mHUB

What mHUB does

mHUB is a 501c3 nonprofit innovation center headquartered at 1623 W. Fulton Street in Chicago, Illinois, operating the largest independent hardtech prototyping facility in the United States. Founded in 2017, the organization occupies an 80,000+ sq ft building on a 2-acre site equipped with $6M+ of specialized equipment across 11 laboratories spanning 3D printing, cold and hot metals, electronics, finishing, laser cutting, plastics, software, testing, textiles, water work, and woodworking, plus a micro-factory for low-volume production runs. mHUB serves early-stage hardtech startups, corporate innovation teams, contract manufacturers, and investors through an integrated platform combining coworking/workspace memberships (Co-working $335/mo, Reserved Desk $450/mo, Dedicated Office $1,350+/mo, Shop Membership $450/10-pack, Social $125/mo), an application-based 6-month accelerator offering $200K investment for 6.5% equity, a 4-month sponsored pre-accelerator (mPOWER), a nine-month technical fellowship, R&D consulting (HardTech Development Services), corporate innovation partnerships with industry leaders, and an associated seed-stage venture fund (mHUB Ventures Spark Fund I at $15M closed, $20M Fund II targeted).

The business model is hybrid: recurring membership dues provide baseline revenue; accelerator equity stakes and follow-on venture investments in 61 portfolio companies provide long-duration upside; corporate partnerships with Baxter, GE HealthCare, Endeavor Health, Generac, Equinix, HPE, Salesforce, Marmon, Panduit, Constellation, Invenergy, and others co-fund cohorts and pilots; philanthropic grants (Rockefeller Foundation $1M in 2026, Landis Family Foundation, Christopher Family Foundation, Bank of America) and federal/state funding (U.S. Department of Commerce $778K, U.S. Department of Energy prizes, Illinois DCEO $590K, Illinois state $675K) support programs; and event space rental plus HardTech Summit sponsorship (1,200+ attendees) generate auxiliary revenue. Go-to-market is multi-modal: self-serve online applications for membership and mPOWER, inside sales for accelerator cohort recruitment (now including a global call for the Energy Tech Compute-Energy Nexus Cohort), enterprise account management for corporate innovation, and referral channels via 12+ community partners including 1871, NSBE-Chicago, Polsky, MATTER, and Chicago:Blend.

mHUB's strategic position is reinforced by its role in federal and regional technology coalitions — including the EDA-designated Bloch Quantum Tech Hub, Heartland Climate Tech Partnership, Wells Fargo IN2 Channel Partner program, and MachH2 hydrogen alliance — and by its impact metrics (cumulative $2.33B capital raised by member startups, 1,852 products launched, 627 patents, 7,251 jobs created, 60,000+ community members). The center has scaled its thematic focus from a single accelerator track into three specialized cohorts (Energy Tech, MedTech, Smart & Sustainable Manufacturing) plus emerging verticals in quantum hardware (via the IQMP On-Ramp Program), data center sustainability, and industrial water technology, positioning it as the anchor node in the Midwest's hardtech commercialization ecosystem.

Name

mHUB

Legal name

mHUB

Website

https://mhub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

mHUB is a Chicago-based 501c3 nonprofit operating the largest independent U.S. hardtech innovation center, providing 80,000+ sq ft of coworking, 11 prototyping labs with $6M+ of equipment, a 6-month accelerator investing $200K for 6.5% equity, and a seed venture fund serving early-stage physical-product startups, corporate partners, and investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hardtech Innovation Center

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

R&D / Prototyping & MPW Shuttle Foundries (HDAHACAI)

Keywords

• Hardtech innovation center
• Prototyping labs
• Startup accelerator
• Venture capital
• Hardware development

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues (Co-working, Reserved Desk, Dedicated Office, Social, Shop): Recurring monthly membership revenue: Co-working $335/mo, Reserved Desk $450/mo, Dedicated Office $1,350+/mo, Social Membership $125/mo, Shop Membership $450/10x punch card. Plus customizable Associate/Group Memberships for corporate and community partners.
2. Accelerator Investment (Equity in Cohort Startups): $200,000 initial investment in each selected accelerator startup ($100K cash + $30K cash reimbursement + $70K in-kind services) for 6.5% equity. ~30% of fund capital reserved for follow-on investments. Functions as a seed-stage venture investment vehicle.
3. HardTech Development Services (R&D Consulting): Professional services revenue from contracted R&D, product development, prototyping, and engineering work for manufacturers and corporates; has generated $2M+ in member contractor income and worked with 60+ unique clients (startups to Fortune 500).
4. Event Space Rental & Sponsorship: Revenue from renting 5,000+ sq ft of premier event space (Main Event Space seats 220, classroom seats 60, conference rooms) and corporate sponsorship of the HardTech Summit, Fourth Revolution Awards, Demo Days, and Community BBQ.
5. Philanthropy, Grants & Program Sponsorship: 501c3-supported via grants and program sponsorships: $1M two-year grant from The Rockefeller Foundation; $2.8M with 1871 for job creation; $778K U.S. Dept. of Commerce; $675K Illinois State funding; two DOE prizes; Landis Family Foundation; Christopher Family Foundation; Bank of America mPOWER sponsorship.
6. mHUB Ventures LP Management & Carry (Future/Existing Fund): mHUB Ventures is the investment arm of mHUB, raising a $20M second hardtech fund (2025) after closing a $15M Spark Fund I. Revenue/return generated through venture LP economics: management fees on AUM and carry on exits from portfolio companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion6 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

mHUB operates an 80,000+ sq ft hardtech innovation center at 1623 W. Fulton Street, Chicago, combining an 11-lab physical prototyping facility with $6M+ of equipment, a 6-month accelerator program offering $200K-for-6.5%-equity investments across Energy Tech, MedTech, and Sustainable Manufacturing tracks, and a seed-stage venture fund (mHUB Ventures Spark Fund I & II). The center sells coworking and dedicated office memberships, runs an annual HardTech Summit and Fourth Revolution Awards, and delivers contracted HardTech Development Services (R&D consulting) to manufacturers and corporates.

Product overview

mHUB operates a single integrated platform — a physical hardtech innovation center at 1623 W. Fulton Street in Chicago — composed of multiple interconnected programs and modules rather than a single discrete product. The core offering is the mHUB Innovation Center, which combines physical workspace (Coworking, Reserved Desk, Dedicated Office, and Shop Memberships), the 11-lab Prototyping Lab with $6M of equipment, and the mHUB Accelerator — the 6-month flagship accelerator with $200K-for-6.5%-equity investments. The Accelerator branches into three thematic sub-programs: the Energy Tech Accelerator (with the upcoming Compute-Energy Nexus Cohort), the MedTech Accelerator, and the Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing Accelerator. Earlier-stage founders enter through the mPOWER pre-accelerator, while technical specialists can apply to the Landis Family Hardtech Development Fellowship. The mHUB Ventures Spark Funds sit alongside the accelerator as the venture capital investment arm. Supporting services include HardTech Development Services (R&D consulting), Corporate Innovation Programs (industry partnerships), Community Partners, and the HardTech Summit and Fourth Revolution Awards flagship events. Since 2017, mHUB has supported over 1,100 entrepreneurs, raised over $2B in capital, launched 1,852 products, awarded 627 patents, and helped create nearly 7,000 jobs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• mHUB Ventures: Investment arm of mHUB managing the mHUB Spark Fund I, Spark Fund II, and mHUB Product Impact Fund for early-stage hardtech startups.
• mHUB Product Impact Fund
• Landis Family Fellowship
• mPOWER
• mHUB Accelerator

Products and services

• mHUB Innovation Center The nation's largest independent hardtech and manufacturing innovation center, located at 1623 W. Fulton Street, Chicago, IL. Over 80,000 sq ft with 11 prototyping labs, $6M of equipment, and shared workspace supporting over 270 startups at any time across sectors including medical devices, energy, sustainability, and smart manufacturing.
• mHUB Accelerator A 6-month, hands-on application-based accelerator program providing $200,000 initial investment ($142.5K cash + $60K services/programming/hardware) for 6.5% equity, with 18 months of follow-on support. 100+ hours of expert-led workshops, 50+ industry-leading mentors, and access to $6M of state-of-the-art equipment across 11 prototyping labs. Branches into Energy Tech, MedTech, and Sustainable Manufacturing tracks.
• Energy Tech Accelerator (Compute-Energy Nexus Cohort) 6-month accelerator fast-tracking early-stage startups through hands-on product development for hardtech solutions in renewable energy, hydrogen, carbon capture & sequestration, energy storage, vehicle-to-grid, distributed energy resources, and the compute-energy nexus. Upcoming Compute-Energy Nexus Cohort (2026-2027) supports startups in data center efficiency, grid resilience, and sustainable power systems.
• MedTech Accelerator 6-month accelerator for MedTech startups developing solutions in medicine delivery, remote patient monitoring, wearables, sensing and diagnostics, chronic disease management, connected therapeutic devices, surgical instruments, minimally invasive monitoring, robotic healthcare devices, and improved drug delivery methods. 46+ MedTech startup investments made to date. Industry-led by Baxter, Endeavor Health, and GE HealthCare.
• Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing Accelerator 6-month accelerator for early-stage startups developing hardtech solutions in smart and sustainable manufacturing, including IoT, predictive maintenance, machine-to-machine learning, edge computing, robotics, automation, quality control, equipment & warehouse monitoring, and circularity. Most recent cohort (April 2026): Sustainable Water Tech Accelerator with Current.
• mPOWER Pre-Accelerator Application-based 4-month pre-accelerator program designed to fast-track early-stage idea-stage startups through the discovery phase. Sponsored 4-month membership at mHUB with shared workspace, access to $6M prototyping equipment, dedicated mentor support, networking opportunities, speaker series, and eligibility for a microgrant. No fee to participate.
• Landis Family Hardtech Development Fellowship Nine-month fellowship granting innovators access to mHUB's innovation center to test and cultivate technical and professional skills. Provides $500 monthly stipend, complimentary reserved desk membership, access to prototyping labs with training, portfolio development, and free technical and business development workshops.
• mHUB Prototyping Lab Rapid prototyping lab in Chicago with over $6M of equipment, 11 specialized labs including 3D Printing, Cold Metals, Electronics, Finishing, Hot Metals, Lab Benches, Laser Cutting, Plastics, Software, Testing, Textiles, Wet Labs, and Woodworking. Provides access to design/development software (Fusion360, Autodesk, Solidworks, CAD), one-on-one training, fabrication and 3D printing services, and a micro-factory for low-volume production runs.
• mHUB Ventures (Spark Funds) Investment arm of mHUB, founded in 2020, investing in early-stage hardtech companies across Smart & Sustainable Manufacturing, MedTech, and Energy Tech. Operates Spark Fund I and Spark Fund II, with 61 startups invested to date. Targets initial investments of $200K through Spark Funds and the mHUB Accelerator program, with approximately 30% of fund capital reserved for follow-on investments.
• Corporate Innovation Program Bespoke corporate partnerships connecting industry leaders with early-stage innovators to develop and commercialize new products. Offers corporate investment in early-stage innovation, expansion of internal corporate innovation teams via mHUB HardTech Development services, and visibility within a global innovation community. Corporate partners include Baxter, GE HealthCare, Endeavor Health, Generac, Marmon, Panduit, Avnet, Constellation, Invenergy, Nicor Gas, Ingredion, Exelon, Equinix, HPE, Salesforce, Bank of America, Milwaukee Tool, Comcast, Kirkland & Ellis, Cooley, and others.
• mHUB HardTech Development Services Consulting service providing manufacturers access to engineers, industrial designers, and developers with diverse backgrounds to support R&D, product development, and process improvement. Since a 2018 pilot, has worked with over 60 unique clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies, developed more than 75 new products, and has provided over $2 Million in income to mHUB members.
• mHUB Memberships Multiple membership options for the mHUB coworking and prototyping space, including Co-working/Shared Workspace (~$335/mo), Reserved Desk ($450/mo), Dedicated Office ($1,350+/mo for teams of 2-30), Associate/Group Membership (price varies), Social Membership ($125/mo), and Shop Membership ($450/10X punch card). Benefits include access to prototyping labs, mentor network, design/CAD software, and event spaces.
• HardTech Summit Annual flagship event bringing together top hardtech entrepreneurs, startups, investors, and industry leaders to celebrate innovation in the Midwest. The 2026 Summit (March 5, 2026) featured 50+ mHUB companies, 35+ startup founder pitches, and a keynote from Larry Gies (Founder & CEO of Madison Industries), attracting more than 1,200 entrepreneurs and public/private sector professionals.
• Fourth Revolution Awards Annual awards ceremony honoring innovators, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers driving hardtech technologies and businesses that define the future of industry. 2026 categories include Community Empowerment, Excellence in Engineering, Innovation of the Year, Rising Star, and Small & Medium-Sized Manufacturer of the Year, plus Honorary Industry Awards (Manufacturer of the Year, Corporate Champion).

Named customers20 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

57 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Equinix FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Industry partner of mHUB's 2026–2027 Compute-Energy Nexus Cohort (Energy Tech Accelerator) along with Generac, HPE Foundation, Marmon, and Salesforce. Provides funding, mentorship, and pilot opportunities for startups at the compute-energy nexus.
• GeneracflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Industry partner of mHUB's 2026–2027 Compute-Energy Nexus Cohort; Generac's VP of Strategy and Development, Jeff Pontius, and Senior Sales Engineer Tim Pulliam serve on the accelerator team.
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Industry partner of mHUB's 2026–2027 Compute-Energy Nexus Cohort; HPE's Global Head of Social Impact, Fred Tan, serves on the accelerator team.
• Marmon HoldingsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Industry partner of mHUB's 2026–2027 Compute-Energy Nexus Cohort; long-standing mHUB corporate partner across the accelerator and corporate innovation programs.
• SalesforceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Industry partner of mHUB's 2026–2027 Compute-Energy Nexus Cohort providing corporate connections, mentorship, and pilot opportunities for energy tech startups.
• Evergreen Climate InnovationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Partner of mHUB's Energy Tech Accelerator. Also part of the Heartland Climate Tech Partnership, alongside mHUB, Centrepolis Accelerator, and Spark Innovation Center.
• Norton Rose FulbrightflagshipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 11 March 2026Legal partner of mHUB's Energy Tech Accelerator (Compute-Energy Nexus Cohort). Supports early-stage startups developing technologies at the intersection of compute and energy, addressing energy demand from data centers, AI, and digital infrastructure.
• Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Partnership with mHUB to host the IQMP On-Ramp Program, allowing quantum technology companies to access four specialized labs (cryostats, control electronics, lasers, optical tables) at mHUB's 1623 W. Fulton facility while the 128-acre permanent park (broken ground fall 2025; first phase 2027) is under construction. Illinois DCEO provides grant support for renovations.
• Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024mHUB joined Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) as a Channel Partner in collaboration with Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University in Michigan, to advance and share programmatic resources for manufacturing readiness to support energy startups.
• 1871flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2021Tech hubs mHUB and 1871 jointly received $2.8 million to create jobs in Chicago. 1871 is also a community partner that provides discounted mHUB membership access.
• Heartland Climate Tech Partnership (HCTP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of Evergreen Climate Innovations, Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University, mHUB, and Spark Innovation Center, with project affiliates Chain Reaction Innovations (Argonne National Laboratory) and Innovation Crossroads (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), plus the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, to address urgent energy innovation while creating Midwest manufacturing jobs.
• Bloch Quantum Tech Hub (Chicago Quantum Exchange)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnermHUB is a member of The Bloch Hub led by the Chicago Quantum Exchange as part of the U.S. Economic Development Administration Tech Hubs program, with the potential to drive U.S. global quantum leadership and generate over 30,000 new jobs and $60B in revenue.
• MachH2 (Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnermHUB is part of the MachH2 alliance committed to growing the Midwest regional hydrogen value chain to deliver climate and community impact; clean hydrogen production powered by the region's carbon-free energy.
• Baxter InternationalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner leading mHUB's 2025 MedTech Accelerator cohort (along with Endeavor Health and GE HealthCare); multiple Baxter executives (Steve Daley, John Ranz, Jessica Tam, Evan Mosley) serve on the accelerator team. Long-standing mHUB partner across the corporate innovation program.
• GE HealthCareflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner leading mHUB's 2025 MedTech Accelerator cohort (along with Baxter and Endeavor Health); John (Jay) Hill, VP Advanced Technology at GE Healthcare, serves on the accelerator team.
• Endeavor HealthflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner leading mHUB's 2025 MedTech Accelerator cohort (along with Baxter and GE HealthCare); Justin Brueck and Brad Bennett from Endeavor Health serve on the accelerator team. Endeavor Health also a corporate partner.
• PanduitflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner across mHUB's accelerator cohorts (CTO Brett Lane quoted in support of mHUB) and corporate innovation program; long-standing mHUB partner.
• AvnetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner across mHUB's accelerator programs; Bill Ogden, Director of Supply Chain at Avnet, serves on the Sustainable Manufacturing accelerator team.
• ConstellationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner of mHUB's accelerator and corporate innovation program; Colleen Wright, VP of Strategy & Growth at Constellation, is a past HardTech Summit speaker.
• InvenergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner across mHUB's accelerator programs; Sunny Elebua, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer at Exelon, is a past HardTech Summit speaker.
• Nicor GascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner across mHUB's accelerator and corporate innovation programs.
• IngredioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner of mHUB's Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing Accelerator; event sponsor.
• Current (powered by GE)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-led the 2026 mHUB & Current Sustainable Water Tech Accelerator cohort, supporting startups developing technologies for industrial water use, reuse, monitoring, and infrastructure.
• Perkins CoiecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal partner of mHUB displayed on the About page; provides legal services to the mHUB community.
• Cooley LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal partner of mHUB displayed on the corporate innovation page.
• Kirkland & ElliscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal partner of mHUB displayed on the corporate innovation page.
• Chicago:BlendcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit headquartered at mHUB building a more diverse VC industry for Chicago; fellows have full access to mHUB membership resources.
• Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (University of Chicago)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner that extends mHUB access to hardware companies based at the Polsky Exchange by providing complementary equipment resources for product development innovators.
• NSBE-Chicago (National Society of Black Engineers - Chicago)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner offering mHUB chapter members 50% off of Shared Workspace membership.
• MATTERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting development and commercialization of medical device companies by combining space and resources with mHUB.
• Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce (GECC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with mHUB to create the Clean Tech Innovation Network (CTIN) supporting manufacturing-based innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation focused on energy infrastructure for grid modernization.
• Argonne National LaboratoryflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner; mHUB Board Director Megan C. Clifford is Argonne's Associate Laboratory Director for Science & Technology Partnerships and Outreach. Chain Reaction Innovations at Argonne is a Heartland Climate Tech Partnership affiliate. Argonne is a technology partner providing members access to research, tools, and testing.
• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnermHUB Board Chair Meredith O'Connor is Int'l Director, Co-Chairman of Headquarters Practice Group at JLL; JLL is also an event sponsor.
• 1871 (Kevin Willer)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnermHUB Board Director Kevin Willer is Founder and CEO at 1871 and Partner at Chicago Ventures. 1871 is also a community partner and co-recipient of $2.8M for job creation.
• Madison IndustriesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnermHUB Board Director Shelli Nelson is Managing Director of Talent Acquisition at Madison Industries. Larry Gies, Founder & CEO of Madison Industries, delivered the keynote at the 2026 HardTech Summit.
• VerizonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent sponsor of mHUB's 2026 event season.
• Rush University Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent sponsor and clinical partner; mHUB Board Director Garth N. Walker, MD, MPH is Chief Medical Officer at Rush Health.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of IllinoisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent sponsor of mHUB's 2026 event season.
• Comcast BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing mHUB corporate partner and event sponsor.
• KPMGcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProfessional services partner of mHUB; mHUB Board Director Travis Hunter is Managing Partner, Chicago, KPMG LLP. KPMG is also an event sponsor.
• ExeloncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner of mHUB's Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing Accelerator; Sunny Elebua, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, is a past HardTech Summit speaker.
• University of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner supporting mHUB's energy innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce development programs alongside the U.S. Department of Energy.
• BoschminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner represented on the mHUB Sustainable Manufacturing accelerator team (Deborah Brown, Manager, Mobile IoT).
• Keysight TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing mHUB members with access to software, research, tools, and testing equipment.
• UL (Underwriters Laboratories)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing mHUB members with access to research, tools, and testing equipment.
• Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-member of Heartland Climate Tech Partnership; co-recipient of Wells Fargo IN2 Channel Partner funding to advance programmatic resources for manufacturing readiness to support energy startups.
• Spark Innovation CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-member of the Heartland Climate Tech Partnership alongside mHUB, Evergreen Climate Innovations, and Centrepolis Accelerator.
• Chain Reaction Innovations (Argonne National Laboratory)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject affiliate of the Heartland Climate Tech Partnership.
• Innovation Crossroads (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject affiliate of the Heartland Climate Tech Partnership.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject affiliate of the Heartland Climate Tech Partnership.
• Future FounderscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner building the nation's largest inclusive community of young entrepreneurs; provides mHUB access to its network.
• GET Cities ChicagominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner building relationships to enhance, support, and scale Chicago's inclusivity efforts; committed to narrowing the gender gap in tech.
• West Side ForwardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner committed to driving the economic revitalization of Chicago's West Side.
• Fem Poder HubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner dismantling obstacles and empowering women of color to bring their fempreneurial visions to life in Chicago.
• BWISE (Black Women in Science and Engineering)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner that facilitates visibility of hardware entrepreneurship and product development techniques and technologies.
• Revolution InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner dedicated to closing the racial wealth gap and creating cooperative business ownership programs.
• Chicago Inventors AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner providing positive, affordable, credible resources to inventors whose products range across all markets.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Greentown Labs: The largest climatetech incubator in North America, operating a hardware prototyping facility in Somerville, MA with a seed venture fund. Directly comparable to mHUB as a hardtech/cleantech-focused innovation center that combines prototyping infrastructure, a structured accelerator, and a venture fund for early-stage startups.
• Rev1 Ventures: Columbus, OH-based startup accelerator and venture fund that combines coworking, prototyping, and seed/Series A capital. Comparable to mHUB as a Midwest-anchored innovation center with an integrated facility-plus-fund model serving hardware and life sciences startups.
• MassChallenge: Global nonprofit accelerator offering equity-free programs and corporate partnerships. Comparable to mHUB's nonprofit, corporate-partnered accelerator model, though MassChallenge is more software/consumer-leaning while mHUB is hardtech-specific.
• Bolt: Hardware-focused seed-stage venture fund and founder-support platform with a prototyping facility. Comparable to mHUB Ventures + Prototyping Lab as a hardtech-specialized capital-plus-infrastructure model.
• Innovation Works: Pittsburgh-based seed-stage venture fund and accelerator (including the AlphaLab and AlphaLab Gear hardware programs). Comparable to mHUB as a regional innovation center combining accelerator, seed fund, and a hardware-specific program track.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator network with industry-specific programs including Techstars Sustainability and hardware-adjacent verticals. Comparable to mHUB as a structured accelerator offering mentorship and seed investment, though it is broader and software-leaning rather than hardtech-specific.
• Y Combinator: The world's largest startup accelerator, now running industry-specific programs including hardware-adjacent tracks. Comparable as a structured accelerator with seed investment, though YC is software-first, remote, and orders of magnitude larger than mHUB's cohorts.

Regional players

• 1871: Chicago's premier tech hub and mHUB's named community partner / co-recipient of $2.8M in 2021 job creation funding. Closely related as a Chicago-based innovation center with coworking and programming, though focused on software/enterprise rather than hardtech prototyping.
• Chain Reaction Innovations (Argonne National Laboratory): U.S. Department of Energy-funded accelerator at Argonne National Laboratory supporting energytech and hardtech startups with mentorship and lab access. A Heartland Climate Tech Partnership affiliate of mHUB; comparable as a national-lab-affiliated hardtech accelerator with overlapping energy tech focus.

Emerging players

• Lemnos Labs: Early-stage venture fund focused exclusively on hardware startups, investing in pre-seed and seed rounds. Comparable to mHUB Ventures as a hardtech-specialized seed investor, though Lemnos is capital-only and lacks the physical facility component.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mHubChicago
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/mHUBofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/mHUBChicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mhub-chicago
• Instagraminstagram.com/mhubchicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds14 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments58 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about mHUB