Utah Tech Week: From Prototype to Production
Update: We’re officially at capacity — but the Wait List is now open.
The response to From Prototype to Production during Utah Tech Week has been incredible. We’ve now hit our maximum number of attendees.
That said, we’re opening a Wait List for two reasons:
1️⃣ Spots do open up, and we’ll pull directly from the Wait List
2️⃣ All registrants — including the Wait List — will receive shared materials and recordings from the founder talks and panel
So if you’re building hardware and couldn’t grab a seat, it’s still worth signing up.
From Prototype to Production:
Lessons from Utah Hardware Founders Who’ve Done It
Hosted by Inergy
In partnership with TRI Technology
During Utah Tech Week
Join Utah’s hardware startup community for an intimate, founder-led evening focused on what it actually takes to go from idea → prototype → production.
This 90-minute gathering brings together experienced hardware entrepreneurs, product builders, and manufacturing partners to share hard-earned lessons, real mistakes, and practical advice—not theory...oh and you'll get the best smoked bbq you'll have all month.
The event is hosted by Sean Luangrath, CEO & Co-founder of Inergy, and held at the offices of Zac Blume’s company, TRI Technology—a full-stack hardware design, prototyping, and manufacturing partner supporting startups from napkin sketch to factory floor.
Why This Event Exists
Utah has world-class software talent—but hardware is different:
Physical constraints
Capital intensity
Manufacturing risk
Supply chain complexity
Design-for-manufacturing tradeoffs
This event is about builders helping builders:
Sharing what worked—and what didn’t
Making practical connections across the HW ecosystem
Strengthening Utah as a place where real products get built
Program (60 minutes + optional linger)
Welcome & Introductions
Sean Luangrath, CEO & Co-founder, Inergy
Founder Lightning Talks (3 × 10 minutes)
Ranch Pratt — CEO at Best Tugs (aviation) and Co-founder of Teraflex (automotive)
Jose Rojas — Founder & CEO of Helios (data centers) and Founder of Pilum (UAVs)
Zac Blume — Former CTO of Pura (health and wellness) and Inergy (energy); Founder & CEO of TRI Technology
These three experienced Utah hardware founders will share real, hard-earned lessons from building and scaling physical products, including:
What they built—and why it mattered
The toughest challenges they faced (design, funding, manufacturing, scale)
What nearly broke the company along the way
What they would do differently if starting from scratch today
Founder Panel + Live Q&A
Moderated by Sean Luangrath - Co-founder/CEO of Inergy
Audience questions encouraged—this is meant to be practical, candid, and interactive.
Behind-the-Scenes Tour: TRI Technology Lab
Get a firsthand look at what it takes to build hardware fast:
3D printing & mechanical prototyping
PCBA pick-and-place and electronics testing
Design, validation, and rapid iteration workflows
How startups move from prototype to pilot to production
Smoked BBQ, Drinks & Open Networking
Stick around, meet fellow builders, and connect with:
Hardware founders & execs
EMS & manufacturing partners
Industrial design, fabrication, and prototyping experts
About TRI Technology
TRI Technology is a hardware innovation and prototyping partner that helps companies design, build, test, and prepare products for manufacturing—without the usual friction.
TRI supports:
Electrical & mechanical design
Rapid prototyping and iteration
PCBA assembly and testing
Firmware, IoT, and App Development
Manufacturing readiness
Factory introductions and scale support (including China and Thailand-based production partners)
TRI exists to help founders build smarter, faster, and with fewer expensive mistakes.
About Inergy
Inergy designs and manufactures modular, intelligent energy storage systems for consumers, defense, and enterprise customers.
Founded in Utah, Inergy has shipped products globally and navigated the full hardware journey—from crowdfunding to scaled production—making it deeply invested in strengthening the local hardware ecosystem.
Who Should Attend
Hardware startup founders & executives
Product, engineering, and operations leaders
Early-stage teams preparing for prototyping or production
EMS, industrial design, fabrication, and manufacturing partners
Investors and ecosystem builders focused on physical products
Location
TRI Technology Offices
1140 N 1200 W
Orem Ut 84057
⏱ Duration
~60 minutes formal program
Optional networking & lab tour afterward