Forja is the world's first execution-only startup competition for the Home Improvement industry, organized by Design Glyphe LLC. 360 startups compete over 16 competitive weeks for a $250,000 investment prize pool. Registration opens September 30, 2026. The competition kicks off December 1, 2026.
Where Talk Ends
And Proof Begins.
360+ Home Improvement startup Founders. 16 weeks. One mission: design a real product, build it with integrity, and release it to paying customers.
Built to prove what's real. The numbers behind the world's first execution-only home improvement startup competition.
Startups Compete
Prize Pool
Weeks to Prove It
Advance to Stage Two
Three phases to take your idea from concept to paying customers. Not a pitch competition. Not an award show. A proving ground where founders execute or go home.
Design
Identify an unmet need in the carpentry market. Research what custom builders, cabinetmakers, or contractors struggle with daily. Design a solution worth building.
Market Research
$87B
Build
Turn your carpentry solution into a working product. Build the tool or platform that eliminates the friction you discovered. Real craftsmanship meets real technology.
Open Tasks
TimberCraft Pro
AI-powered custom
carpentry estimator
USD 149.00
Release
Ship to real carpentry professionals. Collect revenue from contractors, builders, or woodshops. Prove that carpenters will pay for what you built.
Weekly Revenue
$3,800.00
Total Sales
Track your daily, weekly, and monthly sales performance at a glance.
Execution is the only currency. Six reasons we built something the industry has never seen.
Integrity-First Framework
Every startup competition contestant is scored on the Integrity Quotient. In this Home Improvement competition, ethical execution is not optional. It is the standard.
Real Investment, Not Prizes
$250,000 deployed via SAFE notes with equity and vesting. We invest in companies, not applause.
Global Entry, Local Impact
Open to founders worldwide. Stage One is 100% virtual. What matters is what you build, not where you are.
Home Improvement Only
One industry. Fourteen Home Improvement subsectors. Deep focus beats broad ambition. This startup competition backs specialists, not generalists.
Proof Over Promises
Judges and investors hold every contestant to a minimum commercial viability standard: $1,500 USD in verified revenue from at least 2 independent paying customers — one $1,500+ transaction, multiple transactions totalling $1,500+, or part payment on a $15K–$25K project. This is not a barrier to apply. It is the bar for who wins.
Transparent Advancement
60% market composite, 40% judge evaluation. Top 10% advance. The criteria are public. The process is fair.
$250,000 in investment capital. Not a grant. Not a prize. A SAFE bet on your ability to execute.
2ND PLACE
$01ST PLACE
$03RD PLACE
$0Built for Home Improvement innovators. Solo founders or teams of three. Global entry. Judged purely on what you ship.
REQUIREMENTS
SUBSECTORS
Built to attract the right partners. Five partner categories powering the Forja ecosystem. Inquiries now open.
Design Institutions
Inquiries OpenCorporate
Inquiries OpenTechnology
Inquiries OpenFinancial
Inquiries OpenMedia
Inquiries Open“We built Forja because the Home Improvement industry deserves an environment that rewards what you ship, not what you pitch. Every partner in our ecosystem shares that exact belief.”
From the proving ground. Strategy, stories, and lessons from the frontlines of execution-first Home Improvement entrepreneurship.
Our first articles are almost here.
In-depth, data-backed guides for home improvement contractors who want to price confidently and build profitable businesses.
Visit the Insights hub →Got questions? We have answers. Everything you need to know about Forja before you apply.
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Design with intent.
Build with integrity.
Release with proof.
360 spots. One cohort. 16 weeks. The startup competition that only rewards what you ship.