Activate Welcomes 39 New Activate Fellows Whose Innovations Can Decarbonize Industries and Build a Cleaner, Safer Society

Cohort 2022 fellows are pursuing imperatives to permanently remove carbon dioxide, forge carbon-free manufacturing pathways, grow the bioeconomy, advance the efficiency and power of information technology, and sustainably secure minerals essential to the clean energy transition.

BERKELEY, Calif., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Activate, a nonprofit that helps scientists and engineers bring their innovations to market, is proud to introduce the 2022 cohort of Activate Fellows. These 39 founders are turning their breakthroughs into businesses that could help industries, including manufacturing, energy, chemicals, computing, and defense, meet decarbonization and resiliency goals.

Interest in the fellowship grew sharply this year, with a 68 percent increase in applications, in step with a doubling of fellow communities across the U.S.

"We are thrilled to be launching Activate New York and Activate Anywhere this year, which doubles our capacity for supporting top science innovators across the entire United States. The Activate Fellows we've selected for Cohort 2022, our largest cohort to date, give me tremendous hope," says Activate CEO Ilan Gur. "Their passion and commitment to improving the world through science provide much-needed optimism and inspiration as the world wrestles with the risks of intensifying climate change, a lingering pandemic, and economic and geopolitical uncertainty."

Founded in 2015, the two-year Activate Fellowship provides fellows the time, resources, and mentorship to develop as leaders and mature their ideas as they start their entrepreneurial journeys. Unlike startup accelerators, the Activate Fellowship takes no equity stake in fellows' companies. Building on the success of its model for supporting early-stage science entrepreneurs, Activate has expanded to four U.S. communities in 2022.

• The Activate Anywhere Community recognizes that every U.S. region is home to scientists and engineers with a vision for solving big problems. Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not. Activate Anywhere is changing that. The 12 inaugural fellows in this community are located in seven U.S. cities, including Atlanta, GA, Madison, WI, and Fort Collins, CO. They are commercializing breakthrough research in everything from desalination to data center cooling to a decarbonized steelmaking process.
• With support from the $19.5 million Carbontech Development Initiative, announced by New York State in April 2021, the new Activate New York Community provides entrepreneurs with the resources and training needed to scale carbontech innovations as society reckons with the need to decarbonize all sectors quickly. Innovations in carbon dioxide removal, utilization and storage, and advances in biomaterials manufacturing and agriculture are among the solutions the six inaugural fellows in New York are pursuing.
• Joining the Activate Boston Community are 10 fellows advancing the bioeconomy, improving productivity, and enabling more efficient, sustainable clean energy systems. Their applications include unlocking the potential of microbes for a range of applications, sourcing essential materials for renewable energy systems, and boosting efficiency in the energy sector.
• Welcoming its eighth cohort, the Activate Berkeley Community continues its legacy of hosting fellows who are pushing the boundaries of material science and nanotechnology. These 11 incoming fellows are advancing innovations such as carbon-free production of critical chemicals, turning wastes into circular products, and faster, more efficient computing and energy storage systems.

Cohort 2022 joins a community of Activate Fellows who have raised nearly $800M in private and public funding—a 24X leverage on Activate's direct support.

"The U.S. has the best innovation ecosystem in the world," says Karin Lion, Activate's chief growth officer. "Yet, there is a pernicious gap in systemic support for science entrepreneurs who want to make an impact. Activate has, since its founding, been focused on bridging that gap. By partnering with institutions working to ensure visionary science entrepreneurs get the support they need to turn their ideas into products that solve society's most urgent needs, we can support our largest, most diverse cohort to date."

Activate's dedicated, forward-thinking network of sponsors and partners makes the fellowship possible through direct funding and donations of time, money, equipment, or services. In addition to generous philanthropic partners, Activate is supported by the Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the California Energy Commission, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Without these collaborations, Activate could not provide fellows such comprehensive financial, community, technical, and career support.

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 provides funding and fosters the resources, knowledge, networks, investors, and partnerships that fellows need to succeed. Activate's entrepreneurial fellowship model originated at Cyclotron Road, a division of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and founding Activate partner. Cyclotron Road is also supported by the DOE's Advanced Manufacturing Office as one of four Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Programs. Activate supports fellows in communities across the United States: Activate Berkeley, Activate Boston, Activate New York, and Activate Anywhere. Learn more at Activate.org. 

Media Contact
MC O'Connor, editorial director, Activate
[email protected]

SOURCE Activate.org