FORGE 2025 Impact Report
Read on to view or download the FORGE 2025 Impact Report.
Hera Materials first came to FORGE in 2022 for support in developing and manufacturing Woodpack, a sustainable, recyclable biomaterial that replaces single-use plastic films like those in garment packaging and grocery bags. Since then, Hera has leveraged almost every element of FORGE’s programming, from manufacturing readiness workshops to local supply chain connections. FORGE awarded Hera a $100,000 Product Development Grant to fund its first demo production line of Woodpack. Hera’s high-speed production line, made in collaboration with local suppliers Prime Electric and P&H Services, will produce continuous, full-format, 300-pound rolls of Woodpack — a vital step on Hera’s journey to full-scale commercial production.
This year, we celebrated 10 years of the FORGE Manufacturing Initiative. Stories like Hera’s are what have driven FORGE’s mission for the past decade: fostering hardtech innovation and empowering local manufacturing to bridge the gap to scaled production.
Over ten years of proudly supporting and cheering on our network of amazing innovators and manufacturers, FORGE has served 1,124 innovative hardtech companies. An incredible 24% of those companies are in pilot to full scale production today. These innovators strongly agree that FORGE has meaningfully influenced the way they approach development, manufacturing, and/or supply chain as they grow and scale their companies. Manufacturers, suppliers, and other supply chain members tell us they engage with FORGE’s innovative companies to stay abreast of emerging technologies and markets, attract and retain rising talent, and find forward-looking business opportunities.
FORGE’s mission-driven support was essential for innovative companies and small/medium domestic manufacturers in 2025. Despite federal policy and initiatives aimed to support domestic manufacturing and suppliers, these companies faced tariffs, uncertainty about international politics and trade, and ongoing labor shortages. FORGE worked to help them continue to survive and thrive. In 2025 alone, we served 236 innovative companies through a mix of manufacturing education, curated introductions to relevant, local contract manufacturers and suppliers, and, on a competitive basis, deployment of non-dilutive supporting capital.
FORGE’s work to ensure access to the manufacturing information and industry relationships innovative companies need to successfully scale and access near-shored production partners was crucial for hardtech to survive, thrive, and grow their local economies.
In 2026, we expect to see artificial intelligence and automation continue to transform the domestic innovation and manufacturing ecosystem. We will meet the moment with:
- More educational programming and networking opportunities to support hardtech product and manufacturing companies
- Increased in-depth deployments of our Manufacturing Experts in Residence
- A new AI working group to guide FORGE’s internal use of AI and create educational resources for innovative companies and manufacturers
- Deployment of more non-dilutive Product Development Grants
Read on to commemorate 10 years of FORGE, celebrate big local manufacturing and innovation wins, and learn more about what’s coming next. It’s been an honor to serve the regional hardtech innovation ecosystem for a decade. Together, we truly have shown that if you can invent it here, you should be empowered to make it here.
