IEEE Entrepreneurship Connects Hardware Startups With Investors
View original at spectrum.ieee.orgIEEE Spectrum - Technical Title: IEEE Entrepreneurship Connects Hardware Startups With Investors Date: 2026-04-16 18:00 Source: https://spectrum.ieee.org/ieee-entrepreneurship-hardware-startups-investors <img src="https://spectrum.ieee.org/media-library/groups-of-people-seated-together-at-several-tables-inside-of-a-lar…
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I loved getting the investors' perspectives and understanding what they're looking for
60% confidenceRoughly 90 percent of hard tech startups fail due to funding constraints, longer R&D timelines for developing hardware, and the complexity of manufacturing their products
60% confidenceIEEE is a natural fit for the program because hard tech is synonymous with electrical engineering
60% confidenceHard tech startups typically need at least $30 million in funding, double the funding needed by software companies on average
60% confidenceI met a lot of young entrepreneurs tackling some big challenges. This is one of the best events to meet some very-early-stage companies
60% confidenceThe connection with the community was fantastic, especially investors and founders in robotics
60% confidenceHard tech startups require up to 50 percent more investor financing than software startups
60% confidenceIEEE has societies for robotics, semiconductors, and aerospace technology, providing many resources for startups including mentors and guides on commercialization
60% confidenceMet a lot of great contacts and saw what the hard tech venture climate is like
60% confidenceEven though there are a lot of startup investor conferences, it's hard to find those focused on hard tech
60% confidenceThose in the community would benefit from coming to the summit
60% confidenceMany investors are focused on AI software—which is good. But for hard tech companies, it is still hard to find support
60% confidenceThe journey for a hard tech startup is very long and arduous. Founders need to meet as many investors as possible and other people who support hard tech systems
60% confidence
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