Who We Are

Founded in 2015, Breakthrough Energy is a global team of climate leaders committed to accelerating the world’s journey to a clean energy future. BE takes a comprehensive view of the climate challenge and drives innovation across technology, policy, and markets to reduce emissions from each of the five sources: manufacturing, electricity, agriculture, transportation, and buildings.

Working with our world-class network of partners, investors, and policy makers, BE supports the innovation of zero-carbon technologies at every stage — from discovery to development to deployment. Our work includes investment vehicles, philanthropic programs, policy advocacy, and other activities — aligned toward building a future where it’s cheaper and more efficient to do everything without emissions — a future that is cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous for everyone.

Breakthrough Energy Discovery is the tip of the spear, designed to tackle early-stage barriers to climate technology innovation, accelerating discovery and increasing the number of technologies working toward commercialization. By providing scientists, innovators, and entrepreneurs with funding and hands-on support, the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program under Discovery ensures projects have the time, resources and community to advance to the next stages of development.

Innovator Fellowship 

Innovator Fellows are world-leading scientists and engineers who enter the program with a critical climate technology they are actively working to commercialize. They commit full-time to progressing their climate startup during the one-year program, beginning September 2026.

What the Breakthrough Energy Innovator Fellowship Provides:

• Up to $500,000 in catalytic, early-stage investment (e.g. SAFE, Convertible Note) to support research and development expenses – including lab and office space, equipment, supplies, technical consultants, staffing, and more – with the goal of achieving defined technical milestones
• Freedom to work anywhere globally 
• A curriculum of intensive entrepreneurial training, mentorship, and networking opportunities
• Access to a robust network of industry partners to develop, validate, and demonstrate their technology as well as access to Breakthrough Energy’s ecosystem of investors, technologists, corporate partners, mentors, experts, and government entities
• In-kind support valued at $500,000, including direct mentorship, Business Fellow access, industry travel, monthly technical deep dives, and pro-bono/discounted services across communications, policy, legal, techno-economics, and recruitment

Business Fellowship

Business Fellows are visionary builders, industry experts, and entrepreneurial professionals who complement Innovator Fellows’ skills, helping to accelerate their technology’s path to market. Business Fellows are extensions of the Innovator teams and join full-time to develop go-to-market strategies, customer discovery, and an enormous array of vital projects progressing Innovator Fellows’ technologies to commercialization.

Business Fellows are currently recruited on an as-needed basis. Please fill out our interest form to be contacted should the opportunity open for Business Fellow candidates to apply.

What the Breakthrough Energy Business Fellowship Provides:

• Industry-competitive stipend
• Freedom to work anywhere globally
• Programming that offers access to industry experts and insights from leading organizations across many sectors of the industrial decarbonization value chain
• Opportunity to take an active role in developing the commercial pathway for several early-stage climate technologies
• Access to a robust network of industry partners to advance their skills and networks, as well as access to Breakthrough Energy’s ecosystem of mentors, investors, technologists, and government entities

Explorers

Explorers are individuals with early-stage technologies or applied research projects within a university or laboratory that require further technical exploration before spinning out of the institution. These proof-of-concept projects are high-risk and novel ideas. The Explorer program is extremely competitive, with only a handful of projects selected each year. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout 2025 and 2026.

What Explorer Grants Provide:

• Approximately $50,000 - $150,000 in funding for research and development including costs such as lab space, office space, equipment, supplies, technical consultants, and staff to achieve pre-determined technical milestones
• Freedom to work anywhere globally
• Ability to remain employed at your current institution
• Access to the Breakthrough Energy network of mentors, experts, investors, technologists, and governmental entities