Deadline: 9 January 2024
LabStart is actively recruiting a diverse cohort of individuals – passionate about climate solutions, for a paid, year-long fellowship.
During the program, fellows will work to build a startup around technologies licensed from national labs and universities.
Recruiting YOU – the inaugural cohort of the LabStart Fellowship – has been three years in the making. The LabStart vision is to reimagine the lab-to-market commercialization process in a way that welcomes all entrepreneurs, accelerates climate innovation, and incentivizes tech transfer accessibility and inclusion.
LabStart and the strong partner network have developed a hybrid, startup studio program to help match market-ready climate tech with talented entrepreneurs. They build relationship and resource bridges to help underrepresented entrepreneurs, such as women, BIPOC, and rural based individuals, launch new climate companies.
About Program
- The LabStart Fellowship is an opportunity for you to create and launch your own climate startup with technologies you select and license from the nation’s premier research institutions.
- LabStart provides funding, structured programming and mentorship with a peer cohort, access to industry networks and funding pipelines, and guidance navigating the patent licensing process.
- You commit to working full-time on launching your company and they commit to making that possible! Selected entrepreneurs will convene with an in-person kickoff March 12-14, 2024. They anticipate 3-5 in-person events throughout the year and 6-8 virtual hours per week of LabStart curriculum, mentorship, team building, and coaching.
- By the end of the program, LabStart Fellows will:
- Incorporate a startup with a validated technology, market, and pathway to commercial succes
- Have initial licensing or copyright agreements in-hand for intellectual property of focus
- Be competitive applicants for downstream incubators, accelerators, and public and private funding
The LabStart Fellowship Provides
- Funding
- $100k milestone-based investment in YOU and your company over the 12-month program period
- $25k forgivable interest-free loan before you incorporate your company
- $75k investment to accelerate your startup
- $100k milestone-based investment in YOU and your company over the 12-month program period
- Capacity Building
- 3-month accelerator curriculum covering fundamentals of climate tech entrepreneurship, IP assessment, customer discovery, licensing, and more
- 12 months of mentorship, leadership coaching, and team building principles
- Collaborative ideation, problem solving, and celebration alongside your cohort
- Access to Networks
- Peer cohort members sharing along in your entrepreneurial journey
- Access to subject matter experts fit to you and your cohort’s needs
- This includes industry stakeholders, lab scientists, academics, public and private funders, current and former founders, legal experts, and more
- Introductions to next-stage incubators, accelerators, and funders
- Access to Technology
- Direct access to scientists who worked on your technology of interest
- Guidance through the licensing process with national labs and universities
- Financial aid for preliminary licensing agreements and consulting with inventors
Who are LabStart Fellows?
- They aim to recruit those who don’t look like traditional founders, especially women, BIPOC, and other underrepresented individuals. First-time entrepreneurs are welcome.
Who should apply?
- Any US citizen who believes they have tenacity, humility, grit, adaptability, and determination to launch a great climate tech company.
For more information, visit LabStart.
