Up to $500K Climate Innovator Fellowship
- Organization: Breakthrough Energy
- Type: Fellowship
- Location: Global
- Deadline: November 2, 2026
- Funding: Fully Funded
Breakthrough Energy, the climate organisation founded by Bill Gates, runs the Fellows programme through Breakthrough Energy Discovery, its early-stage innovation arm. The Innovator Fellowship is a full-time, one-year programme that backs early-stage climate technologies with up to $500,000 in R&D funding, mentorship and a global network. Concept papers for Cohort 7, starting September 2027, are open until 2 November 2026. **What you get:** - Up to $500,000 for research and development, provided as an investment through a SAFE (a simple agreement for future equity), covering lab and office space, equipment, supplies, technical consultants and staff - Active technology project management with Breakthrough Energy's experts to reduce risk and speed progress - Curriculum and one-to-one mentorship - In-kind support across communications, policy, legal, techno-economics and recruitment - Access to Breakthrough Energy's network of partners across business, policy, government, technology and finance, continuing as alumni after the fellowship - No relocation required; fellows may receive help with travel costs for cohort events **What you'll do:** - Work full time on commercialising your climate technology for 12 months, followed by 3 months of close-out and evaluation - Hit agreed technical milestones, with monthly technology management meetings, a formal semi-annual review and periodic reporting - Spend 10 to 15 hours a month on Fellows curriculum and activities alongside a global cohort - Share learnings publicly, for example through technical publications or presentations, without disclosing proprietary technology **Key dates:** - Concept papers accepted through 2 November 2026 - Selected concept papers are invited to submit a full application, then a deep-dive interview - Fellows selected mid-2027 - Cohort 7 begins September 2027 **More information:** - The process has three stages: concept paper, full application, then a deep-dive interview session - Applications are scored by technical experts on technical innovation and feasibility, breakthrough potential and project plan, followed by business and legal diligence - Teams with co-founders are encouraged to apply together, one application per team - Innovators based in Southeast Asia join through the Singapore-based SEA hub, and Canadian innovators (currently agriculture focused) can join the Weston Breakthrough Fellowship, both through the same application - Explorers, a separate track for earlier-stage university lab projects, receive about $50,000 to $250,000 and are reviewed on a rolling basis - Questions go to information@befellows.org; Breakthrough Energy says it never asks applicants for payment and does not conduct official business over social media
