This is an engineering competition, run by ThermaLabs. You and your team design a cooling jacket for people who work in 45 degree heat, and the best designs get funded to be built.
You apply
Now to 23 November
One of you starts the application and adds your team. Each of you then answers your own questions alone, which takes about two hours, and your team answers the team questions together, which takes about two more. If you advance to the next selection round we’ll schedule a 20 minute video call with your team to get to know you better.
8 teams are picked
25 November
If you’re selected you sign the entry agreement, then get the brief with the exact targets.
Design round
26 November to 17 December 2026
You’re given 3 weeks to submit the most creative and effective design of the jacket you intend to build. All technical details must be covered. At the end of each week you hand in your work, and our judge names your team’s biggest weakness, never the fix. A team that misses a hand-in is out.
Note: nothing physical is built here, only high detail ideation.
Every full design gets a short written review from our expert, and a certificate for making it this far.
Build round
4 January to 26 April 2027
Up to 3 of the best team submissions from the design round get selected for a funded build round.
Final judging
26 April to 4 June 2027
Our expert checks whether each jacket hits the targets, and whether it’s worth turning into a real product. Noise and parts cost are scored too.