Activate Fellowship – Cohort 2027 (U.S. Fellowship)

About

Activate's two-year U.S. fellowship provides first-time hard-tech founders with about $212,000 per year in living stipend, R&D and professional-development support plus health insurance and relocation allowances, mentorship and a national community, with no fees and no equity taken, for its Cohort 2027 intake closing 30 October 2026 at noon PT.

Benefits

• Guaranteed to the funded Principal Fellow: $100,000 living stipend per year
  two-year fellowship starting 1 July, with education, mentorship and community programming: bi-weekly community programming, a weekly 'Elements of Entrepreneurship' course in the first quarter, regular one-on-one mentorship with the community Managing Director, quarterly advisory meetings that function like pseudo board meetings, annual retreats and reunions, and access to Activate's network of scientists, engineers, investors and commercial partners. Conditional: only the Principal applicant receives funding; co-applicants become unfunded Activate Affiliate Fellows with the same access benefits and participation expectations but no stipend; a delayed receipt of financial benefits may be approved case by case, but cohort elements do not shift.

Eligibility Criteria

• Mandatory for the principal applicant: a bachelor's degree plus 4 or more years of post-baccalaureate experience in scientific research, engineering or technology development
• Must be leading the commercial development of a hardware-based technology innovation for the first time if awarded the fellowship (not a repeat hard-tech founder)
• Must commit full-time to the proposed project or company if awarded the fellowship
• Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. for the duration of the fellowship (Activate cannot hold, sponsor or petition for work visas; foreign nationals must explain how they will obtain valid immigration status by the fellowship start)
• Must be able to communicate proficiently in English
• Must hold a significant ownership stake in the business and be able to influence overall company strategy (typically founders, co-founders, CEOs or CTOs). Mandatory project requirements: based in the physical or biological sciences or related engineering disciplines
• still in development and not yet ready for full-scale product sales at the application deadline
• must not have raised more than $2M in debt or equity funding from non-governmental sources at the application deadline. Location requirement: applicants must be able to participate fully in at least one of Activate's five U.S. communities (Anywhere, Berkeley/Cyclotron Road, Boston, Houston or New York). Preferred, not mandatory: co-applicants should meet the eligibility requirements as closely as possible (rare exceptions may be made); many successful applicants have PhDs or postdocs, but equivalent industry R&D experience is accepted; most successful applicants have an early proof of concept or prototype supported by experimental data; an incorporated entity is not required to apply.

Participation Commitments

• Full-time commitment to the proposed project or company, including giving up other primary employment (both Principal and co-applicant)
• Attend bi-weekly local community programming (in person for in-residence communities, virtual for Activate Anywhere)
• Attend weekly virtual national educational programming during the first year
• Attend the annual week-long in-person summer retreat
• Meet regularly with the community Managing Director
• Lead quarterly advisory meetings
• Activate Anywhere fellows additionally attend approximately quarterly U.S.-based trips (sponsored by Activate)
• Each fellow or fellow team may join only one Activate community. Fees, tuition and equity: there are no fees and Activate takes no equity or financial stake; fellows may and are encouraged to raise grants and private capital. Consolidated terms apply to both the Principal applicant and any co-applicant/Affiliate Fellow.

Target Region

United States — applicants must be legally able to work in the U.S. for the duration of the fellowship, and Activate does not sponsor or petition for work visas (foreign nationals must explain their plan for obtaining valid immigration status by the fellowship start). Applicants must meet the location requirement of at least one of Activate's five U.S. communities: Activate Anywhere — must be located in the United States and at least 70 miles away from an in-residence community; Berkeley / Cyclotron Road — located in or ready to relocate to the SF Bay Area, CA; Boston — located in or ready to relocate to the Boston/Cambridge, MA area; Houston — located in or ready to relocate within commutable driving distance of Houston, TX; New York — located in or able to commute to New York City three times a month (no relocation to NYC required). Applications are encouraged from all U.S. states, commonwealths and territories, including Puerto Rico, the Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Applicants who will live within 70 miles of Berkeley, Boston, Houston or New York City during the fellowship are ineligible for Activate Anywhere. Applicants affiliated with restricted entities or countries of concern face additional U.S. Department of Energy review and possible inability to embed at Berkeley Lab for the Berkeley/Cyclotron Road community.

Target Sector

Agriculture & Food, Energy & Utilities, Manufacturing, Semiconductors & Electronics, Transportation & Logistics, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Other