Up to $100,000's Worth of Production Services for Cool Ideas

Have a cool idea but don't have the funds to bring it to market? You might be able to get your idea prototyped with little or no money out of your own pocket. Last month, Proto Labs, which specializes in CNC machining and injection molding for prototype and short-run production, launched its first-ever Cool Idea! contest.

"The Proto Labs Cool Idea! Award is all about nurturing promising products while they're still ideas," the company states. "In 2011 we will award up to $100,000 in Firstcut CNC machining services and/or Protomold injection molding services to people who have a cool idea for a product and submit 3D CAD models of their parts. One or more awards may be granted each quarter with the aggregate of all awards not to exceed $100,000. 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."

“We’re extremely excited to launch the Cool Idea! award because we know there’s a single Cool Idea at the foundation of every innovation that changes our lives for the better,” said Brad Cleveland, CEO of Proto Labs. “In fact, the success of our company is due to a cool idea that made quick-turn injection molded prototypes a reality."

For more, listen to the recorded interview below with Bill Dietrick, Proto Labs' vice president of marketing.