THE EDDIES

Robert J. Crowley

Robert J. Crowley's brain child, the New England Innovation Award competition was first launched in 1986, and since then, over 3,000 startups have been supported to succeed and scale. Some notable alumni include Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Staples, Genzyme, MassChallenge, Carbonite, KRONOS, ZipCar, iRobot, zipcar, Keurig and Vistaprint. Today, 37 years later, the program is a 7-month innovation-support system based on Individualized Mentoring, Strategic Guidance, Leadership Education, and Connections to Resources; its objective is to help early-stage startups (pre-Series C) take the next steps in their commercialization journey. In 2021, the program was rebranded as The Eddies.  

What "The Eddies" Name Represents

The Eddies name represents a nod to Thomas Edison, and his prolific work (and 1,093 innovation patents!) in a variety of industries and sectors; and the circular movement of water, counter to a main current, causing a small whirlpool on the surface of the ocean (similar to the ripples caused to any market by the introduction of a ground-breaking product or technology). 

Who Can Participate in the Program

The Eddies are open to New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont), based startups (not exceeding 150 employees) with a working prototype of a ground-breaking product or technology.

Application Details

The application fee is $45; there are no further costs associated with the program (including event attendance). The program is industry-agnostic, welcoming applications in the following Innovation Tracks:

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Cleantech, Greeentech, Bluetech & Sustainable Living

Healthy Living & Well-Being

Tech, Deeptech & AI

SMART: Cities Living, Buildings & Construction

Life Sciences (Biotech, Medical Devices, Pharma) 

Minority-Owned

Robotics