Thiel Fellowship

$250,000 grant paid over a two-year fellowship period.

Runs annually; check thielfellowship.org for the current round's open dates.

AMOUNT

$250,000 grant paid over a two-year fellowship period.

AMOUNT

$250,000 grant paid over a two-year fellowship period.

DEADLINE

Runs annually; check thielfellowship.org for the current round's open dates.

DEADLINE

Runs annually; check thielfellowship.org for the current round's open dates.

FUNDING TYPE

Fellowship

CAN YOU GET THIS?

You must be a young person willing to skip or stop out of college to pursue your idea full-time for two years.

The fellowship is explicitly for young people who forgo college (or leave it) to build something new. There is no stated industry restriction, and the program is open globally.

YOUR REAL ODDS

The Thiel Fellowship is one of the most competitive fellowships in tech, selecting roughly 20-25 fellows per year from a global applicant pool.

The source does not publish acceptance rates, but the program is widely recognized as highly selective. Fellows are expected to have a compelling, concrete idea and the drive to execute without institutional support.

WHAT IT TAKES

Develop a specific project or venture idea to present — Ongoing before applying
Submit your application at thielfellowship.org during the annual cycle — 1-3 hours
Interview and selection process with the Thiel Foundation team — Several weeks

WORTH KNOWING

The fellowship's value extends well beyond the $250,000 grant — the network of founders, investors, and scientists is explicitly offered to help fellows make connections they otherwise wouldn't have access to at a young age.

Apply on the funder’s site →

Activate Fellowship

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

Scientists and engineers with breakthrough research ready to build a hard tech startup can apply for this two-year paid fellowship.

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.

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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