Free support to
develop your medical
device concept.

Hardware Park provides the tools, engineering expertise, and industry connections essential to turning ideas into reality.
Have an idea for a medical device? We would love to help.

Submissions are confidential

Your submission will remain private and fully under your control.

You own your idea

Hardware Park’s concept development is supported by Innovate Alabama. We don’t take equity, we don’t claim ownership, and there are no hidden conditions.

Submission Process

1. REQUEST OUR NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENT (NDA)

A Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA) is a legally binding contract that prevents one or more parties from sharing confidential information with others. It is commonly used in business, research, and employment to protect trade secrets, proprietary data, or sensitive discussions from being disclosed to competitors or the public.  All communications related to your product concept will be protected by the NDA.

Request the NDA form here.

2. Sign NDA

We’ll send you a Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA) between Hardware Park and you/your company.

3. Submit your concept

After signing the NDA, you will have the opportunity to set up a short phone call with us and then receive a form to submit share more information about your background and product concept.

4. Approval process

After reviewing your submission, we’ll contact you to begin technical support, subject to approval by Hardware Park’s Board of Directors.

Prototyping experts

Recently we partnered with NephSol Inc., a MedTech startup founded by University of Alabama graduates, we advanced a prototype for a blood flow monitoring sensor designed for dialysis patients.

Birmingham Business Journal
Article Here.

History of medical
device development

In 2024, we partnered with OD Revive, a Birmingham-based startup working to combat the opioid crisis with a wearable technology that detects opioid overdoses in real-time.

Alabama News Center
Article Here.

Concept
Submission FAQs

If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to our team before you submit your idea.

Do I keep ownership of my idea?

Yes, you keep 100% ownership of your idea. We don’t take equity, we don’t claim ownership, and there are no hidden conditions. Your innovation remains entirely yours, and we may even help increase your intellectual property during the development process.

Will you tell others about my idea?

No. All submissions are confidential. We take your privacy seriously and follow strict confidentiality protocols to ensure your idea stays protected. We do welcome opportunities to help with early marketing for your company through short, founder-approved features on our website and with media partners. These features will never share information that would jeopardize your intellectual property.

How can you help me develop my concept?

We offer expert design & engineering support, prototyping resources, regulatory guidance, and entrepreneurial mentorship to help you refine, build, and prepare your medical or MedTech device for market success.

How much does Hardware Park's support cost?

Hardware Park currently has funding through a partnership with Innovate Alabama to provide initial engagement services and a limited amount of technical assistance to concept-stage medical and MedTech device companies free of charge.

This seems too good to be true. What's the catch?

There’s no catch. Hardware Park is part of a state-sponsored mission through Innovate Alabama to drive innovation and support entrepreneurs like you. Our goal is simple: help bring groundbreaking medical and MedTech devices to life without taking anything in return.

Are you saying you’ll develop my concept from start to finish for free?

No. Developing physical products, particularly those with medical applications, takes time and money. This partnership with Innovate Alabama enables us to help refine your idea, demonstrate proof-of-concept, and move toward a functional prototype to position your company to raise additional funding ... and continue working with Hardware Park to bring your product to market.

What do you mean by the reference to MedTech devices in previous questions?

Medical devices are typically associated with FDA-regulated products. We use MedTech devices to refer to medical devices and any physical products designed to improve patient care, personal health, and overall quality of life that may not require FDA approval.  MedTech devices are part of diagnosis & early detection, monitoring, disease & injury prevention, treatment & therapy, rehabilitation & recovery, assistive technologies, precision medicine, surgical & procedural assistance, data collection & AI integration, and a growing number of applications.

Can I tell you about a problem impacting medical professionals and/or patients that needs to be addressed even if I don’t have a solution in mind?

YES! We welcome your insights into problems affecting patient care, personal health, and overall quality of life. To share information about a specific problem, please click here.

What exactly is Hardware Park?

Hardware Park is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We facilitate relationships between people with great ideas and veteran physical product developers with the goal of radically impacting lives for the better by equipping current and future entrepreneurs with the resources to transform promising ideas into world-changing physical products.