Activate Fellowship

$90,000 over 2 years (stipend + R&D); total package described as more than $300K when all resources are included

Runs annually; the last posted deadline was October 28, 2025. Check activate.org for the next round.

AMOUNT

$90,000 over 2 years (stipend + R&D); total package described as more than $300K when all resources are included

AMOUNT

$90,000 over 2 years (stipend + R&D); total package described as more than $300K when all resources are included

DEADLINE

Runs annually; the last posted deadline was October 28, 2025. Check activate.org for the next round.

DEADLINE

Runs annually; the last posted deadline was October 28, 2025. Check activate.org for the next round.

FUNDING TYPE

Fellowship

CAN YOU GET THIS?

You need to be a scientist or engineer with deep research you want to commercialize into a hard tech company.

Activate targets early-stage science entrepreneurs across sectors like healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, energy, and advanced computing. You do not give up equity, but you must be committed to building a company from your research.

YOUR REAL ODDS

Activate has supported 346 fellows across multiple cohorts since its founding, making it selective but not vanishingly rare.

The program runs annual cohorts across five U.S. communities plus a flexible national track, so multiple spots open each cycle. Competition is real—these are deep-tech founders with PhD-level research—but the program is built to find scientists who haven't yet launched, not those already funded.

WHAT IT TAKES

Review applicant criteria on the Activate site and identify which community fits your location or use Activate Anywhere — 1–2 hours
Prepare your application covering your research, commercialization vision, and founder readiness — 1–3 weeks
Submit application before the cycle deadline — 1 day

WORTH KNOWING

Activate explicitly values scientists at the 'zero to one' stage—you do not need a co-founder, customers, or prior startup experience. The fellowship is designed to be the thing that gets you there, so applying before you feel ready is the point.

Apply on the funder’s site →

Echoing Green Fellowship

$100,000 stipend over 18 months (for-profits receive it as a recoverable grant)

Early-stage social impact founders globally who are building equity-focused organizations and have not yet connected with traditional investment.

Camelback Ventures Fellowship

$50,000 per fellow; delivered as a SAFE note (for-profits) or unrestricted grant (nonprofits/schools). Awarded twice yearly.

Early-stage US-based founders in education or tech working to address inequity, with a personal connection to the problem.

Eisenhower Fellowships Innovative Entrepreneurs Program 2026

Fellowship with all travel costs covered; no cash grant amount specified.

International entrepreneurs aged 32–45 running for-profit ventures with positive social impact can apply for this fully-funded U.S. fellowship.

This is 1 of 1,600+ open opportunities.

$50B+ in available capital across grants, VC funds, CDFIs, and accelerators. Filter by your industry, stage, and region, and see everything you qualify for.

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