Field builder · Science policy · Berkeley, CA · Est. 2015
Activate is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs fellowships and complementary “ecosystem” programming to help scientists and engineers commercialize hard-tech (i.e., breakthrough physical science and engineering R&D) into real-world companies and impact. Its flagship program, the Activate Fellowship, is described as a two-year U.S. fellowship that provides early-stage science entrepreneurs funding and an operating support system—mentorship, community, access to labs/research facilities, and entrepreneurship training—while taking “zero-equity” stakes in fellows’ companies.
Activate characterizes its approach as scaling the Cyclotron Road/DOE Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program fellowship model from a Berkeley Lab–anchored context into multiple regional communities and, more recently, global programs.
Activate expands its fellowship program to Singapore, empowering scientists to transform deep-tech innovations into global startups with vital support and resources.
Activate Updates: August 2026Explore the latest breakthroughs from Activate's community as they tackle global challenges and pave the way for the next wave of hard tech innovations.
Activate Fellow News: July 2026Discover the remarkable achievements of Activate Fellows in July 2026, showcasing innovations, funding successes, and collaborative partnerships in science and business.
Activate Welcomes 50 New Fellows to Cohort 2026Meet the 41 Hard Tech Companies Across 5 Activate Communities
Meet the Managing DirectorsFive seasoned hard-tech leaders serve as fellows' closest advisors throughout the two-year Activate Fellowship.
Activate Updates: June 2026Moments that Matter: Praio’s Nature-Inspired Protocells Offer a New Vision for BiomanufacturingDiscover how Praio is transforming biomanufacturing with nature-inspired protocells, enhancing efficiency and resilience in chemical processes.
Moments That Matter: Root Applied Sciences Helps More and More Farmers ‘See’ Invisible ThreatsDiscover how Root Applied Sciences is revolutionizing crop management with innovative pathogen monitoring, helping farmers make informed decisions for better yields.
Moments That Matter Cellas Big Swing Is Paying OffActivate Updates May 2026Enter FrvoFrom the Activate Fellowship to the World's Largest Energy Storage ProjectsActivate Fellows are transforming energy storage with groundbreaking projects, showcasing the power of innovation and community support in the energy sector.
Activate reports a broad set of recent community developments, including deep-tech exchanges in Seoul and Tokyo and the launch/near-term timing of a cohort of “Activate Global Fellows.”
Activate Welcomes 50 New Fellows to Cohort 2026Activate announces its Cohort 2026 fellows, describing the geographic and state spread across Activate’s communities (Berkeley, Boston, Houston, New York, and Activate Anywhere).
Activate BRIDGE Japan Program: Connecting Science Across Global BordersActivate announces the Activate BRIDGE Japan Program with partners including UTokyo IPC, Japan’s Bureau of Science, Technology and Innovation, and Hakuhodo, describing a nine-month entrepreneurial training curriculum for deep-tech founders pre-incorporation.
Introducing BRIDGE: Building Pathways to ImpactActivate introduces BRIDGE as a structured learning program to help science and engineering innovators translate research into commercial impact earlier in their journey.
Activate Goes Global - Launching its First Fellowship in SingaporeActivate announces its Activate Global – Singapore Fellowship, hosted by NTU and funded by Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF), presented at Enterprise Singapore’s SWITCH event.
Celebrating Ten Years of Supporting Hard-Tech FellowsActivate marks a decade of the organization by summarizing the fellowship model’s origin story and listing the co-founders.