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Submissions for our Insert Coin: New Challengers contest are open!

Sarah Silbert
Updated ·5 min read
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The Insert Coin competition has been a highlight of our Engadget Expand live events; a ton of great products have been demoed on-stage, and a few even walked away with piles of cash to help with funding. And with Expand NY on the books for November 2014, we're accepting product submissions today through September 26th.

We're looking for the latest crop of innovative devices -- past winners include an aquatic drone and a cube for growing food indoors. Whether your project's up for funding on Kickstarter or you're just starting to show off hardware, we want to hear from you. Head here to submit your project, but not before reviewing our eligibility requirements past the break. And for those of you who'd like to attend our two-day tech fest, head to our event page for more info.

Prize Details

  • 10 semi-finalists will receive tickets to Expand NY, exhibition space on the show floor, a chance to demo your projects live on stage and to an online audience of millions and a $1,000 travel stipend to cover costs while appearing at the event.

  • 1 Judge's Choice winner will receive $10,000 and a product review on Engadget.

  • 1 Reader's Choice winner will receive $15,000 and a product review on Engadget.

Eligibility

Please note that we have changed the rules for the competition this time around to accommodate a wider range of applicants. Whereas previous competitions required your project to be in a pre-crowdfunding stage, for Insert Coin 2014, your project can be in any of the following stages of development:

  • Pre-crowdfunded

  • Post-crowdfunded (successful or unsuccessful)

  • Currently running a crowdfunding campaign

Your project cannot be in the following stages of funding and development:

  • Angel-funded

  • VC-funded

  • Otherwise traditionally seed- or series-funded, actively seeking such funding or otherwise closing any such round of funding before November 8th, 2013.

Your product must have been announced after the submission for the last Insert Coin competition closed (11:59 PM EDT on September 27th, 2013), and must not yet have shipped any products to customers. Please keep in mind that existing products or updates to existing products will not be eligible. Products must fall within Engadget's coverage scope, must have a hardware component and must have a working prototype that can be shown off on stage (i.e., renderings alone are not sufficient).

The Process

Phase 1: Submissions

Submissions accepted: 1:00 PM EDT on April 17th, 2014, until 11:59 PM EDT on September 26th, 2014.

To apply for Insert Coin, submit all of the details about your project and your contact information here -- and Engadget editors will review all submissions and select 20 contenders. We will be judging according to the level of completion of the product, the problem that it solves, how well it would do in the consumer market, feasibility of bringing the product to market and, of course, general awesome factor. After submissions close, we will begin contacting the 20 prospective contenders the following week to confirm eligibility requirements. Please be sure to provide current and accurate contact information so we can get in touch with you.

Phase 2: Online voting

Readers choose 10 semi-finalists: October 8th, 2014, to October 15th, 2014.

After the 20 contenders are selected, Engadget will open online voting from October 8th, 2014, to October 15th, 2014, to let the audience choose 10 semi-finalists to appear at Expand NY and receive a $1,000 travel stipend. We will announce the slate of 10 semi-finalists on October 17th, 2014.

Phase 3: On-stage demos at Expand

Semi-finalists will exhibit on stage and demonstrate their projects: November 7th, 2014, to November 8th, 2014.

On Day 1 of Expand NY: All 10 semi-finalists will take the stage to give a short 5-minute demo and presentation of their projects on stage. Judges will select the top five finalists by their collective votes, and Reader's Choice online audience voting will kick off.

On Day 2 of Expand NY: The five finalists will take the stage again to have the judges ask a number of questions before they cast their votes for the Judge's Choice award.

Phase 4: Awards ceremony

Judge's and Reader's Choice winners will be crowned on November 8th, 2014.

We will crown two winners on Day 2 according to the following criteria:

Judge's Choice: Selected by the judges based on presentations and a list of criteria. Winner will be awarded $10,000 to help fund the project, as well as receive a review on Engadget.

Reader's Choice: The project with the greatest number of votes from the total pool of online voting will be awarded $15,000 to help fund the product, as well as receive a review on Engadget.

Rules Recap

  • Existing products/updates to existing products will not be accepted.

  • Products must fall within Engadget's coverage scope, as determined by Sponsor.

  • Products must have a hardware component and not be purely software or web services in origin.

  • Inventors who are selected as Semi-finalists will need a working prototype or other presentation for a team of Engadget editors ahead of the event.

  • Simulations or product renderings will not suffice to enter Insert Coin; what you have to show to us must be functional.

  • No products from major manufacturers will be accepted.

  • Company can be pre-crowdfunded, post-crowdfunded (successful or unsuccessful) or currently running a crowdfunding campaign.

  • Company cannot be angel-, VC- or otherwise traditionally seed/series-funded; actively seeking such funding; or otherwise closing any such round of funding before November 8th, 2013.

  • Company must have announced its product after the submission for the last Insert Coin competition closed (11:59 PM EDT on September 27th, 2013).

  • Company must not have shipped any products to customers.