1. Innovator Fellowship

• Duration: One year of full-time participation, beginning in September 2027, followed by an additional three-month closeout and evaluation period.
• Application deadline: November 2, 2026, for the initial concept paper.
• Application process: Submit an initial concept paper and preliminary information. Selected applicants may be invited to submit a full application, followed by in-depth interviews for candidates who advance.
• Funding: Initial catalytic investment of up to US$500,000 to support research and development and achieve specific technical milestones.
• Additional support: In-kind support and services valued at approximately US$500,000, including mentorship, access to business and industrial experts, legal services, recruitment support, policy guidance, and communications.
• Location: Applicants can work from anywhere in the world; relocation to a specific country is not required.
• Funding structure: Early-stage investment may be provided through instruments such as Simple Agreements for Future Equity (SAFEs) or convertible notes. This funding should not be treated as a non-repayable grant.
• Areas of support: Technology development, equipment and laboratory access, employees and consultants, product development, entrepreneurship training, and access to investors and partners.

2. Explorers Program:

• Target participants: Researchers and scientists developing climate technologies at universities, laboratories, or research institutions who need additional technical exploration before establishing a company.
• Funding: The program information indicates an approximate range of US$50,000–US$150,000, while the FAQ references funding of up to US$250,000. These figures differ across the published pages, so applicants should verify the applicable amount before applying.
• Application process: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Selection considers technical innovation, feasibility, transformative potential, and the proposed project plan.
• Location: Worldwide; participants can generally work from their existing locations.
• Employment flexibility: Participants may continue working in their current university, laboratory, or research institution positions.
• Eligible expenses: Research and development, laboratories, equipment, materials, technical consulting, and personnel needed to achieve project milestones.
• Purpose: Reduce technical risk and demonstrate the feasibility of an innovation, potentially preparing it for commercialization or a future Innovator Fellowship.

3. Business Fellowship:

• Target participants: Business experts, entrepreneurs, and professionals experienced in markets, business models, and technology commercialization.
• Work arrangement: Full-time participation, working with Innovator teams to develop market-entry strategies, identify customers, and advance commercialization.
• Compensation: Competitive compensation; no fixed amount is published.
• Location: Participants can work from anywhere in the world.
• Application process: Candidates are recruited according to program needs rather than through a continuously open general application cycle. Interested professionals may register their interest and be contacted when suitable opportunities arise.
• Professional benefits: Access to industry experts, organizations working on industrial decarbonization, and professional networking opportunities.

1. Innovator Fellowship

• Applicants should review the following requirements:
• Be a scientist, engineer, or innovator developing a promising climate technology with commercial potential.
• Have a technology at approximately Technology Readiness Levels 1–4 (TRL 1–4), covering early research, development, and proof-of-concept stages.
• Develop a technology with the potential to reduce or capture greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 500 million metric tons annually or more at scale, according to the program's stated benchmark.
• Generally have raised less than US$2 million in equity-based or equity-like financing, such as investments in exchange for shares or convertible instruments. Grant funding is excluded from this threshold.
• Commit to full-time participation and work toward developing and commercializing the technology.
• Be prepared to participate in program meetings, provide technical and budget updates, and submit required progress reports.
• Applications may involve a founding team; co-founders are encouraged to submit a joint application.
• Faculty members and full-time researchers are encouraged to apply, but continuing their current employment during the fellowship may not be possible if it conflicts with the full-time commitment.
• Be prepared to attend occasional in-person meetings and events when required, even though relocation is not generally mandatory.

2. Explorers Program

• Have an early-stage project that requires additional technical exploration before progressing toward company formation.
• Work on a technology-driven innovation or applied research project, often associated with a university, laboratory, or research institution.
• Demonstrate significant potential to reduce or capture greenhouse gas emissions, with the program citing a benchmark of approximately 500 million metric tons annually or more at scale.
• Submit a clear project plan explaining the technical innovation, feasibility, and potential for meaningful progress.
• Be prepared to achieve defined technical milestones that can be evaluated during the funding period.
• Participants may continue their current employment at a university, laboratory, or research institution.
• The published information does not establish a universal age limit, nationality requirement, or mandatory academic qualification for all applicants.

3. Business Fellowship

• Have relevant professional experience in business, markets, economics, business models, or technology commercialization.
• Be capable of helping innovation teams develop market-entry strategies, identify customers, and transform technologies into commercially viable products or services.
• Be willing to work full-time and collaborate with Innovator teams.
• Experience in commercializing physical technologies and hardware, and in bringing climate technologies to market, may be particularly relevant.
• Understand that recruitment depends on program needs and that a general application cycle may not always be open.

Innovator Fellowship Benefits

• Initial investment of up to US$500,000 to develop the technology and achieve technical milestones.
• Additional in-kind support and services valued at approximately US$500,000.
• Intensive entrepreneurship training and startup development support.
• Specialized mentorship from technology and business experts.
• Access to investors, industrial companies, and strategic partners.
• Support with legal matters, recruitment, communications, policy, and technical commercialization.
• The flexibility to work from anywhere in the world without mandatory relocation.
• Opportunities to connect with industry experts, government stakeholders, investors, and companies interested in climate technologies.

Explorers Program Benefits

• Funding for research and development, equipment, laboratories, materials, consulting, and personnel.
• The ability to continue working at an existing university, laboratory, or research institution.
• Access to Breakthrough Energy's network of mentors, experts, investors, and specialists.
• Support in advancing technical development and reducing project risks before commercialization.
• Potential consideration for the Innovator Fellowship after achieving the necessary technical milestones. Progression is not guaranteed.

Business Fellowship Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• The flexibility to work from anywhere in the world.
• Practical experience developing commercialization strategies for climate technologies.
• Direct collaboration with scientific and engineering teams.
• Access to industry experts, companies, investors, and the Breakthrough Energy network.
• Opportunities to develop professional expertise and relationships in climate innovation and decarbonization.