“I know there’s a better way to do this!”
If you find yourself saying that a lot, we’d like to talk to you! Slick Tools partners with individuals and companies in the solar industry to develop tools and other products that meet their specific needs. We call this the Forge program.
There are two Forge development tracks depending on what you’re bringing to the table and what you want to get out of the program.
Track A is for individuals or companies whose main goal is to solve a pain point in their solar operations. We offer free or low-cost consulting to solve your problem, in exchange for the right to commercialize and sell the solution to others.
Track B is for inventive, hands-on individuals who have a solar tool idea and the means to make a prototype. We can bring your idea from your workshop to mass production and issue you a royalty for sales.
In both cases, the product could be a physical tool; a custom storage solution (warehouse racking/kitting, custom roof bag, etc); or a consumable product used during solar installation, service or O&M.
Ready to get started? Read the details below and click the button at the bottom of this screen to submit your idea!
Track A
Tell us about the problem you’re facing and the solution (if any) you envision. We’ll take it from there! If we feel your idea has a good chance of becoming a commercial product, we’ll start the development process by arranging a call or site visit with you to fully understand your needs. We will provide you with prototypes to test out and provide feedback on. You will receive a free finished product once development is complete.
Track B
Make a prototype of whatever tool or product you envision. Test it out and make sure it works! Send us a short (~5 minute) video showing off your product, explaining how it works and why it’s useful. If we feel it is marketable and would fit into the Slick Tools lineup, we’ll reach out to discuss acquiring the rights to commercialize your product. This could happen through a one-time payment or by granting you royalty rights.
Important notes:
- Do not share your ideas publicly if you plan to submit them to Slick Tools! Sharing an idea publicly (i.e. posting a photo on Facebook) generally forfeits your right to protect that idea with a patent. Lack of patentability can make a product less commercially valuable (though a patent is not a prerequisite for a successful product). Contact us if you have questions about this.
- If you intend to follow Track B, we will sign a mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement with you prior to your sharing any details of your idea with us. This ensures that:
- we will not share your idea with anyone else,
- you are not obligated to develop your idea with Slick Tools if you don’t like the offer (if any) we make to you, and
- if your idea overlaps with a product we are already working on, both you and Slick Tools will retain the right to continue separate development paths.