The Activate Fellowship (United States)

Activate transforms scientists and engineers into founders, empowering them to reinvent the world by bringing their research to market. The two-year Activate Fellowship provides early-stage science entrepreneurs with funding, technical resources, and unparalleled support from a network of scientists, engineers, investors, commercial partners, and fellow entrepreneurs.

Benefits

• The fellowship includes a living stipend, additional benefits, services, and tailored mentorship that afford fellows the freedom to explore and define their own entrepreneurial path.

What they look for?

• Technical Excellence
  • Are you deeply knowledgeable in the field of your proposed project to independently and safely lead the technical work involved? Can you communicate complicated, technical concepts to a general audience?
• Leadership
  • Are you motivated to grow professionally through the leadership training the fellowship provides? Can you manage conflict and act with integrity through ambiguity to mobilize the resources needed to advance your proposed project?
• Participation
  • Will you support an inclusive, equitable, and diverse environment—in the fellowship community and the wider innovation ecosystem? Will you positively contribute to the fellowship community?
• Feasibility
  • Is your proposed project rooted in sound scientific principles? Does it present a credible path to scale, including viable entry markets or the potential to pivot? Is it reasonably differentiated from existing solutions and commercial efforts?
• Impact Potential
  • Is your project aligned with Activate’s mission of science for good? Will the fellowship meaningfully alter the trajectory of your professional development and your proposed project?

Eligibility Criteria

• You can apply solo or with a co-applicant, and individuals working together on a project are required to apply together as a team (vs in two separate applications). They take up to two co-applicants from the same project on a single application, as long as both meet all eligibility requirements. The Principal applicant is the individual who began the application by completing the eligibility quiz, and optionally adds a co-applicant to the application. You cannot swap the Principal and co-applicant.
• To be eligible, you:
  • Must have a bachelor’s degree and 4+ years post-baccalaureate scientific research, engineering, or technology development experience.
  • Must be leading the commercial development of a hardware-based technology innovation for the first time if awarded the fellowship i.e., not a repeat hard tech founder.
  • Must be committed full-time to the proposed project or company if awarded the fellowship.
  • Must be legally able to work in the U.S. for the duration of the fellowship.
  • Must be able to communicate proficiently in English.
• To be eligible, your proposed project or company:
  • Must be based in the physical or biological sciences or related engineering disciplines.
  • Must still be in development and not yet ready for full-scale product sales at the time of the application deadline.
  • Must not have raised more than $2M in debt or equity funding from non-governmental sources at the time of the application deadline.

For more information, visit Activate.