Innovation Labs
At Activate, we’re building a community and coalition of partners to accelerate groundbreaking innovations to market.
Through our Innovation Labs, we create and adapt programs and partnership models to provide scientists and engineers with tailored resources, training, events, and opportunities at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey.
Activate Programming
Activate partners with organizations across the U.S. and around the world to bring our highly tailored programming directly to you.
Who Should Partner with Activate?
Domestic and International Government Agencies
Institutions aiming to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems, drive economic development, and support science-based entrepreneurship.
Innovation Hubs and Ecosystem Builders
Groups focused on creating pipelines of deep tech entrepreneurs and building capacity in targeted technical domains.
Research Institutions and Universities
Organizations seeking to equip their researchers with entrepreneurial skills and foster pathways for translating research into real-world impact.
Corporations and R&D Teams
Companies looking to engage with early-stage innovators, explore new technologies, and accelerate commercialization in areas like energy, materials, and sustainability.
The Activate Difference
Real Impact
A leading track record of nurturing great technologists into deep tech category creators of first-of-a-kind technology.
Leader mindsets
The key to long term success is building mindsets that will be carried with the deep tech leader forever, through coaching, feedback, and meaningful reflection.
Learning by Building
We help founders build the skills needed in real-time as they build their first venture including negotiation, fundraising, building teams, and managing key risks.
Community
Activate's responsive support builds on itself—our network of peers and mentors unlock faster progress, deeper connections, and compounding value over time.
Explore Program Offers
BRIDGE: Building Pathways to Impact
Bolstering Resources for Innovators from Developing and Growing Ecosystems (BRIDGE) is a structured group learning experience designed to help science and engineering innovators explore pathways to commercial impact. Built on Activate’s experience supporting hundreds of hard-tech founders, BRIDGE emphasizes entrepreneurial mindset development and practical tools for translating research into viable ventures.
BRIDGE focuses on entrepreneurial mindsets, technoeconomic framing, strategic relationships, and fundraising, providing participants with the skills and tools needed to navigate the path from research to market. BRIDGE is delivered in flexible formats, including a 3-month intensive or 6-month extended option, to meet the unique needs of partners and participants. By the end of the program, participants will have developed a personal impact statement, cost models, and a venture snapshot pitch deck, equipping them to drive meaningful change in their fields.
Entrepreneurial Training Workshops
Activate’s Entrepreneurial Training Workshops are immersive, customizable programs designed to help researchers explore the commercial potential of their innovations and build foundational skills for technology commercialization. These workshops are ideal for fostering entrepreneurial thinking and catalyzing deep tech innovation within communities.
Our workshops focus on key areas such as science-to-market frameworks, storytelling for funders, and company financing basics. Each workshop is tailored to the needs of the host organization and typically includes a 1.5–2 day in-person format, with optional pre- and post-workshop activities to enhance learning. Participants leave with a deeper understanding of entrepreneurial mindsets, early signals of market fit, and the confidence to communicate their science to funders, partners, and customers.
International Programs
Through global partnerships, Activate shares its expertise in supporting science-based entrepreneurs. From targeted workshops to BRIDGE programs to fellowship opportunities, we tailor our approach to strengthen local innovation communities and empower scientists and engineers worldwide.
International Activate fellowships are modeled on Activate’s proven approach and delivered locally, providing scientists in the host country with world-class mentorship, access to funding opportunities, and connections to Activate’s unparalleled global network of experts, partners, and alumni. The program supports the development of transformative technologies while building local capacity for science entrepreneurship. Each fellowship is customized to align with the region’s innovation priorities and ecosystem needs.
Strategic Alliances: Driving Innovation Together
Activate collaborates with strategic partners to create initiatives that amplify the impact of science entrepreneurship. Activate's original strategic alliance started with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Cyclotron Road program when we launched Activate. As we continue to build these alliances, we are designing a robust community that supports deep tech innovation and accelerates transformative technologies.
Strategic alliances are long-term partnerships that leverage Activate’s expertise in science entrepreneurship to address systemic challenges and unlock new opportunities for innovation. These collaborations, like our newest with The Engine Accelerator, focus on creating tailored programs, shared resources, and scalable models that empower scientists and engineers to bring groundbreaking research to market. By combining Activate’s proven frameworks with the unique strengths of each partner, these alliances drive meaningful change in areas such as climate, energy, and advanced materials.
