BE Fellows — Innovator Fellowship

BE Fellows — Innovator Fellowship Cohort 7

Supports climate founders with catalytic funding and mentoring to advance early technology ideas into deployment-ready ventures.

Eligibility · Global — open worldwide

Breakthrough Energy Fellows is the flagship fellowship program of Breakthrough Energy Discovery, the early-stage innovation arm of the climate organization founded in 2015. The Innovator Fellowship is designed for scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs commercializing early-stage climate technologies with the potential to reduce or capture at least 500 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent per year at scale. Cohort 7 will open for applications in Fall 2026, following the same annual pattern as Cohort 6, which closed on 10 November 2025 and starts in September 2026. Selected companies receive up to $500,000 delivered via a SAFE instrument, structured as a catalytic investment through the Breakthrough Energy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity.

Eligible companies must be legally incorporated before the September 2026 program start date and must have raised less than $2 million in dilutive funding (equity rounds, convertible notes, or SAFEs). The TRL range is 1–4. Applicants who are professors or faculty cannot join as Innovator Fellows while retaining their academic position; they are directed to the Explorer track instead. The application process follows three stages: Concept Paper submission, Full Application for selected candidates, and a Deep-Dive interview. Selections are made mid-2026, with the program running twelve months plus a three-month close-out phase.

Funding covers laboratory and office space, equipment, supplies, technical consultants, and staffing. Fellows receive project management support, a structured curriculum requiring 10–15 hours per month, mentorship, and access to Breakthrough Energy's global network of investors and industry partners. No relocation is required, but semi-regular in-person events are held with travel reimbursement available. Southeast Asia–based applicants participate through a dedicated regional hub co-funded with Enterprise Singapore and Temasek. Interested parties can register for a Cohort 7 notification via the official interest form on Microsoft Forms.