Activate introduces a new cohort of early-stage science entrepreneurs driving meaningful change toward a sustainable and equitable society.
BERKELEY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Activate, a nonprofit organization that helps scientists and engineers launch startups to bring their innovations to market, accepts its largest cohort to date, a record number of 62 new fellows with 50 groundbreaking companies, into its fellowship program. Chosen from a pool of 1,040 applicants, the Cohort 2024 Activate Fellows have been selected for their pioneering work across a range of critical sectors, including energy, transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, and national security. Their innovations encompass a variety of cutting-edge technologies aimed at reducing carbon emissions, enhancing energy-efficiency, creating sustainable alternatives to conventional industrial processes, and bolstering our country’s national security.
Cohort 2024 also marks the launch of Activate’s fifth and newest community of fellows in Houston, Texas. This community joins the established in-residence communities in Berkeley, Boston, and New York and its nationwide virtual program, Anywhere, which supports innovators across 15 states. The new Activate Houston Community is part of a rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem, enhancing the region’s leadership in energy, materials, life sciences, space, and other sectors.
Cohort 2024 joins a community of 249 Activate Fellows and alumni who have collectively raised more than $2.3B in follow-on funding from public and private sources since Activate’s founding in 2015—a nearly 38X leverage on every dollar spent to support fellowships.
“People, not ideas alone, move the world forward. It is through the drive and determination of brilliant scientists and engineers that we are witnessing true progress,” says Activate CEO Cyrus Wadia. “Our current Activate Fellows and alumni are already pioneering innovative solutions that make a measurable difference. We’re thrilled to support the next 62 visionaries who will lead the charge in addressing our most urgent issues through groundbreaking science and technology.”
Activate prioritizes the development of people as the catalyst for change, adhering to the position that science entrepreneurship is a key component in solving the world’s biggest challenges. These science entrepreneurs journey through a two-year program that empowers them to elaborate products and solutions that will address the world’s most critical issues.
“At Activate, we believe diversity in science cultivates a rich tapestry of perspectives that are crucial to solving society’s most complex problems,” says Brenna Teigler, Activate’s Chief Fellowship Officer. “We continue to prioritize diversity of people and ideas in our fellowship cohorts. We saw an uptick in founders of color since last year, jumping from 43 percent to 52 percent. This year, 24 percent of Cohort 2024 are women, and we are working toward increasing the number of female science entrepreneurs in years to come.”
Beyond technological innovation, the Activate Fellowship emphasizes building a sustainable and equitable society. Fellows receive comprehensive support, including funding, mentorship, and access to Activate’s extensive network of industry leaders, investors, and partners. This holistic approach ensures that fellows can effectively scale their innovations and drive meaningful change.
ABOUT ACTIVATE:
Founded in 2015, Activate empowers scientists to reinvent the world by launching startups to address climate change and other global challenges. Working between government, philanthropy, universities, and the private sector, Activate transforms scientists into high-impact entrepreneurs through the Activate Fellowship, a two-year immersive experience that equips science entrepreneurs with the skills, networks, infrastructure, and funding they need to quickly and effectively bring their groundbreaking research to market. Activate is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and does not charge any fee nor equity for fellows to participate. Activate’s entrepreneurial fellowship model originated at Cyclotron Road, founding Activate partner and the first U.S. Department of Energy’s Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP) started at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Activate supports fellows in communities across the United States: Activate Berkeley, Activate Boston, Activate New York, Activate Houston, and Activate Anywhere. Learn more at Activate.org.
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Contacts
Chris Thomas, chris.thomas@activate.org
