Make48 Call for Teams

media release: Fastest invention-competition Make48 in collaboration with Trek Bicycle is returning to Madison this summer. The celebrated docuseries is once again bringing its 48-hour collaborative inventor and maker challenge to Madison after a successful run in 2021. The Fab Lab in Stoughton will host the event, scheduled for August 12 -14, 2022.  Now open to teams nationwide, competitors from Madison and beyond will be able to participate in the unique maker competition, which helps participants discover what is possible in just 48 hours. The winning team will win $2k and advance to compete at the national competition, slated for March 2023, where one team can win $10k. This year’s challenge theme will be ‘sustainable mobility,’ as determined by Trek Bicycle.

Applications are open now. Details on applying can be found HERE.

Make48 is a nationwide, invention-competition docuseries that gives teams a challenge at the start of a two-day event. With just 48 hours, teams must create a prototype, promotional video, sales sheet, and present their idea to a panel of judges. The teams have access to a makerspace and numerous Tool Techs that can make almost anything. Teams receive a hint about the challenge theme, but specific details are revealed at the start of each competition, allowing everyone to have a level playing field and the chance to win.

Make48 Co-creator and CEO Tom Gray said, “The enjoyment in Madison last year was infectious thanks to the toy category, and we wanted a partner in 2022 that would capture the same spirit. Having Trek on board as an outdoors, sport, and wellness-related company will guarantee a challenge that will not only be very meaningful but will be something everyone can relate to. Cycling has been part of most peoples’ lives in some form or another, and often from a young age. We’re hoping to tap into that inherent connection with the challenge.”

Trek Bicycle will serve as the competition’s Challenge Sponsor, helping craft the teams’ competition objective. As one of the leading forces in the global cycling industry, Trek sits at the cutting edge of innovative bicycle design and manufacturing. Trek became involved with Make48 during 2021’s Madison City Series challenge. A team of Trek employees, “The Free Wheelers,” entered the competition and won first place. They are set to compete in Make48’s national competition in Wichita this March. The experience led to a deeper collaboration between the brands.

“The need for innovative solutions to help people travel in more environmentally sustainable ways has never been more significant than it is today,” said Trek Brand Director Eric Bjorling. “We’re excited to support the efforts of the creators and looking forward to seeing the results of the competition.”

Fab Lab Stoughton is located in Stoughton High School, a public high school in Stoughton, Wisconsin which opened to students in 2013. A state-of-the-art makerspace, Fab Lab offers courses to students, as well as workshops for community members. It is the first public high school in Wisconsin and second in the nation to have a lab entirely dedicated to makers grades 9-12. The facility features equipment for all matters of making, including 3D printers, laser and vinyl cutters, electronics, woodworking, and more.

Following a successful four-city series of events in 2021, Make48 is expanding its reach in myriad ways for 2022. Applicants to City Series competitions were previously restricted to participants residing in the host city. Applications are now open nationwide, allowing for diversity and removing geographical limitations. Make48 recently launched a licensing initiative for its competition blueprint, giving community makerspaces, colleges, and high schools the opportunity to host their own events by licensing the Make48 name and format. In addition, Roku has just announced the Make48 docuseries, currently in syndication on PBS, as featured programming in their newly launched This Old House Makers Channel.

Watch what happened in Madison 2021 - full episode HERE!