One of These Nifty Inventions Could Soon Land on Staples' Shelves

A remote-controlled LED lightbulb and wireless earbuds are among the finalists in the Crowd2Shelf Contest hosted by office-supply chain Staples and crowdfunding site Fundable.

learn more about Catherine Clifford

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

What sort of out-of-the-box thinking does it take to get on the shelves of a big-box store? The 25 product makers chosen as finalists in the Crowd2Shelf Contest are about to find out.

Launched in August, the contest invited inventors to crowdfund their way onto Staples shelves and Staples.com. The contest was created through a partnership between the office-supply giant and crowdfunding site Fundable.

Related: Every Hour, $87,000 Is Raised Through Crowdfunding

The 25 finalists announced today -- whose products span everything from remote-controlled LED lightbulbs to wireless earbuds -- will be judged based on a combination of the amount of money raised through crowdfunding, the number of votes they received on the contest platform and a recommendation from a panel of judges.

From this group of 25, three companies will be dubbed "The Crowdfunding Hero," "The People's Product," and "The Judges' Favorite." Staples will give between one and three of these finalists the opportunity to pitch the Staples merchandising team.

Related: Staples Wants You to Crowdfund Your Way Onto Its Shelves

Here's a snapshot of the top five companies in the running right now. To see all 25 finalists, take a look here.

Company: Eva
Headquarters: Wilmington, Del.
Product: Remote-controlled LED light bulbs for recessed corners of the home. Consumers can change the brightness and tone of the light from the remote.

Company: Get nHand
Headquarters: Tulsa, Ok.
Product: The patent-pending device attaches to the back of a tablet to make it comfortable to hold with one hand. The device also serves as a stand for the tablet when it is placed on a surface.

Company: StickNFind
Headquarters: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Product: These quarter-sized bluetooth stickers affix to keys, remote, tablet, laptop or anything else you can easily lose. The free StickNFind app geolocates items with the sticker on them.

Company: HearNotes
Headquarters: San Francisco
Product: The company's earbuds are completely wire-free.

Company: You-Noticed Bulletin Boards
Headquarters: Syracuse, N.Y.
Product: A display board with clear, plastic sleeves for pieces of paper to slip behind. There are no pins, clips or fasteners required to display announcements with this board.

Related: 7 Secrets From the Man Who Turned a Kickstarter Flop Into the Most Successful Campaign Ever

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

This 61-Year-Old Grandma Who Made $35,000 in the Medical Field Now Earns 7 Figures in Retirement
A 'Quiet Promotion' Will Cost You a Lot — Use This Expert's 4-Step Strategy to Avoid It
3 Red Flags on Your LinkedIn Profile That Scare Clients Away
'Everyone Is Freaking Out.' What's Going On With Silicon Valley Bank? Federal Government Takes Control.
Leadership

How to Detect a Liar in Seconds Using Nonverbal Communication

There are many ways to understand if someone is not honest with you. The following signs do not even require words and are all nonverbal queues.

Business News

These Are the Most and Least Affordable Places to Retire in The U.S.

The Northeast and West Coast are the least affordable, while areas in the Mountain State region tend to be ideal for retirees on a budget.

Business News

Carnival Cruise Wants Passengers to Have Fun in the Sun — But Do This, and You'll Get Burned With a New $500 Fee

The cruise line's updated contract follows a spate of unruly guest behavior across the tourism industry.

Business News

'Things Will Go Wrong.' Google Releases Its Chatbot Bard With Caution.

The AI-powered search tool went live today to a limited number of users in the U.S. and the U.K.