Activate

Our new FAQ Hour Series is designed to help you feel fully prepared as you begin your Activate Fellowship application in the coming weeks. In Part One, Fellowship Recruitment Intern, Ava N., walks through our most frequently asked questions to help you determine if the Activate Fellowship is the right fit before you apply. Covering key dates, eligibility guidelines, and employment status requirements, this session provides the clarity you need to start your application with confidence. Applications close on October 28. Read through these questions and more on our full FAQ page: https://activate.org/faq

Every transformative idea starts somewhere. For hundreds of Activate Fellows, it started with finding their community. Across five communities, all Activate Fellows receive $100K annual living stipend, $100K in R&D support, and access to world-class mentorship, programming, and networking opportunities. While every community provides the same core benefits, each one offers something unique—from local ecosystems and research partnerships to regional networks of innovation. To help you find the right fit, we’ve compiled resources to help you explore each community. Visit our new Communities Page to read more about the Activate Berkeley, Boston, Houston, New York, and Anywhere communities. Watch community-specific webinars in our Cohort 2026 Recruitment Webinars Youtube playlist to hear directly from each local community team. Join Activate New York and Activate Houston Office Hours to connect with our team. Register using the link in the comments. Applications close on October 28. Learn more and find your Activate community: https://lnkd.in/dtJGPDin

For founders like Gary Molano (MacroBreed, Cohort 2025), New York isn’t just where they build — it’s where they find the community that helps them grow. The Activate New York team is hosting Recruitment Office Hours: Live Q&A, an opportunity to learn about the benefits of the New York community, how the New York hub supports hard-tech innovators, and how to determine whether Activate NY is the right fit for you. Molano will join this virtual session on October 21 to share his experience as an #ActivateFellow, his passion for the environment, and how he’s applying genomics to food production as the Co-Founder and CEO of MacroBreed, a seaweed technology company transforming the future of food from the sea through sustainable breeding and innovation. Discover what makes the Activate New York community a powerful place for founders leading world-changing ventures. Applications for Cohort 2026 close on October 28. Register for NY Office Hours: https://luma.com/r7q3mngx

Activate’s new mission emphasizes community—and our alumni continue to be at the heart of it. Across every corner of the hard tech ecosystem, Activate alumni are driving impact while staying connected to the community that helped launch their journeys. They continue to give back through mentorship, programming, and peer support, helping current #ActivateFellows navigate the path from science to impact. Many have even come full circle to lead within Activate. Andrew Hsieh (Cohort 2016) recently joined our Board of Directors, and Etosha (Eee-tah-sha) Cave (Cohort 2015) has returned as Executive-in-Residence and Interim Managing Director of the Activate New York Community. She follows Jill Fuss (Cohort 2018), who became Managing Director of the Activate Berkeley Community in 2022. Cave, who will still serve as an Emeritus Technical Co-Founder at Twelve, will directly support fellows in the Activate New York Community, alongside Kevin See, Activate’s Head of Ecosystem. After being a fellow in Activate’s very first cohort in 2015, Cave’s return underscores the enduring strength of our network—where scientists and engineers grow as leaders and continue to uplift those following in their footsteps. Read the full story on how Activate Alumni Are Ready to Support the Next Generation of Science Entrepreneurs: https://lnkd.in/ge5ska5K

Less than three weeks left to apply for the Activate Fellowship! Applications for Cohort 2026 close on October 28. The Activate Houston team is hosting two more in-person office hours at the Ion Investor Studio on October 17 and 24. Join these open, informal sessions to connect with our team, learn about the Activate Houston community, and hear directly from current #ActivateFellows about their experiences with the fellowship and application process. Featured Fellows at Activate Houston Office Hours: October 17: Alec Ajnsztajn (Coflux Purification, Cohort 2024), Becca Segel, PhD (FlowCellutions, Cohort 2025), and Ryan DuChanois (Solidec, Cohort 2024) October 24: Sonia Dagan, PhD (Atolla Tech, Cohort 2024), Wei Meng (LumiStrain, Inc., Cohort 2024), and Dr. Sotiria Mostrou (Biosimo, Cohort 2025) Register for Activate Houston Office Hours using the link in comments and find additional recruitment events here: https://lnkd.in/gtsd9fZU

Pretty exciting to see the strong Activate representation on the Houston Innovation Awards finalist list. Glad to see our team and fellows having a meaningful impact on the Houston innovation scene! Activate finalists include: Minority-founded business Deep Anchor Solutions Inc. - Junho Lee, PhD Female-founded business Bairitone Health - Meagan R. Pitcher, Ph.D. Energy Transition Business Deep Anchor Solutions Inc. - Junho Lee, PhD Solidec - Ryan DuChanois and Yang Xia Health Tech Business Bairitone Health - Meagan R. Pitcher, Ph.D. Deep Tech Business Newfound Materials - Matthew McDermott Startup of the Year Solidec - Ryan DuChanois and Yang Xia Scaleup of the Year Special appearance by Activate alum Fervo Energy and Tim Latimer Incubator/Accelerator of the Year Activate! Mentor of the Year Me 😀 Congratulations to all of the finalists and to our well-represented Activate finalists!

Our Live from the Future: A Deep Tech Showcase event at New York Climate Week created space for real connection, collaboration, and momentum across the New York deep tech community and beyond. “I loved seeing all the Activate tech being demoed,” shared Gary Molano (MacroBreed, Cohort 2025). “There was a lot of energy in the room, and it seemed like many other Activate Fellows were also having a great time.” Through the conversations in the room, the demo showcase also helped spark new relationships and opportunities for both science entrepreneurs and partners who convened at the Prince George Ballroom. “We are based in Denver, so it’s great to have these focused events where we can get a lot of exposure to great VCs,” said Rok Sitar (Blaze Energy Technologies, Cohort 2023). “We met or even exceeded our overall goals and interacted with a tremendous amount of interested potential partners,” added Luis Estevez (Advanced & Innovative Multifunctional Materials (AIMM), Cohort 2025). More than 50 companies were featured—each pushing the boundaries of what’s possible through cutting-edge technology and pioneering ventures. Check out the full list in the comments below. A huge thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible: DCVC, Foley Hoag LLP, and New Energy New York (NENY), and Urban Future Lab with support from Impact Science Ventures, Newlab, and The Engine.

“Imagine a future where every promising scientist with a world-changing idea has the support to pursue it. I want to help build that future,” says Amy Gilbert Fehir, Activate’s new Chief Development Officer. As Activate enters its next chapter, Fehir brings two decades of fundraising leadership and deep experience across both government and philanthropy. Fehir brings a clear perspective on the role development can play in unlocking impact as an innovative nonprofit leader and powerhouse fundraiser. She sees development as a catalyst for expanding Activate’s capacity to back more innovators, move into new sectors, and amplify our societal impact. “Amy brings a principled approach to building a culture of growth and partnership. She offers a fresh perspective that will help Activate strengthen its community of supporters and expand its impact,” shares Cyrus Wadia, CEO of Activate. We invite you to connect with Fehir to share your perspectives, ideas, and hopes for Activate’s future. She’s eager to engage with our partners and continue building on our successes together. Meet Amy and learn more about her vision: https://lnkd.in/gmqTdp2X

With a new mission aimed at scaling the impact of science for good, we’re building a community where scientists and engineers can drive science into real-world impact. This September, #ActivateFellows pushed that vision forward with funding wins, major partnerships, and notable awards. Here are a few of the milestones they achieved this month: Nitricity (Jay Schwalbe & Joshua McEnaney, Cohort 2020) has closed a $50 million Series B funding round to expand across the US and into Europe as World Fund's first US investment. Bairitone Health (Meagan R. Pitcher, Ph.D., Cohort 2024) won the Smart Tech Showdown at Wearable Tech Ventures’ AI Summit. florrent (Jose LaSalle, Cohort 2023) has closed an oversubscribed $9.5M Seed-2 funding round to accelerate florrent’s production scale-up of Contoured Carbon™, their next-generation activated carbon material. Peter Godart (Found Energy, Cohort 2022) was recognized on the 10th Grist 50 list. Robigo (Andee Wallace, PhD, Cohort 2022) was awarded $1.25M in NSF Phase II SBIR funding to advance its engineered microbial solution for Sudden Death Syndrome in soybean. FAST Metals (Sumedh Gostu, PhD, Cohort 2025) and Foray Bioscience (Ashley Beckwith, Cohort 2022) were selected into the latest cohort of the Rio Tinto & Founders Factory Mining Tech Accelerator Program. Catch up on all the latest news from #ActivateFellows in our September newsletter: https://lnkd.in/guhzxKWY

Leah Ellis (Sublime Systems, Cohort 2020) and Tim Latimer (Fervo Energy, Cohort 2018) have been named Forbes Sustainability Leaders of 2025— recognizing 50 global changemakers shaping the future through bold leadership and real-world impact. Ellis is redefining cement production with Sublime Systems. Earlier this year, Sublime secured a deal to supply Microsoft with 623,000 tons of low-carbon cement over six years and is preparing to open the company’s first commercial facility in Massachusetts in 2028. Latimer is pioneering geothermal energy at Fervo Energy, which started delivering 24/7 carbon-free power to Google in 2023. Backed by $1B in funding, Fervo is now building a 500-MW geothermal facility in Utah, which is expected to go online in 2026, that could redefine America’s energy landscape. Latimer is also an alumnus of the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. When scientists become leaders, they don’t just advance technology—they redefine what’s possible for entire sectors. Ellis and Latimer exemplify this shift, turning ideas from the lab into ventures that change industries and deliver real-world solutions. At Activate, we support the people behind the science, helping them lead their ideas into the world. Read more on the Forbes Sustainability Leaders List: https://lnkd.in/ggps7J_m