Practitioner Lessons for First-Time Hardtech Founders

Building a physical product company brings challenges that first-time founders often do not see coming.

Join FORGE Connecticut and host wiggin(x) at Wiggin and Dana LLP for a candid, practical conversation about what hardtech founders should know as they move from prototype toward funding, manufacturing, and commercialization.

This practitioner-led panel will bring together perspectives from legal, investment, manufacturing, and product development to share what they have seen work, where founders often struggle, and what entrepreneurs should be thinking about earlier.

Topics will include:

• Legal and IP considerations for physical product companies
• Moving from prototype to production
• What investors look for in hardtech startups
• Manufacturing readiness, costs, and supply chain
• When to engage manufacturers and strategic partners
• Resources available to Connecticut hardtech companies
• Attendees will also have the opportunity to step onboard and explore a mobile manufacturing demonstration truck parked on site, offering a firsthand look at modern manufacturing capabilities and use cases.

The goal of the event is for founders to leave with practical takeaways, sharper instincts, and useful connections as they build and scale.