Join a community that transforms groundbreaking research into real world impact
Our Flagship Program: The Activate Fellowship
Support and training for scientists to launch a successful hard tech science startup
Activate's two-year fellowship program transforms scientists and engineers into founders, empowering them to reinvent the world by bringing their research to market.
We provide early-stage science entrepreneurs with funding, technical resources, and unparalleled support from a network of scientists, engineers, investors, commercial partners, and fellow entrepreneurs.
We’ve taken 294 scientists from zero to one, helping them start 235 impactful, hard tech science companies.
At Activate, we know that innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. That’s why our communities are designed to provide more than just resources—they offer a network of support, collaboration, and mentorship.
Our Managing Directors are at the heart of each community.
As former science entrepreneurs, they've faced the challenges of turning research into impact.
They understand the highs and lows of the journey and are uniquely equipped to help fellows navigate the complexities of building hard tech ventures.
Activate Anywhere: Work locally, connect nationally.
Activate Anywhere allows fellows to remain embedded in their local innovation ecosystems while accessing Activate’s national network of mentorship, education, and resources. This flexible model, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, ensures that fellows can build impactful ventures wherever they are.
Ochoa brings 15 years of experience as a scientist and entrepreneur to his role, with experience in synthetic biology, biotechnology, bioinformatics and data analysis. His past roles include co-founder and CTO of the skin care company OneSkin, and co-founder and chief scientist officer of a virtual bio-foundry and has worked with global companies through his leadership roles in Product Data Operations at Meta. Ochoa holds a Ph.D. in biotechnology and DNA data/genomics from the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil (2012) and a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and virology from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia (2006).
Andrés Ochoa
Managing Director | Activate Anywhere
Activate Berkeley: At the heart of innovation.
Activate Berkeley, in partnership with Cyclotron Road at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, offers access to Berkeley’s research ecosystem and the Bay Area’s thriving innovation hub. Fellows benefit from world-class research facilities, a collaborative environment, and proximity to top-tier investors and partners.
Fuss spent 20 years at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) researching the structural biology and molecular mechanisms of DNA repair enzymes. During her time at Berkeley Lab, she co-founded Cinder Biological, Inc., a biotech company, and was an Activate Fellow in the 2018 cohort. Fuss has a Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from U.C. Berkeley and a B.A. in environmental science from Wesleyan University.
Jill Fuss
Managing Director | Activate Berkeley
Activate Boston: Where science meets opportunity.
Activate Boston is situated in one of the world’s most renowned innovation hubs, home to groundbreaking research in biotech, defense, energy, and microelectronics. Fellows here are part of a dynamic community that bridges academia, industry, and government.
Recht shares his decade of startup executive experience, including leading his own startup to acquisition, with Activate Boston Fellows. He has brought high-impact technologies to market in the fields of hydrogen storage, AI infrastructure, and 3D printing. Recht holds a Ph.D. in applied physics from Harvard University and a B.A. in physics from Princeton University.
Dan Recht
Managing Director | Activate Boston
Activate Houston: Leading innovation in energy and beyond.
Houston, the global energy capital, is rapidly becoming a leader in the energy transition. Activate Houston fellows are at the forefront of developing technologies that drive sustainability and innovation in energy and beyond.
Pitts has nearly 20 years of experience in energy and sustainability, including as the CTO at a startup where he developed technology that could eliminate wellhead methane emissions from legacy oil and gas assets. Before moving to Houston, Pitts co-founded Greentown Labs in Boston and worked at a solar startup. He holds an M.B.A. from the MIT Sloan School of Management, an M.S. in mechanical engineering from MIT, and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Caltech.
Jeremy Pitts
Managing Director | Activate Houston
Activate New York: Innovation that never sleeps.
Activate New York collaborates with NYSERDA and Columbia University to provide fellows with access to cutting-edge resources, training, and a global network. Fellows here are part of a vibrant ecosystem driving impact across diverse industries.
Cave joins the Activate New York Community as Interim Managing Director, bringing firsthand experience as an Activate Fellow (Cohort 2015) and as a visionary leader who revolutionized her field. She joins Activate while still at Twelve as Co-Founder and Advisor, a startup that is converting CO2 into higher-valued products using electricity and metal catalysts on Earth, and someday on Mars. Before getting a Ph.D. at Stanford, Cave worked in Antarctica at the McMurdo Research Station and graduated from Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in 2006 as a member of the first graduating class.
Etosha Cave
Executive-in-Residence | Activate New York
Fueling the Future of Science and Innovation
The Activate Fellowship is made possible through the generous support of our funding sponsors, including philanthropic organizations, government agencies, and private sector partners. Their commitment to advancing science and technology enables us to empower the next generation of leaders and bring groundbreaking innovations to life.
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