Activate Fellowship (incl. Cyclotron Road)
Climate & Energy · Run by Activate (nonprofit; Cyclotron Road partnered with Berkeley Lab) · Berkeley, CA
Every field is checked against a primary source where we can. How we verify.
The facts
All fields verified Oct 1, 2026- Terms model
- Non-dilutiveGives money that does not take equity: grants, prizes, or credits. Your ownership is untouched.
- Investment
- $100,000/year living stipend plus $100,000 R&D support and $12,000/year travel and professional development (more than $300,000 over two years)
- Equity taken
- Not publishedTwo-year fellowship funding founders full time; no equity and no fees (FAQ). The apply and communities pages list a $100K living stipend per year, $100K in R&D support, $12K per year in travel and professional development funds, a health insurance stipend, and a relocation allowance; the fellowship page states 'More than $300K over two years.' Five communities: Anywhere (virtual, for fellows at least 70 miles from an in-residence city), Berkeley / Cyclotron Road, Boston, Houston, and New York. Per the FAQ, Berkeley and Boston fellows live in or relocate to those areas, Houston fellows live within commuting distance of Houston, and New York requires no relocation but fellows must be able to commute to New York City three times a month; a relocation stipend covers new fellows who move more than 70 miles. Cohort 2027 applications close October 30, 2026 at 12 p.m. PT; the fellowship begins July 1 and applicants are selected in spring.
- Program length
- 104 weeks
- Format
- Hybrid
- Location
- Berkeley, CA
- Cohorts per year
- 1
- Cohort size
- ~50 fellows (Cohort 2026)
- Stage focus
- pre-seed science founders (<$2M raised)
- Sub-vertical
- hard tech: energy, carbon capture, materials, sustainable infrastructure (16 verticals)
- Demographic focus
- Not published
- Backers
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Cyclotron Road), DOE, philanthropic funders
- Notable alumni
- Twelve, Lilac Solutions
Terms notes: Two-year fellowship funding founders full time; no equity and no fees (FAQ). The apply and communities pages list a $100K living stipend per year, $100K in R&D support, $12K per year in travel and professional development funds, a health insurance stipend, and a relocation allowance; the fellowship page states 'More than $300K over two years.' Five communities: Anywhere (virtual, for fellows at least 70 miles from an in-residence city), Berkeley / Cyclotron Road, Boston, Houston, and New York. Per the FAQ, Berkeley and Boston fellows live in or relocate to those areas, Houston fellows live within commuting distance of Houston, and New York requires no relocation but fellows must be able to commute to New York City three times a month; a relocation stipend covers new fellows who move more than 70 miles. Cohort 2027 applications close October 30, 2026 at 12 p.m. PT; the fellowship begins July 1 and applicants are selected in spring.
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Terms in plain English
Activate is a two-year fellowship that pays science founders to work on their companies full time, for zero equity and zero fees. Fellows receive a $100,000 living stipend per year, $100,000 in R&D support, and $12,000 per year for travel and professional development, plus a health insurance stipend and a relocation allowance; Activate puts the total at more than $300,000 over two years. Berkeley and Boston fellows must live in or move to those areas and Houston fellows within commuting distance of Houston; New York fellows need not relocate but must be able to commute into the city three times a month, and Activate Anywhere is a virtual option for fellows at least 70 miles from those four cities.
Who this is actually for
First-time hard-tech founders with a bachelor's degree plus at least four years of post-baccalaureate research, engineering, or technology development experience, whose project has raised less than $2M in non-governmental funding at the application deadline. It fits scientists and engineers ready to leave a job or lab and lead commercialization full time, in one of the four host cities or through Activate Anywhere.
Activate Fellowship (incl. Cyclotron Road) application deadlines
Cohort 2027: Opens Sep 15, 2026, closes Oct 30, 2026.
Verified Oct 1, 2026Source
Frequently asked questions
- When is the next Activate Fellowship (incl. Cyclotron Road) application deadline?
- The next confirmed application window for Activate Fellowship (incl. Cyclotron Road) closes Oct 30, 2026.
- How much does Activate Fellowship (incl. Cyclotron Road) invest?
- Activate Fellowship (incl. Cyclotron Road) lists an investment of $100,000/year living stipend plus $100,000 R&D support and $12,000/year travel and professional development (more than $300,000 over two years).
- How much equity does Activate Fellowship (incl. Cyclotron Road) take?
- Activate Fellowship (incl. Cyclotron Road) does not publish the equity it takes, so we record it as not published.
- Where is Activate Fellowship (incl. Cyclotron Road) located and is it in person?
- Activate Fellowship (incl. Cyclotron Road) is based in Berkeley, CA and runs a hybrid program.
- Is Activate Fellowship (incl. Cyclotron Road) still active?
- As of our last check on Oct 1, 2026, Activate Fellowship (incl. Cyclotron Road) is active.
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Sources
Everything above was checked against these, verified Oct 1, 2026.