Deep Tech Resources

With the need to meet mankind’s enormous and growing demand for energy—driven by a new era of industrial electrification, digital infrastructure, and the "Electrification of Everything"—while simultaneously reducing net emissions, we’re entering a Golden Age for clean energy innovation. In order to eliminate fossil fuels, recapture excess CO2, and drive decarbonization at scale, entrepreneurs working in fields like advanced nuclear, advanced materials, energy and carbon control systems, carbon capture, grid optimization, synthetic fuels, and other forms of carbon utilization are looking at taking the leap to build technology ventures dedicated to tackling specific climate challenges.

In doing so, these entrepreneurs are entering an area called “Deep Tech.”  Ben Joffe at SOSV defined deep tech (also DeepTech, Hard Tech, Emerging Tech, Frontier Tech, Science Tech, Physical Tech, Future Tech, etc.) as ventures with 1. Technical risk and 2. Complexity involving the intersection of two or more disciplines, such as physics and chemistry, biology and hardware, material science and analytics, etc. (For perspective on how investors think about this space, see Joffe’s essential Deep Tech Investing 101.)

Additionally, in starting a venture, folks with PhDs in physics, chemistry, or engineering must also start learning about business, finance, and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) areas they may know almost nothing about. Aspiring founders must learn quickly how to form a management team, define their venture and strategy, create an entity and its corporate aesthetic, and start to pitch their idea to secure the funding that will enable them to scale from lab-scale to First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) commercial pilots. For most of these intrepid entrepreneurs who are just starting out with their first venture, doing what is needed to find funding may be the hardest part, since they have no prior experience.

Fortunately, there are a growing number of resources dedicated to educating, nurturing and funding DeepTech founders helping them navigate the business formation and ongoing funding process. We are compiling this guide to list resources available for early-stage ventures, borrowing where we can and adding new sources as they come to our attention. We hope this list will help you get the early funding you need to get your venture up and running!

One of the best resources out there is the Y Combinator Library, which reflects 15 years of learning and publishing on the art of starting a venture.  Get YC’s Essential Startup Advice, Elon Musk’s guidance on how to build the future, a guide to seed fundraising, and access to fundraising templates for SAFE convertible notes, among much more.

Steve Blank, a veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur-turned professor, hosts a combination of blog posts, books, and video lectures covering a wide range of lessons for tech entrepreneurs on his website, particularly those interested in the lean startup approach. For deep tech founders, his "customer discovery" approach is a vital tool to be used alongside your Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA).

The Deep Tech Master Skill: TEA & LCA

For ventures in advanced nuclear and hard tech, the ultimate "hack" is mastering your unit economics and environmental impact before you build. Use these resources to build a credible roadmap for investors and regulators:

Randy Komisar, a Partner Emeritus at Kleiner Perkins, is the co-author of “Straight Talk for Startups: 100 Insider Rules for Beating the Odds.” Though published in 2018, its 100 rules remain an evergreen masterclass on selecting investors, managing boards, and achieving liquidity.

Guy Kawasaki, The Art of the Start 2.0, brings two decades of original and convention-irreverent strategies, updated to help founders launch and scale in the modern tech landscape.

Matt Trevithick, a veteran venture capitalist and Co-Founder of Leitmotif Ventures, noted in a seminal panel on cold fusion that “Silicon Valley is a state of mind where entrepreneurs harbor a healthy disregard for the impossible.”

Non-dilutive funding is typically available in the form of grants or loans, which do not require the founder to give up any equity in their company. For a current and thorough breakdown of how these financing tools work, see this comprehensive guide to non-dilutive funding.

    • Loans may require a credit check, collateral, and guarantors, if made by a bank, and must be paid back with interest. Better terms if from family or friends.
    • Convertible Notes such as the SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) or the KISS (“Keep It Simple Security”) are routinely issued by early-stage ventures to angel “investors” which may be repaid but which are usually intended as equity that will be converted into equity at a discount to the valuation negotiated in a later round with a professional venture capitalist (which will make them dilutive, if converted).
  • Grants are basically free money and do not need to be repaid. Usually, they are area-specific, require the submission of an application, and may be limited to the achievement of a specific project or business milestone. And the business is generally required to provide status reports on the project and/or the business milestones.
  • The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has fundamentally reshaped U.S. government support for deep tech. Wilson Sonsini maintains a practice dedicated to these opportunities, tracking federal funding and tax credits for sectors including Nuclear, Hydrogen, Industrial Decarbonization, and more. You can find their full practice overview and recent insights here: Wilson Sonsini Energy and Climate Solutions Hub.

Other Funding Opportunities by Department

1) Department of Energy (DOE)

The DOE has shifted its primary focus from basic R&D to the rapid commercialization and deployment of "Energy Dominance" technologies.

  • Energy Dominance Financing (EDF): Formerly the Loan Programs Office, the EDF now manages over $289 billion in available loan authority specifically to scale hardware and infrastructure that secures the U.S. grid.
  • ARPA-E: The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy remains active as the primary source for high-risk, high-reward deep tech. While the FY2026 budget request proposes a reduction, the agency is currently in active deployment of the OPEN 2024 cycle, which recently awarded $147 million to 49 projects in sectors like fusion, geothermal, and grid resilience.

2) The Nuclear Fast-Track: GAIN

The Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) is the most critical program for nuclear founders. It provides rolling funding vouchers that allow startups to bypass the massive capital requirements of R&D by granting them direct access to the U.S. National Laboratory infrastructure and specialized technical expertise. Under the 2026 "Energy Dominance" agenda, GAIN is prioritized as the primary mechanism to move advanced fission and fusion reactors into the commercial market

Integrated R&D Grant Programs

  • SBIR and STTR Programs ("America’s Seed Fund")
    • These tiered programs allow founders to work with the DoD, DOE, NIH, and others without giving up equity. In 2026, Phase I awards for feasibility testing typically reach $300,000, while Phase II awards for prototype development frequently exceed $2 million. These are essential for "working out the kinks" before reaching commercial scale.
  • Licensing Intellectual Property
    • This strategy allows a company to generate immediate capital by granting rights to its core technology to industry partners in exchange for upfront payments and ongoing royalties. This is often used alongside grants to fund additional development.
  • Royalty Financing
    • This model provides cash in exchange for a percentage of future revenues. It is an effective non-dilutive bridge for companies that have moved past the R&D phase and need capital for production without entering a new equity round.

Non-dilutive funding is valuable to any founder, deeptech or otherwise. The following three grant programs are most geared towards R&D heavy projects and ventures:

SBA SBIR/STTR

To sustain research-driven ideas, the Small Business Administration (SBA) created the Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR). On the SBIR website, you can find relevant grants tailored to your field. The application process requires a competitive proposal including a business plan, executive summary, cost proposal, and technical proposal.

  • Eligibility & Guidelines: Here are the rules for eligibility, along with guidelines on ownership, non-profits, and more: PDF.
  • Application Roadmap: To begin the process, founders should consult the Official SBIR Roadmap

Applicants should identify the specific grant or grants that they are looking for on the Solicitations List part of the SBIR website. A “solicitation” is the specific grant opportunity. After locating the desired opportunity, applicants submit a proposal for “Phase I” funding.

If selected, you enter the three-phase program:

  • Phase I: The objective is to establish technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential. In 2026, Phase I awards typically range from $250,000 to $300,000 for a period of 6 to 12 months.
  • Phase II: This phase continues the R&D efforts initiated in Phase I. Funding is based on Phase I results and the scientific/commercial merit of the Phase II proposal. Phase II awards in 2026 frequently exceed $2 million for a 2-year duration.
  • Phase III: The objective is to pursue commercialization objectives resulting from Phase I/II. While the SBIR program itself does not fund Phase III, many agencies (especially the DoD and DOE) provide follow-on non-SBIR-funded production contracts for technologies intended for government use.

Winners are granted non-dilutive funding to infuse into their projects.

The SBA also manages Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants, which differ from SBIR in two critical ways:

  1. Mandatory Partnership: STTR projects require the startup to team up with a non-profit research institution, such as a university or federal lab.
  2. Tech Transfer: The focus is on transferring technology from the research institution to the startup and then into the public marketplace.

All information about SBIR and STTR grants, including specific agency programs, can be found at www.sbir.gov.

NSF

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has grants for a lot of fields that fall under the DeepTech umbrella.

All grants can be found here. The most accessible NSF funding program is called “America’s Seed Fund.” It invests up to $2.5 million in non-dilutive capital over 24+ months directly into impactful, advanced tech startups. Founders retain full ownership over the company and IP. It has very similar terms of eligibility as the SBA SBIR/STTR program, but the differences are that it is housed under the NSF, is geared towards commercially-viable startups, and has a different funding timeline. Founders submit a project pitch and will hear back in about three weeks. If accepted, they then submit a full proposal and can expect to hear back within six months. America’s Seed Fund also offers portfolio company support, mentorship, and strategy advice, as opposed to only giving grant funding. The Seed Program funds about 400 ventures per year, making over 2,500 grants between 2020 and 2025, covering 30 deeptech areas. Here you can find the portfolio of companies within the seed fund, which has seen 145+ exits and over $12 billion in private investment since 2014.

According to its website, the NSF accounts for about ¼ of federal support to academic institutions for basic research, with approximately 12,000 proposals granted out of nearly 45,000 every year. Eligibility is based on several factors; here is a comprehensive guide to proposals, awards, and procedures.

All grants open and close on their own timelines, so founders should keep track of them and complete the application process accordingly. Each grant has target dates, deadline dates, and submission windows, so make sure to apply on time!

There are grants for everyone from high schoolers to post-doctorates, and from non-profits to research institutions. Some incredibly successful companies were born from NSF grants, including Symantec, Qualcomm, and IntraLase. Many of the companies that win NSF grants go on to raise venture capital from top investors.

I-Corps

Established in 2011, I-Corps offers a curriculum-based, experiential learning opportunity for founders to learn about the commercialization of R&D into an independent startup. To do that, I-Corps focuses on customer discovery and translating research from a laboratory to the public marketplace.

Since its inception, the program has trained over 3,600 teams and 7,500 individuals across hundreds of universities. Out of these cohorts, there have been a total of over 1,400 startups formed, almost all fitting within DeepTech, with over $7 billion in private follow-on funding raised (and $1.7 billion in public funding) along with dozens of successful acquisitions.

I-Corps emphasizes that it is not about making a business plan or funding a scientific discovery. It is rather about “talking to customers, partners and competitors; encountering the uncertainty and excitement of creating successful innovations, [and] getting out of the university laboratory to explore the commercial potential is what the effort is about.”

I-Corps cohorts now run through 13 Regional Hubs (which have replaced the old "Nodes" system) and a network of over 100 partner universities nationwide:

To apply to I-Corps, teams must have three primary members: a technical lead, an entrepreneurial lead, and an I-Corps mentor. There are about 20-30 teams within one cohort. To apply, a team must submit an Executive Summary.

Other

To find non-dilutive funding for deeptech ideas and ventures, always be sure to check out:

Most tech incubators offer education, network support, training, and some funding to entrepreneurs trying to launch new businesses. Not all incubators offer funding, but most provide some, and many have very fair terms that provide for minimal dilution.  In the case of the very successful incubators, their dilutive funding comes with additional benefits like broader and even built-in investor networks, more press/promotion, and access to skilled advisors.

Venture Studios is a fast-growing sector, with the number of Venture Studios (VS) now exceeding 1,000. VSs have various models, but often germinate venture ideas in-house and then recruit a team and launch a startup venture around that concept. VSs usually provide all initial funding and resources to help the new venture get off the ground. The downside is that the VS owners retain a large chunk of the equity (between 20 and 40%), leaving less for the “founders,” if they can even be called that. However, in 2026, Venture Studios has solidified as a recognized asset class, particularly in deep tech, because the ventures they launch tend to grow quickly and attract intense investor interest due to their pre-vetted technical viability. For a deep dive into the different models and trade-offs, see this write-up by Max Pog.

Tech Incubators/Accelerators & Venture Studios

There are a growing number of tech incubators that will provide space, funding, and mentorship to tech ventures, typically at a very early stage. All of them have different parameters for the types of ventures that they’ll work with, some requiring you to be local and some not, so research what is near you. Here is a sampling (but see the database at the end with almost 200 listings):

  • Y Combinator (Palo Alto / San Francisco) pioneered the venture studio model, which works intensively with companies for three months to get them into the best possible shape and refine their pitch to investors. Each 3-month cycle (batch) culminates in Demo Day, when the startups present their companies to a carefully selected audience. Thereafter, the Y Combinator network continues to help founders for the life of their company, and beyond.
  • Cyclotron Road (Berkeley) recruits a cohort of entrepreneurial scientists and engineers from around the world. For two years, these innovators are embedded in the Berkeley research ecosystem, where they are provided with funding, access to Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley, plus a program of intensive mentorship, professional development, and networking. The goal is to empower technical entrepreneurs to mature their ideas from concept to first product, positioning them to align with the most suitable commercial path to bring their technology to scale.
  • Nuclear Innovation Bootcamp (Berkeley and elsewhere): The Nuclear Innovation Bootcamp is a special, nuclear-focused program designed to help young professionals learn more about starting ventures innovating in nuclear. Applications typically open in early Q1 for the upcoming summer cohort for upper-division undergrads, graduate students, and early career professionals. Check the website for the current year’s host city and schedule.
  • Breakthrough Energy Fellows is a world-class program for "tough tech" founders providing significant non-dilutive funding and mentorship. Notably, Jack Judkins of Path Power—a Nucleation portfolio company—was an Innovation Fellow who emerged from this fellowship.
  • Deep Science Ventures (DSV) is a global leader in the "outcome-led" venture studio model, systematically building companies to solve defined technical challenges in energy and climate.
  • Marble Studio (Paris) Marble is a climate tech venture studio that partners with scientists and engineers to build 'outcome-led' ventures solving the most difficult industrial decarbonization challenges.
  • Venture for Climate Tech (New York)  — a nonprofit global venture studio and accelerator program that provides non-dilutive funding of up to $50,000, as well as training, tools, and more. (Currently recruiting for their 6h Cohort.)
  • Newlab (Brooklyn, Detroit, and elsewhere), launched in 2016, brings founders together with experts from industry and provides a plethora of shared resources to power entrepreneurs in the creation of “frontier” technologies and companies. They focus on a broad array of tech areas and can provide $500,000 in initial funding.
  • TechStars is a worldwide network that provides 3-month accelerator programs, including funding, mentorship, and lifelong network access.
  • Corporate-sponsored incubators, unlike general incubators, often provide a "path to pilot," offering non-dilutive funding, technical expertise, and direct access to utility infrastructure or global supply chains. Examples include Equinor Ventures, which supports carbon capture and hydrogen scaling, and National Grid Partners (NGP), the primary hub for startups working on grid modernization and the "electrification of everything." Other notable examples include Amazon's Clean Energy Accelerator and SAP.iO.
  • Databases such as Incubatorlist, Failory, Crunchbase, and OpenVC host extensive, searchable listings of thousands of incubators and accelerators.

Please refer to the section "Venture Capitalists Doing Early-Stage Investments" below to see a list of active investors in deep tech.

Below are the key programs and competitions for deep tech and clean energy. Please note that while some dates follow an annual cycle, always check the official websites for the most current deadlines.

CalTestBed: Funded by the California Energy Commission (and administered by Next Energy Nexus, CA), this initiative provides testing vouchers (historically up to $8.8M total per cohort) for clean energy innovators to use at one of more than 60 world-class facilities. Applicants must be California-based and working on hardware with a TRL of 5-7.

Activate Fellowship: A premier two-year program that transforms technical innovators into founders. The 2026 Cohort supports "hard tech for good" across hubs in Berkeley, Boston, Houston, New York, and a virtual "Anywhere" community. Applications typically close in late October of the preceding year.

Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge: One of the longest-running deep tech competitions. The 11th edition culminates at the Hello Tomorrow Summit in Amsterdam (June 11-12, 2026), featuring an Investor Day with over 350 VCs. Applications for 2026 are closed.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: One of the most influential startup events in the world, taking place in San Francisco (October 27-29, 2026). The event features the Startup Battlefield 200, which provides founders with a massive platform for investor exposure and a $100,000 equity-free grand prize.

Climatebase Fellowship: A career and venture accelerator for mission-driven professionals. Cohort 9 applications close on February 23, 2026, with dedicated tracks for early-stage founders and capstone projects.

EPIC Pitch Competition: Hosted by the DOE's Energy Program for Innovation Clusters, the next major event is scheduled for March 11, 2026, in Raleigh, NC, with a prize pool exceeding $100,000.

Startup World Cup (Silicon Valley): A global pitch competition with a $1M grand prize, hosted by Pegasus Tech Ventures. The Silicon Valley regional qualifier is set for May 7, 2026, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. Applications close on April 26, 2026. See also other regional competitions around the globe.

H-Prize (Hydrogen Shot Incubator): A DOE-backed prize designed to accelerate affordable clean hydrogen. While the "Propose!" phase has concluded, follow-on "Prove!" phases and related DOE materials accelerators continue into 2026.

Singapore Urban Mobility Week: Replacing the older mobility challenge, this biennial event runs from November 4–6, 2026, focusing on autonomous innovation and smart infrastructure.

Deep Tech Showcase: This platform hosts monthly industry-specific events for dual-use technologies. Upcoming 2026 dates for energy and industrial founders include:

  • Energy & Clean Tech Showcase: March 25, 2026
  • Industry 4.0 Showcase: April 29, 2026
  • Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Showcase: July 29, 2026
  • Energy Showcase: August 27, 2026

Let’s be clear: venture capital is some of the most “expensive” funding you can receive because venture capitalists require that you give up equity and share future upside in your business, in exchange for their financial and professional support. The reason that so many ventures are seeking venture capital is that, if a venture capitalist invests in you, it enhances your chances of success and validates the size of your opportunity. Venture capital funding is almost always worth the price. The problem with venture capital is that it is not available to every venture.

Here’s a list of the top Venture Capital firms most active in deep tech, most of which require a “warm” introduction. (If you wish to become an investor in one of these funds, expect to commit a million or more):

There are also hundreds of newer and less established venture capital firms looking to find great ventures around the world, many of which may also invest in deep tech. Their numbers have increased so much that folks like Saba Karim are working simply to curate lists of venture investors.

Note on VC Investment:

Each VC firm has specific investment preferences and requirements for how they go about the funding process. The best strategy is to simplify your startup as much as possible and run a dedicated process where you reach out (through warm intros) to the right investors at your target funds. Keep in mind that founders will often talk to dozens of funds before they complete a round. Remember the key distinctions about deep tech: it’s complex, it’s capital-intensive, and it’s research-heavy. Try to ease investors’ concerns here. Experienced investors in this sector understand that you won’t have the same traction as a bootstrappable app but will want to see other signs of progress.

Benjamin Joffe at SOSV has laid out common deeptech investing risks, and what investors look for:

  • Team: Investors are looking for scientist-entrepreneurs. Not one or the other, but both.
  • Go-to-market: An important concept for any startup, but in deep tech, it’s important to get active feedback from your target users to ensure they understand the product/service.
  • Geography: The broader deep tech ecosystem is important and lucrative. Founders should be active members in it for the full benefits.
  • Fundability: the biggest factor— deeptech startups must be research-driven and commercialized. Will the investors get a return?

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