardware, materials and advanced manufacturing technologies.
Participating companies will compete for non-dilutive awards while also gaining exposure to venture capital firms that could provide additional funding as they scale.
ACMI is targeting startups, corporate spin-outs and emerging technology companies that are moving from prototypes toward commercial production.
Winning companies will also receive access to resources within ACMI’s National Security Industrial Hub.
Those resources include advanced manufacturing prototyping equipment, industrial infrastructure, technical capabilities, supply-chain networks, manufacturing space and talent resources intended to help companies scale production.
ACMI positioned the competition around strengthening the U.S. industrial base and increasing domestic manufacturing capacity, particularly for technologies relevant to national security and the defense industrial base.
The organization sees a persistent gap between developing promising hardware technologies and establishing the physical manufacturing capabilities required to produce them at meaningful scale.
The Horizon Manufacturing Cup is intended to help bridge that gap by combining capital with manufacturing infrastructure and connections to investors.
Companies participating in the competition will present their technologies to a panel of judges.
Applications will be evaluated based on technical merit, innovation, prototype readiness, potential industrial impact, commercialization potential and overall readiness.
The initiative expands ACMI’s broader strategy of connecting commercial technology development with U.S. national security and industrial priorities.
ACMI operates through ACMI Federal, ACMI Capital and ACMI Properties, combining public and private capital with industrial infrastructure, technical expertise and other resources for manufacturers.
The organization focuses on expanding domestic production capabilities, strengthening supply chains and helping emerging and established manufacturing companies scale.
KEY QUOTES:
“The Horizon Manufacturing Cup will further solidify Indiana’s role as the heart of America’s defense industrial base. It will help identify manufacturing startups vital to designing, building, and scaling the technologies our warfighters need. I am proud of ACMI’s continued investments in Indiana and partnerships with IU.”
Jim Banks, U.S. Senator
“To secure our nation’s industrial capacity, we must fund innovation and provide the physical infrastructure required to scale production. ACMI’s Horizon Manufacturing Cup bridges the gap between disruptive technology concepts and real-world industrial output, anchoring critical capabilities right here in Indiana.”
Todd Young, U.S. Senator
“America is going through a manufacturing renaissance, and we need to tap into our best and brightest minds to scale their impact. We are proud to work with our partners to invest at the crossroads of America and build the American industrial base in our heartland.”
John Burer, Founder And CEO Of ACMI
