2nd Bologna Hardware Meetup @ UNIBO
Join us for our 2nd Bologna Hardware Meetup @ UNIBO!
🤖 Bring your latest builds, prototypes, and demos to share!
Hardware Meetup is a volunteer-led community bringing together more than 40,000 members across 50+ cities worldwide.
The Bologna Hardware Meetup connects hardware professionals, founders, engineers, researchers, investors, and hardware enthusiasts to network, exchange knowledge, support one another, and strengthen the broader hardware ecosystem.
This edition will take place alongside ApplePies 2026 ( Applications in Electronics Pervading Industry, Environment and Society) hosted by the University of Bologna.
For the occasion, we’re bringing together researchers, investors, industry leaders, startups and hardware enthusiasts who share a passion for electronics and physical products.
Guest Speakers & Games
Industry/Research Talk to be announced soon.
⚔️ Researchers vs VCs, the Pitch Battle
A fast-paced pitch session where PhD researchers will have just 2 minutes to explain:
Who they are
What they are researching
What problem they are solving
Participation is open to PhD researchers, apply here: google form
A jury of VC investors will evaluate each pitch based on one key question: How investable could this research become?
There will be only one winner, who will receive a surprise prize!
As always, expect an informal and relaxed atmosphere, but with an outstanding lineup of researchers, founders, investors, and industry professionals.
Agenda
5:00 – 5:30 PM — Arrival + Welcome
5:30 – 6:30 PM — Researchers vs VCs: Pitch Battle
6:30 – 7:00 PM — Guest Speaker (TBD)
7:00 – 7:30 PM — Community Open Mic + Networking
7:30 – 8:00 PM — Networking & Mingling
Thank You to Our Partners
informal is a freelance collective for some of the most talented independent professionals in hardware.
With expertise across industries ranging from consumer electronics to aerospace, informal members work with clients at every stage to design, manufacture, and scale physical products.
Whether you’re looking for a single contractor, a full-time employee, or an entire team to support everything from product development to go-to-market strategy, the informal collective can connect you with the right people for the job.
See you soon! 👋
If you’d like to support future meetups, reach out to michael@hardwaremeetup.com.
Hardware Meetup is a volunteer organization and relies on sponsorships to cover the costs of running these events.
We share the RSVP list with sponsors who support three or more events. By RSVPing to this event, you consent to us sharing your email address and other registration information with our sponsors.