NSF STRIDE Ventures

NSF STRIDE Ventures is a challenge program under NSF TIP, operated by Start2 Group, that funds teams pushing critical technologies from discovery toward deployment. It is built around competitive, jury-reviewed challenges rather than a conventional open grant call, and the record ties it to the NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships portfolio. The current examples point to applied technology rather than general research. The active AI Efficiency Challenge seeks software-driven efficiency gains for AI and machine-learning systems, with two funding tiers at up to $1.75 million and up to $3.5 million per project and an overall pool of up to $13 million. The challenge launched in May 2026 and takes applications through July 13, 2026. Earlier STRIDE activity also includes the Tech Metal Transformation Challenge, showing that the platform is intended for staged, topic-specific competitions. Applicants are expected to present translation-ready solutions with a path to preliminary deployment within a year of funding. The program is open to for-profit companies, nonprofits, universities, and research organizations, while individuals are excluded. Its practical edge is the speed of decision-making and the way it pairs federal backing with a partner-run delivery model.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.