M2M connects entrepreneurial makers and small businesses to a larger ecosystem of manufacturing.
Get in Touch Download PDF HereMaker-to-Manufacturing (M2M) Commercialization Center
Catalyst Connection is partnering with the Johnstown Area Regional Industries (JARI) and the University of Pittsburgh to provide both physical and virtual support to small entities seeking to commercialize their products. These organizations will work as a single virtual center to mentor entrepreneurs, support the scaling of start-ups to more robust economic expansion and job creation, connect innovators to the manufacturing supply chain, provide access to maker spaces, connect entrepreneurs to the region’s high-powered academic institutions, and provide access to seed capital.
The new virtual Maker-to-Manufacturing Commercialization Center (M2M) connects entrepreneurial makers and small businesses to a larger ecosystem of manufacturing. M2M offers services and resources including:
Technical Assistance
Assistance with prototype development, market research, business case development, sales and marketing strategies, production strategies, distribution strategies, and access to early stage capital. $3,000 to $5,000 of funding is available to support technical assistance projects for eligible participants.
Makers-to-Manufacturers Peer Network
This group provides guidance, education and training programs that include workshops and webcasts on topics including innovation and commercialization, and access to emerging Maker Spaces in the region.
Supply Chain Buyers Network
Startup companies can engage with supply chains in various industry clusters to make connections and gain entry into new markets.
How to Qualify
- You are a maker with a product, a startup company or an established business making an entrepreneurial change with a desire to grow a manufacturing enterprise in the metals and advanced materials sectors.
- You are located in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland County.
