Activate names 50 scientist-entrepreneurs to 2026 fellowship cohort

Activate has selected 50 scientists and engineers for its 2026 U.S. fellowship cohort, a two-year program that provides funding, technical resources and mentorship for founders building hard-tech companies. The nonprofit says the new class spans energy, food and agriculture, materials and manufacturing, life sciences and health, adaptation and environment, and space and defense.

Why it matters: - Activate's fellowship is designed to help scientists turn research into companies that can address energy, climate, health and industrial challenges. - The 2026 class adds 50 more founders to a network that has already launched more than 275 companies, raised over $5.5 billion in follow-on funding and created more than 3,000 jobs.

What happened: - Activate announced the next 50 scientist-entrepreneurs selected for its two-year U.S. fellowship program. - The fellows are drawn from across the United States. - The program will provide funding, technical resources, mentorship and network support. - Cohort 2026 was chosen by committees of subject matter experts. - The announcement was made July 14, 2026, in Berkeley, California.

The details: - The 2026 cohort is the 12th class in Activate's U.S. flagship fellowship, which launched in 2015. - The fellowships are grouped into six focus areas: energy; food and agriculture; materials and manufacturing; life sciences and health; adaptation and environment; and space and defense. - Energy fellows include teams working on AI chips, fuel cells, protein sequencing and power technologies. - Food and agriculture fellows are developing tools aimed at reducing land use, waste and inputs. - Materials and manufacturing fellows are working on stronger, cleaner and more resilient products and processes. - Life sciences and health fellows are focused on biology-driven medical and health applications. - Adaptation and environment fellows are targeting floods, shoreline restoration and other environmental challenges. - Space and defense fellows are pushing work on space propulsion and adaptive wireless technology. - Supporters of Cohort 2026 include the U.S. National Science Foundation, Mass Clean Energy Center, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Cyclotron Road at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. - Activate is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works with government, philanthropy, universities and industry.

Between the lines: - Activate is positioning hard-tech founders as a bridge between deep science and commercial deployment. - The size and diversity of the cohort suggest the program is aiming to back technologies with potential across multiple essential sectors, not just one industry. - The fellowship's alumni network appears to be a core value proposition, with former fellows continuing to mentor and collaborate after the program ends.

What's next: - The 50 fellows will begin the two-year program and use the fellowship's funding and support to advance their companies. - Activate says it is expanding beyond its flagship program to reach scientists and engineers at more stages of entrepreneurship globally. - The nonprofit will continue relying on partnerships with public agencies and private philanthropy to fund the fellowship.

The bottom line: - Activate is using its latest cohort to deepen a decade-long bet that scientist-founders can build the next wave of hard-tech companies.