Announcing the 2026 Fourth Revolution Awards Finalist: Recognizing Advancements and Innovation in HardTech

mHUB announces finalists for the 2026 Fourth Revolution Awards, honoring the innovators, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers shaping the future of industry. The awards will be presented on March 5, 2026, alongside the mHUB HardTech Summit, bringing the region’s hardtech ecosystem together for a full day of innovation and recognition.

Each year, the Fourth Revolution Awards convene leaders from across manufacturing and technology to recognize excellence in product innovation, entrepreneurship, and impact. From early-stage startups to established industry disruptors, the awards spotlight those strengthening U.S. manufacturing through more resilient, sophisticated, and celebrated industrial solutions.

Meet the 2026 Fourth Revolution Awards Finalists:

Community Empowerment Award:
Recognizes an organization that has shown exemplary leadership in championing community impact within a technology or manufacturing space, including environmental, social, or workforce programs.

Chicago Quantum Exchange – an intellectual hub in the Midwest that connects leading universities, national labs, and industry partners to advance the science and engineering of quantum information, train the future quantum workforce, and drive the quantum economy.
Greater Chicago Advanced Manufacturing Partnership – a group of manufacturers, toolmakers, educators and the community as a whole, in partnership to change the perception of manufacturing, promoting manufacturing careers, and working to fill the manufacturing pipeline.
Hitachi Global Air Power – a global industrial compressed air manufacturer that engineers and supplies oil-flooded, oil-free and portable air compressors, aftermarket parts, and connected solutions to improve energy efficiency and operational performance for diverse industrial sectors.
Illinois Science & Technology Coalition – a member-driven nonprofit that harnesses the power of research and innovation to expand and enrich the state’s economy.
Northwestern Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation – open to all Northwestern University students and faculty, is the academic cornerstone of Northwestern’s renowned entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.

Excellence in Engineering:
Recognizes an individual engineer’s outstanding contributions to product design, development, or optimization, recognizing their visionary thinking, technical prowess, and unwavering commitment to driving innovation and transformative ideas.

Carolyn L. Carta, Ph. D. – an interdisciplinary scientist with a PhD in Materials Science and MS in Chemistry, specializing in sustainable materials, process optimization, and product innovation.
Igor Preseren – an accomplished mechanical engineer with more than 26 years of experience in the automotive supply industry, specializing in precision molded and stamped components.
Pablo Lasso – Global operations and engineering leader with 20+ years of experience driving manufacturing excellence, capital project execution, and process optimization across multinational consumer goods companies.
Sohin Shah – holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and has an extensive background in building smart, scalable technologies.
Vel Genov – with over a decade of experience in building software, has held a variety of roles from Mobile Application Engineer, Software Engineer, Product Manager.

Innovation of the Year:
Recognizes a groundbreaking technology or process from an established and growing company causing significant disruption within its industry.

Azumo – a display technology company that develops ultra-thin, low-power light transmission and reflective LCD solutions to deliver sunlight-readable, energy-efficient displays for consumer, industrial, medical, wearables, and automotive applications.
Bluefors – a cryogenics company that manufactures ultra-low temperature cooling systems, including dilution refrigerators and cryocoolers, to support quantum technology, fundamental physics research, and other advanced scientific and industrial applications.
Clarix Imaging – medical technology company that develops the FDA-cleared VSI-360™ true 3D volumetric specimen imaging system to provide surgeons and radiologists with real-time, high-resolution intraoperative visualization of breast cancer tissue margins, improving precision in surgical oncology.
PherDal Fertility Science, Inc. – a reproductive health company that manufactures the first and only FDA-cleared, 100 percent sterile at-home insemination kit, enabling individuals and couples to pursue an accessible, clinic-quality fertility option outside traditional settings.
PsiQuantum – a quantum computing company developing large-scale, fault-tolerant photonic quantum computers that leverage silicon photonics and existing semiconductor infrastructure to solve complex computational problems beyond the reach of classical systems.

Rising Star Award:
Recognizes a pre-series B round startup company, before its seventh year in operation, for its innovation, creativity, and position as the next  great company to emerge in the region.

Fluid Reality – develops compact, high-resolution haptic hardware including lightweight, wireless fingertip arrays and gloves to deliver realistic tactile feedback for virtual reality and humanoid robot teleoperation, addressing the “last millimeter” touch interaction gap in immersive and remote manipulation systems.
Forever Analytical – an environmental technology company that uses patented, rapid PFAS detection systems and lab services to identify thousands of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in liquids and solids for regulatory, industrial, and public health applications.
Ganance – wearable technology company that makes the Ganance Heir, a slim attachable sensor that transforms any traditional wristwatch into a smartwatch with activity tracking, notifications, and media control without altering its classic style.
Grounded – mobility company that designs and builds smart, modular electric vans and customized mobile interiors for use cases including campers, work vans, mobile clinics, offices, and outreach vehicles with integrated remote management software.
Maxwell Labs – advanced technology company developing patented photonic laser cooling systems that convert heat into light to manage chip hotspots and improve performance and energy efficiency in AI and high-performance computing data centers.
Zenblen – food robotics company that builds tech-enabled, fully automated smoothie kiosks that blend fresh, nutritionist-curated smoothies on demand to make healthy eating more accessible for busy consumers.

Small & Medium-Sized Manufacturer of the Year:
Recognizes a small or mid-sized manufacturer that has demonstrated excellence in business practices, innovative processes, support for emerging technologies, or productivity enhancements as well as contributions to its local community.

Hatch – product design and contract manufacturing firm that delivers end-to-end hardware, software, firmware, prototyping, and production services to bring innovative products from concept to market.
Kelair Dampers – industrial manufacturer that custom engineers and fabricates heavy-duty air and gas dampers and assemblies for process control, ventilation, and flow regulation across demanding industrial applications.
Testa-Seat – assistive technology company that designs lightweight, customizable seating systems for children to improve comfort, posture, and everyday participation at home, school, and on the go.
United Scrap Metal, Inc. – full-service scrap metal recycling and commodities provider that purchases, processes, and markets recyclable metals for manufacturers, utilities, construction, and public customers while advancing sustainability and waste reduction.
Zerno – specialty coffee equipment company that designs and hand-assembles high-precision, modular grinders for home baristas and coffee enthusiasts to customize and elevate their brewing experience.

Industry Award Recipients

The Fourth Revolution Awards also seeks to recognize exemplary leadership at the forefront of digital and technological transformation with the following honorary awards:

Manufacturer of the Year: Coming Soon

Corporate Champion: Coming Soon

Join the Ecosystem at the mHUB HardTech Summit

On March 5, the mHUB HardTech Summit kick off this one-day, two-event experience attracting 1,000+ attendees to a day long program showcasing 40+ mHUB companies featuring their hardtech alongside 30+ startup pitches, panels with industry experts, and engaging fireside conversations. The summit highlights regional advancements in smart and sustainable manufacturing, healthcare, clean energy solutions, and related industries. As the HardTech Summit concludes, the Fourth Revolution Awards begin acknowledging outstanding hardtech entrepreneurs, community organizations, and manufacturers in the Midwest region that are driving technological advancement and impact.

Learn More and Register for the Fourth Revolution Awards Reception & HardTech Summit

The Fourth Revolution Awards and mHUB HardTech Summit are made possible by sponsors including Bank of America, ECI Foundation, and Nicor Gas.

About mHUB

mHUB exists to help people and companies build what the world actually needs — faster, smarter, and more thoughtfully. From a purpose-built facility on the West Side of Chicago, mHUB is proving that the Midwest is ground zero for manufacturing innovation. At mHUB, brilliant minds, advanced prototyping tools, flexible microfactories, capital, and industry come together to lower the cost and risk of commercializing the technologies that fuel US industry, workforce, and economy. Whether you’re a startup on the verge of your first build or a legacy manufacturer rethinking a process, mHUB is a space to act, adapt, and scale with intention.

Press Contacts:
Christian Luna
christian@mhub.org

Kim Blomquist
kim@mhub.org