About this programme
Rev: Ithaca Startup Works is a business incubator at 314 East State Street in Ithaca, NY, offering mentorship, training, and startup resources for any new or growing business that plans to scale and create jobs in the region. It was founded in 2014 through a partnership between Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Tompkins Cortland Community College, and has since marked its 10th anniversary. Tom Schryver is Executive Director of Cornell's Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA), which runs Rev; Ken Rother directs Rev and its Hardware Entrepreneurship Program.
Since 2014, Rev members have created 1,146 jobs, raised $309 million in capital, and generated $175 million in revenue. The incubator points to Ithaca's own standing as a startup hub: Bloomberg Businessweek ranked it the #1 best startup spot for tech without the downsides among 300-plus U.S. cities, USA Today/24/7 Wall Street ranked it #13 among the 25 most innovative U.S. cities, and the Southern Tier region, which includes Ithaca, led New York State at $1,674 per capita in higher-education R&D expenditure in 2017.
Rev runs three hardware accelerator cohorts at different stages, funded in part by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA): Prototyping, for early-stage hardware inventors turning an idea into a working prototype; Protofacturing, for teams with a proof-of-concept ready to move toward manufacturing; and Manufacturing, a 10-month program for companies with a working prototype ready to scale production. All three accelerators run Classic, ClimateTech, AgTech, and MedTech tracks.
How it works
Members get access to a co-working facility, hardware prototyping machinery, entrepreneur mentorship, networking events, connections to funding resources, entrepreneurship content sessions, and even headshot and product photography plus social media amplification.
Prototyping Hardware Accelerator: an in-person, Ithaca-based program running May through July. Teams work through three sprints (feasibility, proof of concept, and prototype development) toward a Demo Day pitch, with a stipend for prototyping material costs.
Protofacturing Hardware Accelerator: a virtual program running August through December, with programming on Monday afternoons. It offers two tiers: Advising Only (virtual sessions, workshops, curriculum, Cornell resources, mentorship and technical feedback) and Development Support (adds engineering and development help, including remote or, for regional teams, in-person hardware prototyping lab access).
Manufacturing Hardware Accelerator: a 10-month program from January through October, recruited each fall, with virtual workshops on three weekdays a month plus one required in-person week in Ithaca for manufacturer tours. Participants get monthly one-on-one mentor meetings, manufacturer introductions, workshops on design, testing, certifications, marketing and production, and investor connections.
Who can apply
Open to companies in any field, with specific structured, cohort-based eligibility for each hardware accelerator.
Prototyping: open to anyone with an idea for a physical product; teams do not need to be a legal entity yet, but a digital-only product must be paired with a physical product in development.
Protofacturing: teams need a proof-of-concept prototype and must have already done customer discovery; students and professionals both qualify, and there is no location requirement since content is virtual.
Manufacturing: the company should be legally established, with a dedicated full-time team (ideally two or more people, though one founder can qualify), a validated business model, an identified market and customer problem, a working prototype, and a plan for funding initial production; open to hardware startups based anywhere in the U.S.
To become a general Rev member (outside the hardware accelerators), the company must be a legal entity (LLC, C-Corp, B-Corp, etc.), carry general liability insurance with a $1 million limit, and show reasonable employment growth potential with a customer market beyond Ithaca.
How to apply
- For general Rev membership: start with an initial consultation with Rev leadership, bringing a business model canvas and a six-month timeline; if approved, secure the required insurance, then sign the membership agreement and pay initial dues.
- For the hardware accelerators, apply through the specific accelerator's page on revithaca.com when its application window is open. As of this writing, the Prototyping Accelerator's applications are closed (it recruits in spring for the following summer), and both the Protofacturing and Manufacturing accelerators are not accepting applications for the 2026-2027 cycle. Rev suggests joining its hardware newsletter for updates on future cohorts.
Documents you’ll typically need
- Business model canvas
- Six-month timeline
- Proof of general liability insurance ($1 million limit), for general membership
Frequently asked
What does Rev offer besides office space?
Mentorship, networking events, hardware prototyping machinery, connections to funding resources, and even headshot and product photography with social media amplification.
What are the hardware accelerator cohorts?
Three tracks: Prototyping (in-person, May-July, for early-stage hardware inventors), Protofacturing (virtual, August-December, for teams scaling from proof-of-concept toward manufacturing), and Manufacturing (10 months, January-October, for companies ready for full production).
What has Rev's community achieved?
Since 2014, Rev members have created 1,146 jobs, raised $309 million in capital, and generated $175 million in revenue.
How much does general Rev membership cost?
Virtual membership is $100 a month (mentorship, networking, marketing and job-promotion support, no workspace). Full-time membership is $200 a month and adds 24/7 facility access, dedicated workspace, meeting rooms, Wi-Fi, and use of the prototyping shop. A Hardware Add-On for specialized equipment and manufacturing resources costs an extra $600 a month.
Are the hardware accelerators open right now?
As of this writing, no. Prototyping applications are closed (it recruits each spring for a summer cohort), and Protofacturing and Manufacturing are not running for the 2026-2027 cycle.
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Reviewed 2026-09-25. Programmes change, so check eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private firm and is not part of any government body.